A toy designed as a stress-relief tool has ignited considerable debate, as videos showcasing its use circulate widely. The rubber doll, resembling a child, has prompted concerns from educational and psychological experts, as well as parents, regarding its potential behavioural and educational impacts on children.
As such products gain traction on online platforms, calls have intensified for families to enhance their awareness about the importance of monitoring the toys and digital products their children acquire. Experts, regulatory bodies, and parents alike have stressed the need to cultivate educational concepts rooted in dialogue, respect, and empathy.
Mohammad Saif Al-Afkhm, Director General of Fujairah Municipality, emphasised that consumer protection and community safety are top priorities for regulatory efforts. He highlighted the significance of sourcing children’s toys and products from reliable and accredited sources.
He asserted that family awareness forms a critical pillar in safeguarding children, urging parents to monitor the toys and digital content associated with them, ensuring their suitability for children’s ages and societal values. Al-Afkhm noted that collaboration between the municipality and regulatory agencies fosters a safer environment for children while enhancing awareness regarding products available online, thereby supporting consumer protection efforts and encouraging safe purchasing habits.
Children’s Behaviour
Dr. Eman Abdulhadi, a family, psychological, and educational consultant, cautioned that while some toys may appear to serve merely as entertainment, the behavioural messages they convey warrant consideration, especially when linked to actions involving hitting or aggression towards dolls mimicking children.
Dr. Abdulhadi pointed out that children primarily learn through observation and imitation rather than words, explaining that habitual exposure to violence or playful aggression could predispose them to accept aggressive behaviours or exhibit a lack of empathy towards others, particularly in the absence of family guidance and direct dialogue.
She clarified that while not every violent-themed toy will necessarily lead to aggressive behaviour, the unmonitored repetition of such actions and scenarios can embed misguided concepts regarding the management of problems and emotions. She urged parents to monitor the types of toys their children engage with and to have conversations about the distinction between play and reality, encouraging them towards cooperative, creative, and emotionally intelligent activities.
Moreover, she emphasised that building a balanced personality initiates from seemingly minor details that could deeply influence a child’s thoughts and behaviours in the future.
Mohammad Abdullah Al-Houti, a parent, asserted that families bear the responsibility of monitoring the toys and products acquired by their children, especially given the accessibility of online shopping. He highlighted the necessity of examining the contents of toys and their educational messages, warning against being swayed by popularity or trends.
He stressed that continuous dialogue with children and fostering their awareness remains crucial for establishing a culture of sound decision-making, rather than simply resorting to prohibitive measures. If a child is drawn to toys as outlets for frustration, families must comprehend their attachment and explain that expressing anger is not synonymous with harming others, while presenting more positive alternatives for emotional expression such as sports, reading, drawing, and engaging in creative or volunteer activities.
Guiding Children
Anoud Abdullah Al-Shalubi, a mother, affirmed that parental oversight extends beyond monitoring what children watch to what they purchase. She underscored the importance of utilising parental control tools and researching toy content and reviews prior to acquisition.
When children request rubber dolls that resemble children as stress relief tools, attendants should engage them in dialogue and education instead of outright rejection, explaining that anger should not be addressed through aggression and assisting children in understanding correct emotional expression practices.
Al-Shalubi advised families to provide alternatives, like sports, drawing, colouring, writing, breathing exercises, and sensory play that safely alleviate stress.
Monah Abdulrahman Al-Hamadi, another parent, remarked on the necessity of closely monitoring the toys and products their children own, especially with the convenience of online shopping. She emphasised her diligence in confirming age appropriateness and whether the toys align with societal values and norms.
She noted that ongoing family guidance and dialogue play a significant role in raising children’s awareness and enabling them to distinguish between beneficial toys and those that may promote inappropriate messages or behaviours, advocating for steering children towards more positive avenues for emotional expression.
The Family as the First Line of Defence
In light of the rapid growth of online shopping and the multitude of options available to children, the family remains the primary line of defence in guiding children and shielding them from content and products that might convey messages or behaviours inconsistent with educational and societal values.
Experts and parents maintain that family awareness, continuous dialogue with children, and vigilance over their acquisitions and viewing selections form the foundation for nurturing a balanced character capable of discerning between beneficial and potentially harmful influences on future behaviour.
While the regulatory bodies play a vital oversight role, conscious parenting that instils values of respect, empathy, and emotional regulation within the family structure remains the most crucial foundation for raising a more aware, responsible, and self-assured generation.
The emphasis on sourcing children’s toys from reputable and accredited channels is paramount, alongside reinforcing concepts rooted in dialogue and respect, and the avoidance of violence in play.
Encouraging playful violence desensitises children to aggression, highlighting the need for mindfulness in toy selection and emotional education.