I continue to be amazed at how many people actually care about this Prince and Princess fairy tale.
The only Prince and Princess stories I want to continue to see are in Disney films.
The idea of a Prince rescuing you from a dreadful life or the White picket Fence fantasy. The whole Castle and Carriage, is all pretty on screen and in plays or in a book but it is not true to life.
The dress up phase our kids go through with the gowns and swords are priceless memories and great for pictures but I don't feel that is the message I want my daughter or nieces to believe in long term.
Relationships take Effort, Communication and Commitment.
He won't always be so sweet and behave in the kindest way and she won't always be so calm and soft spoken. He will leave his work clothes on the bathroom floor she will trip over it and perhaps yell. She will make plans and ruin his football Sunday. That is reality.
I think perhaps we should dedicate more time and effort in the teaching of reality than engaging in the encouragement of a fairy tale.
Every time our kids play dress up or see stories like the ones I mentioned above remind them it is not realistic, at least not in the form they are seeing it and in the sense we after all live in the United States of America and that Prince William at the end of the day is "just" a man and Kate is "just" a woman. These are just titles and that their life styles are very different than those of mommy and daddy.
Don’t get me wrong I myself have used and still use especially Princess or Queen in connection to my niece or even in reference to myself, after all my last name in English translation is Crown, but when I use those words they are more as a term of endearment and not as a label of who we are or our roles in society.
What is your take? Should we continue to encourage our daughters to believe that someday their Prince will come or should we say that we hope someday am amazing man who loves and respects them, treats them as their equal and will be supportive crosses their path?
lol too funny,I had the same thought when she was in hospital about to have the baby, every channel I turn to was talking about this ENOUGH ALREADY! I have two girls and I have to keep them realistic with the world we are in, there are men and we are women and as much as there are the Cinderella stories they need to have their head on straight and not live in a dream world. Give the universe what we want in return, treat your man how you want to be treated and learn to dependent on no one but God! That's my take on it, some may not agree but not because we see the prince and his wife smiling 24/7 doesn't mean the are smiling 24/7 I can only imagine the stress it is being in her position, sh*t Princess D was an example of the pressures of that world. God rest her soul
ReplyDeleteCamii Good morning thanks for comments. Keep it real!!! Yes love that thought.
DeleteI have always been a little annoyed by Disney princesses. My daughter loved them when she was younger (and still does), but she knows it is not at all realistic. I wrote a paper on the dangers of these fairy tales years ago in college. Kate and Will don't bother me as much because we do see the downside of their lives as well. Like Camii said, the tragedy of Princess Di shows British royalty is no fairy tale. I totally agree with you Mari that relationships are work and sometimes messy. Our kids need to understand that to set realistic expectations.
ReplyDeleteCandace lol annoyed at the Princesses? Funny. Thanks for comments.
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