It ain't easy raising girls these days. Whether your kids, or the celebrity kids who parade across the evening tabloid news, girlhood is not what it used to be!

There are so many influences from less than fabulous role models who show the darker side of feminine nature ... so much media and advertising input giving girls unrealistic expectations about how they should look ... so much peer pressure and so little support of girl's self esteem.

Even the wedding industry paints a picture of the perfect bride, establishing the fantasy of the 'perfect wedding' at an early age.

We can see from some the role models offered up by young Hollywood that girls today grow up too fast and often skip past the simple joys of “girlhood.” This summer, Barbie comes to the rescue!

Barbie, a 48-year icon of girls' childhood's, has been adored and admonished for her role in influencing girls. Once just a prom queen and fashion plate, she has become a doctor, lawyer, athlete and Goddess in special editions over the years and perhaps as she heads toward 50 she's becoming a wise woman who can inspire young girls.

Her parent company Mattel is hoping so. Mattel and Barbie have launched We Believe in Girls, a program that aims to give parents a voice about the state of girls today. Parents can participate in polls as well as weigh in on discussion forums about societal pressures their daughters face everyday. The poll results will then help shape the content of a global, 10-country research study this summer.

Everyone is invited to participate, from moms and dads to teachers, academics, social commentators, behaviorists — anyone who cares about girls' well being. They want to hear your ideas, opinions, points of view — in short the unfiltered truth.

In addition to collecting real advice from real parents, the website will be augmented with relevant articles, website links and an engaging array of diverse parenting points-of-view from around the world.