Swindon mum paints stretch marks on her daughter’s Barbie
Watch our interview with Kate
A mother who gained stretch marks after having her daughter has painted them onto a Barbie.
Kate Claxton had her daughter three years ago and was left with stretch marks. She said: “When I first had my daughter of course, like most people, I wasn’t pleased to see them but I try and remind myself why they’re there because I was lucky enough to have a child so let's embrace them, life’s too short.
“I didn’t like them but that wasn’t the worst thing happening at all. The body stuff was quite low down in the anxiety but definitely something people can relate to and something I’m passionate about normalising now.”
One way Kate is normalising it is by painting stretch marks onto her daughter’s Barbie doll. She said: “It’s been a controversial decision it seems but it’s something really natural to us and in our family we’re open about the fact that bodies can be different and I think it’s important for children to hear about that from a young age so they know what’s to come and that we’re all different.”
Kate, a children’s author, writes books which are about body inclusivity. She said: “My Mum’s a Tiger is all about embracing spots and stripes - being more like animals and wearing your marks with pride.”
In 2016 Mattel, the toy company, made a push to be more inclusive by producing a range of Barbies including Curvy Barbie and Tall Barbie. Kate wants to see a doll with scars now. She said: “We’d never be able to represent every boy type on a doll but there’s definitely room for improvement.
“None of this is supposed to be a lesson for [my daughter], I just think the different books/toys/programmes that we watch, as long as they’re not just representing one type of person then she’s going to learn from a really young age and very naturally, that there’s lots of ways to be human and they’re all absolutely fine, and normal.”
Mattel has been approached for a comment.
Kate is currently working on an immersive play experience for children over the festive period, and running a summer camp for children to write their own book.
Another book on the horizon has a focus on beach bodies. She said: “The idea of a beach body and what they means to everybody is something I’d like to explore. If I was to ask my daughter what a beach body was she’d probably think of something made of sand and crabs and seaweed so that’s the story there really - the difference between what a child and an adult would consider a beach body and how silly it is that we need a beach body.
“People need to be aware of how much children learn through play. Yes they are just dolls but children pick up on every little thing they see and hear and it just builds to a bigger picture of confidence so if you can make any small changes then you’ll be doing your future generation a really big favour.”