Anna Pallisco and Sandra Maola are mothers of young children on a mission to teach children about virtuous living.
With many popular singers, movie stars and TV shows negatively influencing children, the two concerned mothers believe, now more than ever, their children, friends, and classmates need positive and inspirational mentors to look up to and to imitate. This is often the case with dolls and toys.
Co-Founder Sandra Maola: “Anna and I are appalled with the type of doll one can find in your average toy store. You will often find dolls that look more like prostitutes than young girls. The dolls in particular that concerns us the most has even named their product line after a common term for a spoiled or ill-mannered child, or ‘brat.’ This particular line of dolls or ‘brats,’ whose website constantly promote having parties and meeting boys, is a perfect example of how secular society tries to impress our children in a way that could be detrimental to their character. We, like many other mothers, are worried about the message that some of these products are sending young children today.”
To combat this, they have begun to develop products that promote the lives of biblical characters or saints of the Church with an emphasis on a particular virtue that they were known for. Their specialty is a line of cuddly, plush, child-like saint or spiritual hero dolls called “Faith-filled Friends” and a forthcoming line of Old Testament prophets dolls called “Prophet Pals.”
“We feel very determined and inspired to market our dolls as the wholesome alternative to these negative secular dolls with positive faith-based dolls that build up children and reinforce positive and character-building virtues. We want to encourage children to be saints not brats,” says Anna Pallisco, co-founder of Faith-filled Friends. “Our message is simple: Follow the lives of the saints and their teachings, practice virtues, and live out these virtues. It is a recipe given to us by God to keep our children safe and on the right path. Our dolls give children the visual tools and hands-on images that they need as a means of learning.”
Sandra says: “Many preschool and elementary school teachers agree that Faith-filled Friends is the perfect visual aid to teach young children about the saints and help in promoting the virtues that these spiritual heroes perfectly practiced. Studies have shown that some children learn better visually. Young children are more apt to learn through hands-on activities. Also, many times what children see helps them to register and remember information. I was told by Pam Talbot, a fourth-grade parochial teacher at my children’s school, that many of the boys, in particular, are drawn to the Blessed Mother dolls. Several students have asked her to allow them to place the dolls at their desk as a constant reminder of Our Virgin Mother’s love and affection. We had no idea of the reaction our dolls have caused in the young and not-so-young alike.”
The founders themselves believe in practicing the virtue of generosity on behalf of the customer by donating a portion of the proceeds of a particular doll they purchased to a specific charity somehow associated with the saint, hero or virtue.
More information can be found about their products at www.faithdolls.com.
For more information contact Sandra Maola at 760-945-9687 or by e-mail at info@faithdolls.com.
