One day I walked into the front room and discovered that Phoebe was wearing her towel over her clothes. She grinned up at me and announced, "Mommy, I'm a princess!"
I adore having a girl. She is a lovely gift after two bounce-off-the-wall-boys. But I have never called her a princess. Beautiful girl? Yes. Sweet girl? Daily. Good girl? Yup. Princess? I can't. It smacks of entitlement. Yes, I recognize my issues. Sometimes I bend a bit too much toward my feminist (stay-at-home-mom feminist, but that's a topic for another post) leanings. And I've wondered if I'm depriving her of something that other little girls get.
So I have not taught her about princesses. She has seen Disney movies though. And honestly, that was the only kind of princess I ever wanted to be. I was nine when The Little Mermaid came out and I decided then that I wanted to be the voice of a Disney princess. I've made other choices (to not pursue acting professionally, to be a mom), but there is a little part of me that still dreams of voicing whatever princess Disney hasn't already brought to life. I know I'm a touch too old, but maybe they're working on a thirty-something princess story and just haven't found the right voice yet. Everyone needs a daydream, eh?
Back to Miss Phoebe. Without being taught directly about princesses, she knew. And when she claimed her title I was curious. What did that mean to her? So I asked. "Phoebe, what does a princess do?"
I watched her ruminate. She looked at her towel-dress, then she grabbed the hem and swished it a bit. The light of a two-year-old's epiphany spread across her face and she said enthusiastically, "Dance!"
So I have not taught her about princesses. She has seen Disney movies though. And honestly, that was the only kind of princess I ever wanted to be. I was nine when The Little Mermaid came out and I decided then that I wanted to be the voice of a Disney princess. I've made other choices (to not pursue acting professionally, to be a mom), but there is a little part of me that still dreams of voicing whatever princess Disney hasn't already brought to life. I know I'm a touch too old, but maybe they're working on a thirty-something princess story and just haven't found the right voice yet. Everyone needs a daydream, eh?
Back to Miss Phoebe. Without being taught directly about princesses, she knew. And when she claimed her title I was curious. What did that mean to her? So I asked. "Phoebe, what does a princess do?"
I watched her ruminate. She looked at her towel-dress, then she grabbed the hem and swished it a bit. The light of a two-year-old's epiphany spread across her face and she said enthusiastically, "Dance!"
3 comments:
I'm with you completely. This is the same reason I dislike barbies and am secretly relieved Ashley doesn't have an interest in them yet.
I've also discovered that Ashley's main interest in princesses is the fact that they dance, and her enjoyment in pretending to be one revolves around the feel of a gown twirling around her. So I try not to take away from that simple pleasure.
It would be fun to converse and exchange insight about this with you someday.
What's funny is that I haven't made a point of keeping "princess" out of Eliza's vocabulary but I don't think she's seen many, if any, princess movies cause Cat and Jack just aren't into them.... therefore when my Dad sent her a Disney Princess beach towel she had no idea how to describe it. I found it funny.
OH - and I'm pretty sure you are about the same age as Mandy Moore, who just voiced Rapunzel not too long ago. Don't give up yet, Margot.
You will always be my sweet baby, who needs a princess? "guess who"
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