Getting to Know the Princesses

Hi Sidra,

You've been spending a lot of time listening to stories, watching movies, and playing with some of the Disney princesses. You've become quite enamored of them and a bit of an expert on their various stories. At least, I think you know more than I do about them. I learned that there are 9
Disney princesses and I can't name but a few although I do know that your favorite is Ariel the little Mermaid. I can't really say why you like her better than the others but I felt mildly positive about her today at the pool when you said you were going to swim and dive "like Ariel."

Your most prevalent use of "princess culture" is in your desire to get married or have certain dolls get married. You asked me to marry you, asked me to marry a new Barbie doll you're calling 'Belle,' and are generally talking about marriage quite a bit. It should be noted that you clearly haven't the slightest clue about what getting married means.

The way I counter this is to tell you bedtime stories with a theme that competes with the princess stories. I'll tell you a story in which you actually meet one of the princesses and they tell you that they are tired of waiting around the palace for a prince to show up. So they tell you that they've decided to quit waiting and go out to have adventures and then write books about them. Or that they have found a fulfilling life as a teacher, or a nurse, or a doctor, or an artist, or anything but a princess. I don't think it will surprise anyone when I say that you don't particularly like my versions of the stories. When I finish you will say 'but I want to be a princess.' I'll sigh and reply 'I know.'

You had a great time when we went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip farm a couple of weeks ago. You wore your tutu and climbed all over the haystack, rode the 'cow train,' pumped water for the ducky races and slid down the bouncy slide.

You've learned on your own to do a seat drop and make it back to your feet on your trampoline. In the video you are in your newest tutu, an orange one. You are a pretty good sport about entertaining your little sister, which for you is pretty easy. She doesn't miss much when you're in the vicinity.

Love Aba.