Every Little Girl's Dream
Is this what we're striving so hard to attain?
posted by Christi Nielsen at 8:15 PM
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Sunday, April 23, 2006
Is this what we're striving so hard to attain?
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what a feminist is, I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.
~Rebecca West
"Well behaved women rarely make history."
~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
7 Comments:
YES!! We all want to be Princess Barbies! That's what we're SUPPOSED TO WANT TO BE! That's why all our toys were pink when we were little and they shove the Disney Princesses up little girls noses today.
I had to buy a birthday present for my 3 year old niece this weekend. I didn't want to get her anything like the Disney Princess pop-up book I saw that featured each princess discussing a good character trait "inner beauty" and at the bottom of the page in bold letters it would say, "Being pretty is important!"
I did end up getting her a tutu, though, because she likes to pretend she's a ballerina. It was sparkly and pink and I almost hated myself for buying her something SO patriarchally-endorsed as girly, but I balanced it out by also getting her a huge thing of blocks that were simple wood and not painted pink with glitter sprayed on them.
you know well how close to home this is for me right now with my daughter. if you have the time - and feel like it, i have a old post in the archives about this battle in raising my daughters...
http://itsneverdullhere.blogspot.com/2005/10/im-not-rapunzel-and-there-is-no-prince.html
i search for balance every day. i hope you find it as well.
t
Aaaahhhh, very good of you to comment on this subject. It's the very reason I raise my daughter to value her mind. And the very reason I wear little makeup, and don't make a big deal about body issues out loud. (I've got 'em, for sure, but I wouldn't transfer that burden to my children) So far, it's working, as my almost-14-year-old, barely wears lip gloss, and is happy-go-lucky about her own self, and confused about the other girls who are overly made up and self absorbed.
Sorry for the long comment, but you are so relevant.
Please know, I do not think I'm the perfect mother, quite the opposite, and my daughter has her faults, but this is the one issue I believe I've conqured!
t_cole's post is great. Go read it. I've split the link up so the whole thing shows up here.
http://itsneverdullhere.blogspot.com/2005/10/
im-not-rapunzel-and-there-is-no-prince.html
I wanted to be homecoming queen. But never was. And even though I want my own children to accomplish their dreams I wouldn't attempt to push that just so I could live through them.
Interesting thought to ponder.
It starts at birth. No, wait. It starts even before your due date. In the NICU there are little 34 week premature girls with pink and lavender princess blankies and little fancy onsies with "pretty princess" printed on the front. Mommies are striving for princessdom for their little girls.
I think Laura Bora's balanced approach helps -- I got one of my godgirls (after a long conversation with her mom) one Public Enemy and one Floetry CD for our last celebratory occasion, since she had expressed an interest in hiphop.
I remember my parents being pretty balanced too -- sure I had my tutu, but I also had a fire-engine red Tonka truck. :D
Stunning pics as usual, Christi.
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