They are intended to be “relatable,” not “aspirational” like Barbie, said Michelle Chidoni, a Mattel spokeswoman . And they are not supposed to be adults, like Barbie and Ken, but rather they were “designed specifically to have a youthful gender-neutral appearance,” said Culmone.

To develop the dolls and their accessories — all components are original, and research and design took 18 months — Mattel worked with physicians and experts knowledgeable about gender identity as well as 250 families across the country, including children of all gender identities. “We talked to them about what they had in dolls currently and what they were looking for,” Culmone said.

What did the researchers learn? “The kids didn’t want to be told that boys had to play with cars and girls had to play with dolls,” Culmone said.

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As for the parents, researchers found a growing concern around gendered toys for their children — though a generational divide on the subject was certainly evident, Chidoni said. “While this was something that was really innate to the kids, it was something that, in some cases, was a little bit harder for their parents to understand,” she said.