Any way to delay or avoid the Disney princess obsession?

[Anonymous]

Playing pretend is educational. Sparking creativity is educational. I’ve never bought my kids anything from Disney and yet all four went through princess phases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Playing pretend is educational. Sparking creativity is educational. I’ve never bought my kids anything from Disney and yet all four went through princess phases.

What’s your thing against Disney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter loves watching Disney movies but she was never obsessed. They are cute movies; what’s the big deal?

OP is concerned more about her child watching movies as a two-year-old that aren’t educational. Not being anti-princess or anti-girly or anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where you are coming from, OP, and agree it is a bit different since your kid is under 3. No need to let her watch lots of movies if you aren’t into that. The middle ground we found was being deliberate about the Princess movies my 4 year old can watch. We avoid the old Disney movies where the girl exists to get the boy. She loves Frozen. We introduced her to other stories like the Wizard of Oz. We won’t buy character toys because we don’t want toys with a single use. She can make her other dolls into frozen characters and into wizards or a family. Some PP said the bigger deal is what you say to her about them. “Isn’t Ariel so pretty” is going to be damaging long term if you aren’t also saying “I love how curious she is!” It’s a tough balance but ultimately your kid is going to like what they like.

A woman should have the freedom to do that if she wishes. There are plenty of women out there like this. That does not make them bad, or wrong, or less than. Women have choices. And this is one of them.

PP here. Yes, I agree that a WOMAN can make that choice. My kids will have plenty of time to go boy or girl crazy and make choices about relationships. They don’t need to do that when they are 4.

They’re playing PRETEND. It’s all make believe at this age. So you’re ok with make believe doctor or engineer (because that’s an acceptable role to you), but not make believe princess or wife?

You are being too literal. Of course pretend play is ok. It should be balanced. Exposure to lots of choices is important. I have zero problem with playing wife or doctor. My daughter does both. The argument is about movies. There aren’t animated princess movies where the princess is a doctor or an engineer. Until they show both equally in princess movies I will choose to expose her to the modern ones have love stories and strong women with other interests. You can be both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where you are coming from, OP, and agree it is a bit different since your kid is under 3. No need to let her watch lots of movies if you aren’t into that. The middle ground we found was being deliberate about the Princess movies my 4 year old can watch. We avoid the old Disney movies where the girl exists to get the boy. She loves Frozen. We introduced her to other stories like the Wizard of Oz. We won’t buy character toys because we don’t want toys with a single use. She can make her other dolls into frozen characters and into wizards or a family. Some PP said the bigger deal is what you say to her about them. “Isn’t Ariel so pretty” is going to be damaging long term if you aren’t also saying “I love how curious she is!” It’s a tough balance but ultimately your kid is going to like what they like.

A woman should have the freedom to do that if she wishes. There are plenty of women out there like this. That does not make them bad, or wrong, or less than. Women have choices. And this is one of them.

PP here. Yes, I agree that a WOMAN can make that choice. My kids will have plenty of time to go boy or girl crazy and make choices about relationships. They don’t need to do that when they are 4.

They’re playing PRETEND. It’s all make believe at this age. So you’re ok with make believe doctor or engineer (because that’s an acceptable role to you), but not make believe princess or wife?

You are being too literal. Of course pretend play is ok. It should be balanced. Exposure to lots of choices is important. I have zero problem with playing wife or doctor. My daughter does both. The argument is about movies. There aren’t animated princess movies where the princess is a doctor or an engineer. Until they show both equally in princess movies I will choose to expose her to the modern ones have love stories and strong women with other interests. You can be both.

? The new princess movies are animated. What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

JFC. Your poor DD...

[Anonymous]

At 27 months your daughter wants Belle and Jasmine because they are new and colorful. She’s not seeing a deeper meaning than that.

My daughter is a little over 3 and loves the Princesses. And now she sings her little head off every chance she gets- about absolutely anything. Because she’s seen the Princesses burst out into song. She also loves to fight dragons because Prince Phillip does it in Sleeping Beauty.

I’m only a few months ahead of you in this daughter thing but please listen when I say this- it will pass soon. Whether it is annoying or adorable it will pass soon. Enjoy it and let her dress up and sing and do the dang thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest, the “problematic” Disney princesses, if you want to call them that, are the early ones.

I understand the issues with Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), and Ariel.

After that, you have princesses who actually are pretty cool. Belle and Jasmine did their own thing. Pocahantas has problems, but Milan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, and Moana are great. So is Elsa.

So let’s be clear about what we actually mean when we talk about horrible Disney.

My daughter is 2 but my son is 5 so we’ve done a lot of Disney movies. Aside from the Little Mermaid, which my kids both like, we just haven’t shown the old princess movies. It’s not hard. Back when we were kids Cinderella was a bigger deal but now Frozen has easily surpassed it and I have 0 problems with Elsa or Anna. If my kid wants to watch Snow White or Cinderella, we’ll let them. It’s really not a big deal.

But yeah, I agree with PP. If Ariel ruins my kids there are clearly bigger issues in my parenting.

[Anonymous]

DD is nearly four and has some Disney books but has never seen the “princess” movies. Maybe it’s coming once she starts watching TV but for now she is much more interested in other characters from her books and dressing up like doctors, grocery store clerks, veterinarians, waitresses, etc - things from real life.

I’m not opposed to the Disney fictional marketed princesses (some are kick-ass) but I don’t like old school princess culture of calling girls “princess” or putting them in frills.

[Anonymous]

It’s truly such a brief phase.

Don’t let them know you have issues with it, but don’t buy a ton of princess gear either. It’ll be over before you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where you are coming from, OP, and agree it is a bit different since your kid is under 3. No need to let her watch lots of movies if you aren’t into that. The middle ground we found was being deliberate about the Princess movies my 4 year old can watch. We avoid the old Disney movies where the girl exists to get the boy. She loves Frozen. We introduced her to other stories like the Wizard of Oz. We won’t buy character toys because we don’t want toys with a single use. She can make her other dolls into frozen characters and into wizards or a family. Some PP said the bigger deal is what you say to her about them. “Isn’t Ariel so pretty” is going to be damaging long term if you aren’t also saying “I love how curious she is!” It’s a tough balance but ultimately your kid is going to like what they like.

A woman should have the freedom to do that if she wishes. There are plenty of women out there like this. That does not make them bad, or wrong, or less than. Women have choices. And this is one of them.

PP here. Yes, I agree that a WOMAN can make that choice. My kids will have plenty of time to go boy or girl crazy and make choices about relationships. They don’t need to do that when they are 4.

They’re playing PRETEND. It’s all make believe at this age. So you’re ok with make believe doctor or engineer (because that’s an acceptable role to you), but not make believe princess or wife?

You are being too literal. Of course pretend play is ok. It should be balanced. Exposure to lots of choices is important. I have zero problem with playing wife or doctor. My daughter does both. The argument is about movies. There aren’t animated princess movies where the princess is a doctor or an engineer. Until they show both equally in princess movies I will choose to expose her to the modern ones have love stories and strong women with other interests. You can be both.

The argument is not about movies. Go back and reread the OP. The argument is about Disney princesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where you are coming from, OP, and agree it is a bit different since your kid is under 3. No need to let her watch lots of movies if you aren’t into that. The middle ground we found was being deliberate about the Princess movies my 4 year old can watch. We avoid the old Disney movies where the girl exists to get the boy. She loves Frozen. We introduced her to other stories like the Wizard of Oz. We won’t buy character toys because we don’t want toys with a single use. She can make her other dolls into frozen characters and into wizards or a family. Some PP said the bigger deal is what you say to her about them. “Isn’t Ariel so pretty” is going to be damaging long term if you aren’t also saying “I love how curious she is!” It’s a tough balance but ultimately your kid is going to like what they like.

A woman should have the freedom to do that if she wishes. There are plenty of women out there like this. That does not make them bad, or wrong, or less than. Women have choices. And this is one of them.

PP here. Yes, I agree that a WOMAN can make that choice. My kids will have plenty of time to go boy or girl crazy and make choices about relationships. They don’t need to do that when they are 4.

They’re playing PRETEND. It’s all make believe at this age. So you’re ok with make believe doctor or engineer (because that’s an acceptable role to you), but not make believe princess or wife?

You are being too literal. Of course pretend play is ok. It should be balanced. Exposure to lots of choices is important. I have zero problem with playing wife or doctor. My daughter does both. The argument is about movies. There aren’t animated princess movies where the princess is a doctor or an engineer. Until they show both equally in princess movies I will choose to expose her to the modern ones have love stories and strong women with other interests. You can be both.

The argument is not about movies. Go back and reread the OP. The argument is about Disney princesses.

NP.

The princesses show up in ... movies.

[Anonymous]

My dd had a Disney princess theme birthday cake for her third birthday. She was long done with the princess phase by kindergarten. Don’t make more of a big deal of it, op, that it needs to be. It’s a short pre-school phase. I’ll add that her younger brother also enjoyed dressing in Disney princess dresses around the same age. Little kids like the sparkles and satin. Both are now well-adjusted teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kind of tongue in cheek but also kind of serious, ladies. My DD is 27 months and has only ever watched PBS Kids educational shows or Cocomelon learning song shows (she doesn’t watch every day). My husband has started showing her Disney princess songs while potty training and now she asks for Jasmine and Belle every day. I’d been hoping to delay (and ideally avoid haha) this stage until she was older. I don’t like her watching stuff that’s not educational and def haven’t wanted to get on the Disney train and all that comes with it at such a young age. She doesn’t have character clothing or themed and branded play figures either from other shows or movies. It’s just not my thing He doesn’t think it’s a big deal and that she is learning all the time so can watch fun things too. I get it, let a kid be a kid, and if she likes it she likes it, but I just don’t want her consuming Disney junk until she’s older, like 4 when other kids will be watching it and dressing up and we will get into that stage. Anyone with me? Or am I an outlier?

It's not all ladies on this board, you know.

[Anonymous]

Just provide her with lots of other interesting things too and it shouldn't get too unbalanced.