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My three year old daughter the princess. Thanks Disney.
Every time Ana Isabel comes home she quickly changes into her princess pajamas.
On most nights, she insists I read her a story that's usually connected to a princess. Her latest favorite, Sleeping Beauty. She even has coined her own song called "Ana Princess Rock Star." She sings it around the house.
All very cute. But it got me thinking. Why does she always want to emulate a princess? And it's one that's usually saved by a prince.
I know my niece, now six, went through the same phase. And my daughter went to a birthday party recently where all the little girls dressed in their best princess outfits. So she's not alone.
Naively, I asked my wife why all the princess stuff with little girls this age. Her answer: "Thank Disney."
Since Ana's birth, generous family and friends have given us Disney DVDs and books with stories like "The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella."
It all indoctrinates little girls into this Prince Charming myth that many carry into adult. I never really thought about, of course, until I saw it my daughter.
Don't get me wrong. Disney's not going dictate my daughter's view of the world as she grows. As parents, my wife and I will. Nonetheless, I can see how a corporation like Disney can have a real impact.
What are your thoughts?
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Comments
What is so wrong with your daughter having certain views about Prince Charming? That's not a myth. Maybe YOU aren't the prince charming that your wife hoped for as a little girl. Maybe many men aren't the prince charming about which their woman dreamed growing up. That's sad for them, but it doesn't mean that the concept of Prince Charming is a myth. Stop trying so hard.
Posted by: Eric | November 5, 2008 6:23 AM
I read a parenting article recently that made the same connections, and I have to say that I completely disagree. Yes, Disney has saturated the toddler market, but it was pretty much the same when I was a kid 30+ years ago. I loved being a "Princess," and insisted that my parents take me to the theatre multiple times to see Disney releases. All my friends pretty much did the same thing. Sleeping Beauty was also my favorite. Where is all this going? I grew up to receive graduate degrees, run marathons, know how to repair a bathroom sink, and juggle a senior management position in the corporate world while raising a toddler. MY PARENTS were the ones who instilled the values I needed to accomplish such things, not a Disney princess. My daughter likes to dress like a Princess, but she also like to play with cars.
Posted by: Rachel | November 10, 2008 9:41 AM