We all know what a Barbie doll is, have seen at least one in a store, and probably played with one at some point in our lives. Barbie is a fashion doll that hit the market in 1959 -- over 50 years ago. Today Barbies have become the doll that children play with. Sure, there are competitors like the Bratz dolls and more recent franchises like Monster High and Ever After High. However, the Barbie brand has surpassed them all over the years, and is now a household name. There are Barbie Jeeps, dream houses, collectible dolls (my mother owns a few of those herself), a movie franchise and even computer games.

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There are some critics of the Barbie doll who say that her slender figure and perfect features give children unrealistic expectations of what they must look like. That's where Lammily comes in...

Photo viaWikipedia

Lammily is a new fashion doll that debuted in 2014. The doll is being dubbed the "realistic Barbie doll" by buyers. The development of Lammily was mainly crowdfunded on Tilt.com, making it the representation of what the people want to see in a doll. It's known for its realistic proportions, non-revealing clothes and add-on stickers (which feature things like freckles and stretch marks).

Now, the company that brought you Lammily is bringing you an expansion pack of sorts. It's called the "Lammily Period Party." It's a party pack that comes with menstrual pads for the Lammily doll, a pair of panties and an educational brochure for parents and children to look over together.

Photo via People

Here's the description of the "Period Party" pack from the actual website:

"On average, a woman between the ages of 12 and 51 spends a total of 6 years on her menstrual period.

Yet, while being a huge part of female life, this perfectly healthy natural process is still surrounded with taboos.

Let’s start an open and positive conversation about our periods.

Includes…

1 educational pamphlet
1 pair of panties, fits Lammily doll
18 reusable colored pads and liners stickers
1 calendar & dot stickers"

Proponents of the pack believe that this is a step in the right direction, effectively making kids comfortable with the menstrual cycle and inviting an open, positive conversation between parents and children about puberty. This pack allows for period shaming to be nipped in the bud by addressing it early on with children and making them more aware of their normal bodily functions.

However, critics of the pack say that it is inappropriate, has nothing to do with fashion (the doll is still considered a fashion doll), and that teaching children about periods so early in their lives is wrong.

Here's the link to where you can buy a Lammily doll and the expansion pack: http://lammily.com/

What do you think about Lammily and her period preparation kit? Is this an innovative way to normalize periods and make discussing them less taboo? Or is this inappropriate for kids?