I tried and failed. If you child has no contact with the outside world, you might succeed. We are deep into "princess love" right now and it's not a battle worth fighing for me. As others mentioned, it's how you interact with the princess persona that matters. Mine daughter happens to be a princess with a light saber. I embrace the "let it happen and it will go away to be replaced with something else in due course" philosophy. She loves to dress up, play out scenarios, and watch the movies on weekends. It makes her happy which makes me happy. And at 4 1/2, isn't that what matters? I focus more about her real-life role models (me, family members, teachers, and friends) rathar than something she knows is make-believe. She also loves Thomas and Caspar but I don't worry she will be a train or a friendly ghost when she grows up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of daughters, if you managed to avoid the craze of all things princess, disney, etc... how did you do it? Or, if they became interested then why, how and what did you do to manage it?

Why would you do this? Let them use their imagination. Why would you squelch their imagination?

New poster here. I hate the princess stuff because it is largely marketed to the kids rather than emerging out of their own imaginations. There's a massive difference between the marketing that happened when I was a girl and that is happening now, during my daughter's childhood. I wanted to give her imagination space to do its thing.

We were very careful about what sort of TV and movies she saw (which is to say, very few) and what sorts of messages her books held. We offered a wide array of toys and dress-up clothes that would interest all sorts of kids. We bought clothing in an array of colors from the time she was a baby. I wouldn't have refused to buy pink if that was her preference, but she never cared much for it.

You contradicted yourself. You didn't want to give her imagination space, rather you wanted to define the space in which it could be allowed to flourish. You cut off choices and alternatives, deliberately.

It wouldn't have killed her to watch Cinderella. There's a reason these stories are popular -- they have universal appeal.

Instead, you viewed your child as some kind of social experiment to be molded.

Gotta say that I think the Disneyfied little kids are more the social experiment. And I'm not alone. Read "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" or any number of other books or articles about how we are letting marketers control our kids.

Yes, we use our role as parents to define boundaries. In addition to holding off on watching Cinderella until she was, gasp, 6 or 7, we STILL don't let her drop LSD, which would no doubt let her imagination run wild in all sorts of ways. Too cruel, I know.

Instead, you viewed your child as some kind of social experiment to be molded.

Incredibly myopic. You don't think Disney isn't trying to "mold" your child? The only difference is that Disney is trying to mold a long-term consumer, and PP presumably is trying to "mold" a child she loves into a happy, open-minded adult with values she shares.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if a daughter were into "boy" sports? Or skateboarding? Or anything involving dirt?

We'd say "Let her be interested in what she wants. Let her be who she is." Why is it any different with princesses?

False equivalency. It's commonly understood that the princess stories carry messages that girls are to be docile, meek, submissive. That's what parents object to.

Snow White led 7 men around.
Rapunzel in "Tangled" could kick any prince's ass.
Merida doesn't even want a man right now, or maybe not ever.

Plenty of historical queens and princesses were the very pillars of strength. Look up Matilda and Elizabeth I, for example, if you need to.
Get your head out of the stereotypical past.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of daughters, if you managed to avoid the craze of all things princess, disney, etc... how did you do it? Or, if they became interested then why, how and what did you do to manage it?

Why would you do this? Let them use their imagination. Why would you squelch their imagination?

New poster here. I hate the princess stuff because it is largely marketed to the kids rather than emerging out of their own imaginations. There's a massive difference between the marketing that happened when I was a girl and that is happening now, during my daughter's childhood. I wanted to give her imagination space to do its thing.

We were very careful about what sort of TV and movies she saw (which is to say, very few) and what sorts of messages her books held. We offered a wide array of toys and dress-up clothes that would interest all sorts of kids. We bought clothing in an array of colors from the time she was a baby. I wouldn't have refused to buy pink if that was her preference, but she never cared much for it.

You contradicted yourself. You didn't want to give her imagination space, rather you wanted to define the space in which it could be allowed to flourish. You cut off choices and alternatives, deliberately.

It wouldn't have killed her to watch Cinderella. There's a reason these stories are popular -- they have universal appeal.

Instead, you viewed your child as some kind of social experiment to be molded.

Anonymous wrote: i find the fairytails and the disney stories to be really dark (dead mothers galore)

Gah, you are right! I never thought of that. DD is almost 2 and we are anticipating the princess avalanche - DH sees nothing wrong with the disney princess stuff, and I am trying to explain that (almost universally) they are based on the theme of "poor princess has a problem, the prince solves it, they get married and live happily ever after." While I appreciate the entertainment value, I am worried about the message that it sends (and I am worried about my over-reaction, which might turn me into a crazy bra-burning hippie )

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3-year-old is not into princesses at all! Neither is she into castles, tiaras, dressing up, etc.. And she's also not into dolls, her best friends are her stuffed animals.

I can't figure out whether it is good or bad. Girls are supposed to play princesses and mommies, right??

My dd wasn't into princesses until she hit 4 - totally influenced by her preschool friends. if your lo is home with you, she may not turn onto princesses until surrounded by other kids.

+1

I know of a preschooler who was not exposed to any Disney princess until she attended a classmates princess birthday party. The next week, she wore her own princess dress (new) to class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of daughters, if you managed to avoid the craze of all things princess, disney, etc... how did you do it? Or, if they became interested then why, how and what did you do to manage it?

Why would you do this? Let them use their imagination. Why would you squelch their imagination?

New poster here. I hate the princess stuff because it is largely marketed to the kids rather than emerging out of their own imaginations. There's a massive difference between the marketing that happened when I was a girl and that is happening now, during my daughter's childhood. I wanted to give her imagination space to do its thing.

We were very careful about what sort of TV and movies she saw (which is to say, very few) and what sorts of messages her books held. We offered a wide array of toys and dress-up clothes that would interest all sorts of kids. We bought clothing in an array of colors from the time she was a baby. I wouldn't have refused to buy pink if that was her preference, but she never cared much for it.