Okay, hear me out. This is a legitimate and valid question. I always think about this when I see my daughter’s Barbies or baby dolls strewn naked throughout the house. To be fair, my mother-in-law sent me this exact question and got me thinking more about it. Why do kids do that? Why do they feel the need to remove all of Barbie’s clothes as soon as you get the doll?
At first I thought, okay, I know why my daughter does this. I mean, what toddler likes being fully clothed? Then I did a little more digging from an expert perspective. It turns out, there’s lots of reasons why kids remove all their dolls’ clothing. According to children’s therapist Katie Lear, there are a plethora of reasons why a toddler might be tempted to pull off those doll clothes.
Curiosity
First of all, a toddler is incredibly curious about everything in their world, including their bodies. It is very possible your toddler is just curious. This may be a great teachable moment to have a conversation with your toddler about body parts, if you feel your toddler might have questions.
Motor Skills
Another possible reason for toddlers to remove doll clothing is all about learning. At this stage in life, toddlers are learning how to do simple tasks like zipping up a jacket or unbuttoning a shirt. Your toddler could be practicing these new life skills on their Barbies or baby dolls. According to Lear, this idea of mastering motor skills could be the reason why they opt to remove Barbie’s clothes.
Bragging Rights
Even though children practice developing their motor skills, sometimes the ability to unbutton or unzip might not happen with their own clothes. They may feel a huge confidence boost continuing to do those things with doll clothes because they can. Natalie Mica, a licensed professional counselor in Houston, Texas claims “It may be empowering, especially for children yet unable to take their own clothes off.”
Creativity is Flourishing
This is my favorite reasoning behind why kids might remove doll clothes. When your child mixes and matches clothes or removes clothes, it is possible he/she just didn’t like the outfit the doll came in and are exploring other options. Embrace this creativity! Let them do their thing, even if it is a naked Barbie with earrings and high heel shoes!
Inability to Redress Dolls
There is a chance that once a child removes their doll’s clothes, they can’t put the clothes back on. Thus, it’s just easier for them to leave the clothes off! My suggestion is to watch what your child does after they take off the clothes. Do they try to put the clothes back on and get frustrated? Do they ask for your help? This could be a key indicator that this is your reason why your child is undressing dolls and leaving them that way.
Regardless of the reason behind it, it seems that every expert agrees this is a phase that almost all children go through. Just like the idea that your child won’t be going off to college in a diaper, your child most likely will not be continuously undressing their dolls throughout their childhood. It’s always a good idea to monitor their behavior but always remember-they are kids! Kids go through phases and this is just one of them!
