Not Just A Princess

As a mother of three little girls, I know a lot about princesses...at least the fairly tale variety.  Over the years my girls have received countless gifts of princess costumes, princess dolls,  princess movies, princess books...you get the idea.  I don't believe there is anything wrong with that as long as it remains balanced with other interests...blocks, art, trains, building sets, other types of books, etc. Unfortunately I find a lot of parents don't help their daughters find a balance and then what happens? Well, you find girls at age four and five obsessed with makeup and how they look. I don't want my daughters to think how they look is what truly matters. I want them to get messy and have fun and be proud of what they accomplish more than what they are wearing. Friends and family will sometimes tease me about being overprotective because I don't allow my kids to watch many popular t.v. shows (i.e the Hannah Montana types). But in this world in which we are living, it is vital to monitor and protect our children from the media's portrayal of girls today. Let's not turn our daughters into self-obsessed, ditzy, shopaholics. They are girls, not Barbie dolls.  They are strong, smart, and have endless possibilities. Don't limit them!