Got Quads?

Yesterday one of my daughters told me she wants to be a princess. Sleeping Beauty to be exact.This reminded me of a recent conversation I had with another mom: who is better for our daughters~Barbie or the Disney Princesses ?

I’m not talking about the Barbie of my day, which some people found offensive. You know, the blonde hair, blue-eyed, big breasted doll whose proportions would never fly on a human. Today’s Barbie is a little more bland, a little less busty and a  lot more independent. I recently watched a Barbie movie with my daughters. Ken was no where to be found. Yes, this Barbie had a romantic interest, but rather than waiting for him to bail her out of trouble Barbie was right there working with him to find a resolution. Coupled with the “We Girls Can Do Anything” motto of the “old” Barbie and this gal has turned into one tough cookie.

But still, one of my daughters wants to be a princess. This is partly my fault, as I’ve somewhat crammed Disney Princesses down their throats. When trying to find a theme in which to decorate their room I found a wall border with four of the princesses: quite a coup when you’re decorating a room for quadruplet girls. My daughters can identify Cinderella , Sleeping Beauty, Belle , Snow White , Jasmine and the Little Mermaid… all female characters who tend to wait around to be rescued. One mom pointed out to me that Mulan is pretty tough, but you don’t see her featured on the princess products.

My ultimate feeling is if my daughters want to play with Barbie or dress up like a Disney princess, so be it. Who says you can’t be feminine and tough? As someone with a box full of Barbies in her basement I can tell you I didn’t pay attention to Barbie’s looks. Instead, playing with Barbie was all about being creative and making up stories with her. So my daughters like pink and like to wear dresses? Big deal. Down the line they’ll still learn from their father and from me how to be independent young ladies. They’ll know how to use tools, change a tire , use a lawn mower. They can still do all those things in heels and party dresses… right?!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS