American Girl dolls have always been a favorite of mine, even though I don’t own one myself! My daughters, do, though. I love the dolls, their clothes, their detailed accessories. The best part of their line has always been the stories, in my opinion. What a great way to introduce important parts of American history–by weaving them into fictional stories about young girls. Children can then act out the stories with the dolls themselves.
In recent years, American Girl has introduced more and more modern characters and accessories, including boy dolls. They have included a variety of items such as glasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and crutches. A few years ago, they even released an Allergen-Free Lunchbox, complete with food allergy stickers, an allergy alert bracelet, and an EpiPen. (Yes, yes, there should have been two. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.) It’s so important for children to see themselves be represented in the world, especially by well-known companies.
American Girl of the Year Blaire Wilson has a Food Sensitivity to Dairy
Each year, American Girl also has a Girl of the Year doll who is only available for one year. I’ve never bought one, but this year I might. I’m certainly going to buy her books! The 2019 Girl of the Year is Blaire Wilson, and she has a food sensitivity to dairy. A dairy-free doll is something I couldn’t have imagined seeing in the pages of the American Girl catalog when my daughter was little.
Spokin Gets American Girl to Speak Out About Food Allergies
Early versions of one of Blaire’s book covers said that she has a food allergy. This is incorrect, and is being corrected by American Girl. In a recent interview with Spokin, a mobile allergy app company, American Girl talked about how they are taking steps to correct the mistake:
The first thing we did was apologize for our mistake through a Facebook statement and direct responses to anyone who reached out to us. Next, we corrected the digital synopsis of the book wherever it was used and promised to fix any future print runs of the title. We also pledged to publish an article on the differences between food allergies and sensitivities by Dr. Amanda Cox, an MD and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Health System. This article will be sent to our email subscribers on February 26 and drive them to our parenting blog on americangirl.com, reaching approximately 1.5 million people.
I recommend reading the entire article on Spokin’s website. More details are given about the error and how American Girl is taking it seriously. They also talk about Blaire Wilson’s story, how the author of her books is uniquely qualified to write her story, and how food allergies are handled at American Girl cafes. The interviewer even asks if those doll-sized allergy lunch boxes might make a return!
You can purchase the American Girl Blaire Doll and Accessories direct from AG website and on Amazon.
Get Dairy-Free American Girl Blaire’s Accessories:
2 Comments
Thank for addressing the difference between allergy and intolerance. My son has dairy and peanut allergy and for some reason people don’t take the dairy allergy seriously. I heard people say “oh he is intolerant” and I say No he is allergic! I have had trouble with his school as well getting the severity of his allergies. I appreciate you making people more aware and educated. Thanks
Thank you, Cherise! It’s exciting to see companies like American Girl discuss food allergies and food sensitivities, isn’t it?