My 3-year old is princess-obsessed, and my husband and I encourage it. We have a rapidly growing collection of all things princesses, from dresses to water bottles to movies to graham crackers. We listen to the Disney Princess Medley Radio station on Pandora every day, and she sings along to every song. At any given moment, you may find her walking around our house in a fancy dress and high heels. We call her a ‘princess,’ and we won’t stop.
She is our princess, the center of our world, but it’s more than just that. Princesses are about more than just sparkly dresses and tiaras. I think princesses are great role models to help little girls develop into strong women. In fact, many wishes that I have for my daughter are similar to traits possessed by princesses.
Some of you may not agree with encouraging a love for princesses, and some of you may have groaned when you read the title of the post. In this day and age, we’re told that girls should be so much more than princesses. We are told that they should defy the gender barrier as if it doesn’t exist, be brave, fearless, and strive to be whatever they want. And guess what? I would totally agree with you, which is why my daughter is a princess.
In my opinion, there are a lot of things that Disney princesses teach young girls. We have even used a princess to teach her life lessons. For example, a few weeks ago, we taught her a lesson in kindness using Sofia the First as an example. A few girls (including my daughter) were being mean to each other in class. My husband came up with the idea to show her the importance of being nice by referencing Sofia the First and Princess Amber. Since Sofia the First is a little girl, she is especially relatable to a preschooler. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, Sofia the First is kind, compassionate, and willing to befriend anyone, while, on the other hand, Amber is cold, bratty, and a typical “mean girl.” We asked her who she wants to be more like and how she would want to be treated. She immediately said, “Sofia!”
Some of the most important lessons that princesses teach are…
- Be brave, passionate, and go through life with confidence.
- Even though you are brave, it’s okay to be scared.
- Family and friends are important.
- You are strong.
- Be kind and generous to everyone, even when others are not.
- Kindness is power.
- Be yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to go on an adventure and break out of your comfort zone.
- You have the power to change your fate and change tradition.
- Stand up for yourself.
- Stand up for others.
- Lead by example.
- Be polite and use your manners.
- Make friends wherever you go.
- Prove others wrong.
- Don’t let anyone take away your voice.
- If you can imagine something, you can do it.
- Look for the beauty within.
- Take charge of your life. You define yourself.
- Work hard to create your own future, and don’t settle.
- Take chances.
- Don’t lose hope.
- Life is magical. Believe in the magic.
I applaud your reasoning, your compassion and your desire to raise socially aware daughters. Not everyone can appreciate the lessons you have found in the stories to use as learning tools in teaching your daughters, but they should realize you are talking about pre-schoolers, not teenagers. They should also realize that promoting her princess themes does not mean you are not using appropriate teaching and discipline for your daughters, but letting them express themselves and encouraging their joy in growing up happy. Everyone should strive to have happy-go-lucky children instead of having them be scared, shy and unconfident. If being a princess in her world now makes her a well adjusted child, then there should be many more princesses out there today!