281 | Playroom Representation: Sensitivity Without Over-Complication

Episode summary

In this episode, I answer a question from Mia in California about how to approach dollhouse families and representation in the CCPT playroom. We don't often talk about specific toys, so I enjoyed diving into how children use dolls and figures to create family structures—and why it's important to provide a variety of family representations, including animal families, human figures, and different relationship configurations.

I also share my thoughts on representing a range in skin tone and physical ability, and why having a variety of options—not necessarily exhaustive—is enough for children to project their inner world. Ultimately, children will find creative ways to express what they need to, regardless of whether the figures look exactly like them. This episode reinforces that our job isn't to have the "perfect" playroom—it's to provide a space where self-expression and healing can happen freely.