Fake Babies

I stumbled across a British documentary called My Fake Baby and my first thought was that it was a joke. I haven’t actually seen the entire documentary but I did watch a few of the featured clips. I know you can’t believe everything that you see on television or internet, but this company is for real. It does indeed sell reborn babies which are essentially life-like plastic baby dolls. That are incredibly realistic.

Here’s the thing, women are buying these to get attention. It can’t be denied that newborns do attract attention. But to purchase a fake baby because your kids are grown-up and you crave the attention that you had when they were newborns is creepy. I think it signals a larger problem.

I’m torn. This product is not entirely bad. For one thing, the designer should receive credit for making a truly realistic doll. It can be appreciated for its craftsmanship. Second, baby dolls are not evil. My daughter is six and she still plays with dolls. Role play with baby dolls is healthy and acceptable for children. Baby dolls are also used for role play in parenting classes (which have come a long way from the flour bag babies of my high school sex-ed classes).

But when fake babies are being marketed to fill an emotional need, I get a little leary. I’m not a mental health expert but I can’t see this being a healthy trend. I’d love to hear your opinions on the subject.