Princesses
So I’m not really into the whole princess thing. Our only Disney movie that comes close to being one of the Disney princesses is Mulan.
No Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Little Mermaid in our house. (Though Sleeping Beauty is one of Jon’s favorite out of the trio from his youth.)
Now, this wasn’t a conscious decision and if someone where to give us a princess DVD I’d let the girls watch it, but as two adults buying DVD’s for our children, we like to buy things we would enjoy, so we have all the Pixar films, some Studio Ghibli and other random Disney, or non Disney stuff in the mix.
So with not having the princess movies, the girls have not seen them, except Little Mermaid, while at Aunt Andrea’s.
So with not seeing them, they have no idea what to answer when people ask them who their favorite Disney Princess is. I never thought of this, except Carolyn’s boss once asked Lilah this question and she didn’t reply, not only because she doesn’t talk to people, but because she had no idea what he was talking about.
So now I am kinda proud that my girls aren’t enamored or obsessed with Disney Princesses, like so many little girls are. I’m fine with it if you’re daughter is, and in fact my girls still have princess stuff, just not the Disney stuff, and if a little girl does like the princess stuff it, makes it easier in buying gifts.
Anyways, this whole princess discussion started because Julie is entering Naia into this Pretty Little Princess pageant, a more natural, little to no make up or hair pieces aloud pageant, and Carolyn told Julie she should tell me and I should enter my girls. (But I think it’s ’cause Carolyn thinks my girls are the cutest, though she might be partial as their aunt.)
I pay a $20 entry fee and have them in two cute outfits, in which they would have to be new for me, because it is a pageant after all, and people give them a trophy, sash, and flowers, because all the girls get that and then the real winners get a tiara and a savings bond. There are talent scouts there looking for a fresh new face, blah, blah, blah, but parents attest to how wonderful it makes their daughter feel and all that good stuff.
I’m a little like “whats the point?”, but at the same time I have a desire to enter and see if my girls win, because they are so adorable to me, but I wouldn’t want to bank on them winning or go just because I knew they would win because, lets face it, you’re setting someone up for disappointment with that train of thought.
My other dilemma is more of an internal one. In a way I try to keep them away from the whole, ‘you’re my little princess’ train of thought. I want them to have more confidence in themselves than ‘I’m so cute’, since they already hear that a lot. (I know, could my head be any bigger about my two beautiful girls? ๐ ) So to enter them in a contest to make them feel like a princess is a little against my morals or really to enter them in a beauty pageant.
Plus what’s the point? To have complete strangers tell me my child’s adorable, or that there might be others cuter than them? Or to turn down talent scouts because I don’t want my daughter in TV? (I feel like talent agents try to get anyone who is willing pay a fee so I’m not saying this because I automatically think talent scouts would want them or at least one of them.)
But at the same time I want to show how cute my girls are and see if it helps Lilah be better with people, though she is usually better with large groups than one on one interaction.
I don’t always see the point of making a girls feel like a princess or that they’re the prettiest, though I would love for my girls to be the prettiest little princess, but I’m also so competitive that I wouldn’t want to have my friend’s children enter because I want mine to win and then if they knew the winner it might also stay in their mind more that they didn’t win, even though they get all sorts of stuff anyways.
So I’m undecided.
My silly princesses in their princess pajamas.
( I thought the frog ones were cute and my mom gave us the other ones. )
March 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I see why you are torn. Part of me says “no, way. Don’t even enter the pageant arena for a second.” Another part says, “it might be fun for the girls as a ONE time thing.” And the last part of me thinks that if it will help your girls think they are beautiful then it would be worth it. I never thought I was beautiful growing up, so I REALLY want my girls to know that I think they are beautiful and to always feel beautiful (hopefully while avoiding any egotism). Anyway, I am not a fan of beauty pageant for girls, but if this is really as low key as you say – then it might be fun for them (once and only once!)
March 10th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
My mom always told us how beautiful we were and even though there was always someone prettier, luckily I still felt good about myself growing up.
I think the pageant might help Lilah, because as she gets older and Eden stays smaller, Eden gets more of the attention and I know Lilah is aware of it and desires the attention.
I’m also told they look like precious moments kids, though the pictures don’t always do justice to their big eyes, in a big head with, big cheeks on a small body. ๐ It really is when you see them in person not smiling that you notice the resemblance.
Lilah is also a ham in this picture.
For the fun outfit I would totally do some sort of outdoors one with a cute hat, sunglasses, and the water bottles I just bought. ๐
March 11th, 2008 at 6:53 am
They DO look like Precious Moments! That picture is adorable. I know that whatever you decide to do, you’ll put plenty of thought into it and your decision will be for the RIGHT reasons.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I tend to think that these pagents are based on the whole, “My daughter is the best, Yes!” thing. I totally understand wanting confirmation on your thoughts of your children. I think my children are the best, every woman does. I would love someone to tell me that. I think people tend to say that jacob or maddy are cute when they look like their own kids. When I get those comments at the grocery, I look at the family and they ususally do look like tom and I, or they have round faces like me, or they have a dark husband etc. People who have children with big eyes and big cheeks will probably say that your kids are adorable. People who have babies with lots of hair think that other babies with lots of hair are cute. My neices and nephews look like my kids, so I think they are so cute, of course. I think your kids will win if the judge’s kids look like yours. I think could be a matter of what we have already fallen in love with. Of course you think your kids are cute, they look like your hubby.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
You like Studio Ghibli and Pixar? Let’s be friends!
March 12th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Ummmm…..I do think your kids are the cutest. But I am the Aunt like you said and I agree with the not having someone you know in the group. Julie made sure Naia was in a different group then Eden. Thats because Eden is so cute!!!
March 14th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Excuse me??? I’m not going to say who’s kids are cuter than who’s because we all know that mine would win. =) The point here is not to make my daughter feel better about herself… she’s one…. a pageant could hardly do that for her right now. I want to do it because it would be cute for me to see. It’s totally selfish. I want pictures and bragging rights.
In the end it’s up the parents how the children react to this type of thing. Become a psycho stage Mom-you get little primpy prencesses! Stay level headed and realize it’s for fun… and your daughter will see that too.