We tried to prevent princesses early in DD's life. But then she went to preschool and suddenly was the princess of everything. She loves it. It is what it is.

Just FYI since you've clearly never seen either Frozen move. Elsa is some mystical immortal Earth spirit with magic powers that control the elements. And Elsa and Anna are both rulers (i.e., Queens, not princesses) that manage trade relationships with neighboring kingdoms and are leaders that have the loyalty of the people they rule. I don't love Disney, and I didn't love the princess phase, but you've CLEARLY never seen those movies and are just making assumptions based on Disney from a generation ago. Hate on the consumerism and whatever other hundred things that are hateable about Disney, but for Pete's sakes, at least see the movies before you judge so harshly.

Wow, you're AMAZZZZING, OP! I bet if you say this out loud, everyone will start clapping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I a bad person that I have a visceral reaction when I see girls in traditional princess costumes? If they’re non-traditional like Mulan or Leia (ie people who actually DO something) I’m okay with it. Even the Frozen princesses who are so popular nowadays seem to just exist to be blonde and pretty. Btw I have a 5yo and so far we’ve been doing creative/neutral costumes like doctor or monkey, but she’s starting to get influenced by her K classmates :-/

I don’t think you are a bad person, but it is bad. You may want to think about getting therapy to understand why it bothers you so much.

Oh I know why it bothers me - because I respect (and want DD to emulate) people who do things rather than people who are just pretty. Same reason I prefer Elena Kagan to Kim Kardashian. But yes, I should recognize it’s a phase, likely fueled by peer pressure, and has little bearing on future interests.

You are extremely annoying and one note, and Kim Kardashian spends a good chunk of her time getting wrongfully convicted (or immoderately sentenced) people out of prison. But if you think posts like these make you look like a better person than someone who's kid is actually allowed to have fun on Halloween, I hope it brings you what you need.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I a bad person that I have a visceral reaction when I see girls in traditional princess costumes? If they’re non-traditional like Mulan or Leia (ie people who actually DO something) I’m okay with it. Even the Frozen princesses who are so popular nowadays seem to just exist to be blonde and pretty. Btw I have a 5yo and so far we’ve been doing creative/neutral costumes like doctor or monkey, but she’s starting to get influenced by her K classmates :-/

I don’t think you are a bad person, but it is bad. You may want to think about getting therapy to understand why it bothers you so much.

Oh I know why it bothers me - because I respect (and want DD to emulate) people who do things rather than people who are just pretty. Same reason I prefer Elena Kagan to Kim Kardashian. But yes, I should recognize it’s a phase, likely fueled by peer pressure, and has little bearing on future interests.

Hahahhahahahah you have to be kidding me. Having a visceral reaction to a kid dressing as what they want to dress as is ridiculous. A little kid’s Halloween costume has nothing to do with their future life or career or anything of consequence. Find something else to worry about that actually matters.

It's a phase, OP. Please work on your feelings. My future veterinarian DD (or animal research biologist or zookeeper, she's still on the fence), who takes daily care of her menagerie of animals, rides horses and loves handling and observing bugs, had an intense princess-costume phase at 5. I actually sewed her a ballgown modeled on the dress Christine wears in the Phantom of the Opera movie! It was epic

Anonymous wrote:Am I a bad person that I have a visceral reaction when I see girls in traditional princess costumes? If they’re non-traditional like Mulan or Leia (ie people who actually DO something) I’m okay with it. Even the Frozen princesses who are so popular nowadays seem to just exist to be blonde and pretty. Btw I have a 5yo and so far we’ve been doing creative/neutral costumes like doctor or monkey, but she’s starting to get influenced by her K classmates :-/

I don’t think you are a bad person, but it is bad. You may want to think about getting therapy to understand why it bothers you so much.

I have a visceral reaction to so-called progressives who carp about little girls' costumes in an attempt to be "woke".

OP, you're just no fun.

You are imposing a crap ton of your own issues on very small children (including probably your daughter).

First of all, you don't even know how these kids think about these things. For a lot of little girls, dressing as a princess or whatever for Halloween is just an opportunity to wear something fun and elaborate that they don't get to wear everyday. A lot of kids don't think they are actually *becoming* whatever they are dressed as. I saw a bunch of little kids dressed as cars for halloween this year (fire trucks, police cars, bull dozers, for instance). If you see that, do you think "oh no does that child think fire trucks are sentient? doesn't he understand that a police car is problematic in 2021?" Because... that would be dumb. That kid is just thinking "trucks are cool! I'm a truck!"

Same with little girls and princess stuff. They are not thinking "I want to be a princess who stuff happens to and has limited personal agency and the purpose of looking pretty!" They just think "Pink! ruffles! lace! fun!" And in their minds, those princesses probably do things. These kids are getting all the empowerment messages all the time. But for god's sake, please let them just make their own choices and have fun. Halloween is supposed to be enjoyable for kids.

Also you might want to consider that you have some internalized misogyny that makes you reject things that are overtly feminine, and ask yourself why. Do you have this same reaction when little boys dress up as pirates or ninjas for halloween? Do you think they too should dress up as doctors, since pirates and ninjas are violent? Or is it just little girls dressed in fancy princess clothes that irk you. Think on it.

Anonymous wrote:Being viscerally annoyed by little girls' interests is not as progressive as you think it is.

I actually don’t think it’s progressive at all. Isn’t the progressive thing to embrace the princess costumes? But I can’t help but hate them. As PP said, I have to hide my reaction and let DD do as she pleases.

Being viscerally annoyed by little girls' interests is not as progressive as you think it is.

It's okay OP, but for the kids, please do a good job of hiding your feelings. They are just having fun.

+10 progressive points for you.

Am I a bad person that I have a visceral reaction when I see girls in traditional princess costumes? If they’re non-traditional like Mulan or Leia (ie people who actually DO something) I’m okay with it. Even the Frozen princesses who are so popular nowadays seem to just exist to be blonde and pretty. Btw I have a 5yo and so far we’ve been doing creative/neutral costumes like doctor or monkey, but she’s starting to get influenced by her K classmates :-/