Gracie is entering her princess phase. This is all well and good...beautiful dresses, magical wands, fun jewelry. Because of this I bought her a princess coloring book. I just finished coloring with her and must say I am unsettled. Every other picture was of a princess kissing a prince or looking dreamily at a prince or some other sillyness. Most girls enter their princess phase at 2 or 3 or 4, how young to push an idea that they need to be staring at boys. Where were the pictures of the princesses with books? I looked and couldn't find one. I want Gracie to know she can be anything she wants (so long as it's not a drug dealer and such) and that a man is not necessary to her dreams and goals. That is how girls end up with bad men. They've been taught by society that it's imperative to their happiness. I know there is no way that I can make Gracie not feel like she needs a man to be happy. I think its part of being a girl, the wanting to be in love. But I can teach her that there are other things out there and other things to do in the meantime and that she is special and deserves to be treated with respect.
I think I am going to rip those pages out.
Ripping out those pages is a good idea. Like you said, falling in love is a natural desire in girls (why else would they have families?), but 2 is WAY too early to push it. Where are the pictures of princesses with books, or with rulers and pencils, etc? I loved princesses primarily for the pretty dresses, I must say.
ReplyDeleteJasmine wasn't too bad. She seemed pretty independent until a hot guy wooed her away on a magic carpet ;) I dunno, I'll have to watch that one again. Luckily, for now, I don't have to worry about princesses.
ReplyDeletePrincess Fiona is pretty cool from Shrek, because she can defend herself. But that's interesting about not seeing anything else in that book but the goggly-eyed staring at princes.
ReplyDeleteOh I know it.. I've thought about that before... the whole Prince and kissing stuff...and hey, what about Ariel and Jasmine, you can see their belly buttons!
ReplyDeleteI see your point. Let me put a different thought onto this though... Nia is also into the princess stage and has been for a long time (she's 5). With as many times as she has seen princess movies and colored in princess books, and read princess books, she has not clued into the whole boy thing and kissing thing. In fact, there are boys are school that like her and have asked her to kiss them (multiple times) and she still doesn't get it. Soooo.... before you get overly concerned, I would wait and see how Gracie reacts to all of that. It has never been a problem for us.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, my sister has two girls and she has talked a lot about boys and which boys are cute and getting married, etc. Her girls really are into boys and the knight in shining armor.
I guess what I am saying is that I at least for my perspective, how you approach the subject and issue has a much larger impact than the movies and paraphernalia.
BTW, the Barbie Princess movies are AWESOME. I highly recommend them. They also have several that have nothing to do about falling in love with a prince. The whole Fairytopia series is that way (Fairytopia, Mermadia, and Fairytopia Magic of the Rainbow).
:)
mary always write comments that im thinking. its funny. okay, no buit seriously, run away from the disney princesses. they are poison. you can look at my sister and me as examples. luckily i had the gospel to give me an actual prince charming, but seirously, i really thought and sometimes actually think life really is like that b/c i was so raised on those false things in those disney movies. i have to admit though, my lil girl will watch many b/c i still love them! im a disney fanatic! im so odd. ps im so sad we didnt make it to the blessing
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