Determined to Fight the Fight
I hate Disney Princesses. So naturally because I hate them, Alexa is interested in them. I can't figure out how she even knows about them. We went to Wal Mart today, and she located every stinking cup, balloon, book, and other piece of nonsense that is covered with their over marketed crap. We don't watch them- ever. I have never watched a movie featuring a Disney Princess, since my children have been born. I don't buy her Disney Princess toys. When we go to Target and wander the toy aisles, she does not venture onto the princess/doll aisle- by choice. We spend lots of time in front of the Leap Frog toys, and Andrew's aisles (even when he's not with us).
Why do I hate them? For a lot of reasons. They're totally over-commercialized. Everyone loves princesses. I want her to be unique and happy with her individual self, not trying to fit in. I find no real redeeming qualities in them. They seem to push the concept that girls should be pretty, nice, and let a man save you. Those are not qualities that I want Alexa to learn about. The majority of the princesses had to be either saved, or completely change herself or her beliefs in order to have her happy ending. The only princess I will purposely expose her to would be the girl from Brave. She was a tough cookie. She made a big mistake, but she solved the problem and didn't need a boy to save her or think it through for her.
Last week, my high school girls and boys basketball teams were in State Playoff games. I brought Andrew and Alexa with me to the girls game one night. We sat near the cheerleaders and she stared at them in amazement. The next night, I went without my crew and sat with a math teacher, who was teasing me about how I sat near the cheerleaders the other night. He said, "You should have been sitting near the bookkeeper, so she would know the importance of numbers!" Yes, he was giving me a hard time, but it actually wasn't a bad idea! I would never do that. The bookkeeper cannot be distracted by a busy, talkative toddler, but . . . that's more along the lines of what I want her to learn about.
I have made a compromise with my opinions on this whole toy debacle, and allowed Alexa to become interested in Minnie Mouse. Here's why: the modern Minnie, is a business woman, who creates hats and bows as a business. She's a smart business woman, who creates things. Those are things I'm ok with an impressionable toddler girl learning about.
I have no idea how I'll protect her from the media and their bizarre, skewed vision of what little girls are supposed to be, but doggone it, I am stubborn, persistent, and determined to let her be herself.
Why do I hate them? For a lot of reasons. They're totally over-commercialized. Everyone loves princesses. I want her to be unique and happy with her individual self, not trying to fit in. I find no real redeeming qualities in them. They seem to push the concept that girls should be pretty, nice, and let a man save you. Those are not qualities that I want Alexa to learn about. The majority of the princesses had to be either saved, or completely change herself or her beliefs in order to have her happy ending. The only princess I will purposely expose her to would be the girl from Brave. She was a tough cookie. She made a big mistake, but she solved the problem and didn't need a boy to save her or think it through for her.
Last week, my high school girls and boys basketball teams were in State Playoff games. I brought Andrew and Alexa with me to the girls game one night. We sat near the cheerleaders and she stared at them in amazement. The next night, I went without my crew and sat with a math teacher, who was teasing me about how I sat near the cheerleaders the other night. He said, "You should have been sitting near the bookkeeper, so she would know the importance of numbers!" Yes, he was giving me a hard time, but it actually wasn't a bad idea! I would never do that. The bookkeeper cannot be distracted by a busy, talkative toddler, but . . . that's more along the lines of what I want her to learn about.
I have made a compromise with my opinions on this whole toy debacle, and allowed Alexa to become interested in Minnie Mouse. Here's why: the modern Minnie, is a business woman, who creates hats and bows as a business. She's a smart business woman, who creates things. Those are things I'm ok with an impressionable toddler girl learning about.
I have no idea how I'll protect her from the media and their bizarre, skewed vision of what little girls are supposed to be, but doggone it, I am stubborn, persistent, and determined to let her be herself.
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