Well, we are at the height of the Princess Obsession. We tried hard to avoid it. I spent the first couple of years getting Callie acquainted with learning toys and characters such as Elmo, Curious George and Thomas the train. I was even proud that for Halloween I resisted my urge to get some girly sparkly costume and went with the Curious George monkey suite. Some how the princess have snuck in. Callie saw Snow White over Christmas when we stayed at G.G.'s and Grumpy's. Despite the obvious scary scenes, she loved it. When we returned home she talked about Snow White constantly. Soon her navy blue dress from Aunt Sarah was dubbed her "Snow White dress," and she requested to wear it all the time. Then she started to learn about other princesses. Disney has done a fabulous job of marketing to young girls, even though Callie has only seen Snow White and now Beauty and the Beast (which is also too scary), she knows all the princess' names and clothes from their stickers and stories at friends houses. She now has dubbed two other church dresses as "seeping dewy dress," and "Cinderwewa dress," she has since even gotten a real Cinderella dress from G.G., and has gloves purse and shoes to match. 
I even spoiled her with the Polly pocket sized Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White dolls with all the dresses and accessories that come with them. The Easter Bunny also brought a whole book of Disney princess stories. We try to avoid the ones about the prince and falling in love. I just don't want her to think she needs to be kissed anytime soon. Prince charming can come when she is in her late 20's. Her sweetest compliment to me is to say "Oh mama you look like... "Snow White," or "Seeping Dewy" or "Cinderwewa" or "Belle and the Beast." It does make me feel special. She is only two, have I gone over board?
I guess I worry because there is this part of me that is obsessed also with celebrities. I love to know what they are wearing. How they fix their hair, and where they live. It seems like a lot of people obsess about the same things. We live in this material driven world where fashion and figures matter more than, modesty and health. Not to mention spiritual mindedness. What am I teaching my daughter? I want her to know that she is a princess, but, not because she wears a beautiful dress and fancy crown. She is a daughter of a Heavenly Father, and therefore has a divine nature not found in the world of glitter and glam. I want her to know that she is beautiful, important, smart and good. Don't the Disney Princess have these qualities? I hope to teach her that she can let virtue garnish her thought unceasingly, then her confidence can wax strong in the presence of God. I want her to learn not to let the world be her measure for beauty and self importance, but that self assuredness will come from whithin not from comparissons to others.
In her world of make belive a princess gets to wear lovely gowns, and dance, and sing all day long. So, I guess that is OK for now.
I even spoiled her with the Polly pocket sized Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White dolls with all the dresses and accessories that come with them. The Easter Bunny also brought a whole book of Disney princess stories. We try to avoid the ones about the prince and falling in love. I just don't want her to think she needs to be kissed anytime soon. Prince charming can come when she is in her late 20's. Her sweetest compliment to me is to say "Oh mama you look like... "Snow White," or "Seeping Dewy" or "Cinderwewa" or "Belle and the Beast." It does make me feel special. She is only two, have I gone over board? I guess I worry because there is this part of me that is obsessed also with celebrities. I love to know what they are wearing. How they fix their hair, and where they live. It seems like a lot of people obsess about the same things. We live in this material driven world where fashion and figures matter more than, modesty and health. Not to mention spiritual mindedness. What am I teaching my daughter? I want her to know that she is a princess, but, not because she wears a beautiful dress and fancy crown. She is a daughter of a Heavenly Father, and therefore has a divine nature not found in the world of glitter and glam. I want her to know that she is beautiful, important, smart and good. Don't the Disney Princess have these qualities? I hope to teach her that she can let virtue garnish her thought unceasingly, then her confidence can wax strong in the presence of God. I want her to learn not to let the world be her measure for beauty and self importance, but that self assuredness will come from whithin not from comparissons to others.
In her world of make belive a princess gets to wear lovely gowns, and dance, and sing all day long. So, I guess that is OK for now.
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