A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes...

What is it with little girls and Princesses? Miss Peach was really into them at Halloween, but now, we have taken it to a whole new level. I hosted a playgroup this week (I know...so not me, but I'm tryin'). One of the Moms had been to Disney World. She came back with a Cinderella dress for Miss P., and the movie Cinderella (how nice was that?). Talk about mesmerized...She was in a trance. I couldn't get the dress off of her for two days! I have managed to limit the movie to once a day now. Quite frankly, I don't know what to do about it. Left to her own devices, she would become one with the couch and the DVD player. I just don't get it, where does the Princess fascination come from? I know I was never on that page...I was a total tomboy. I know it means so much to Miss P., so I let her wear the dress (and sleep in it), but when is it to much? I really don't know what to think about all the Princess business? Let me tell ya', if you don't know...Disney really knows how to do Princess. Miss Peach doesn't have a chance against the Disney machine. It's only a matter of time before she finds out about Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast...What's a Mom to do? Thoughts...I'm out of my league here... In case your wondering...Here is Miss Peach before Mommy turned her into a Disney Princess through the magic of Photoshop!

53 comments

  1. My three year old is OBSESSED with all things princess. It started around the age of two. What is hilarious though is she will be all in her princess gear AND digging in the sandbox. Or riding her four wheeler (not the princess one, but the Dora one) <----Dora, the other obsession!

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  2. I don't get it, either.

    I tried to temper it by exposing mine to other things, limiting the princess stuff (including merchandise) and trying to be the best role model I can be.

    I do NOT want that amazing little girl growing up thinking that the world is going to cater to her and treat her like gold if she marries the right man.

    Yick.

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  3. I just read somewhere (maybe Newsweek?) that they are marketing the "disney princess" brand to 20 somethings who grew up on the princess movies.
    They have Disney Princess wedding dresses, and other stuff I can't remember now...crazy.
    I've got boys and so far neither one is into princesses...;)

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  4. I think you are fine giving in to her whims. It's probably just a phase. Mine's so obsessed with Toy Story 2 right now we're watching it almost daily, too. Soon, we'll tire & move on to something else.

    That is such a beautiful Photoshopped picture of her.

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  5. What a sweetie in that pretty dress. I do not think there is much you can do to protect her against the princesses. My girls love them too. But what little girl doesn't want to wear pretty dresses and be beautiful?I just do not like that fact that the princesses need a prince to be complete. I took a whole class on it in college (woman studies).There I go rambling again. Sorry.

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  6. I have no advice on anything girlie. But she IS cute and that photoshop makeover rocks.

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  7. that is adorable. my daughter was in love with cinderella...she didn't care much for the other princesses but...cinderella was it for her!! we had to watch the movie, a kagillion times. for her 3rd birthday, we had everything cinderella themed...games, party favors, cake...she was wearing a gown, very similar to that one, in your pic!!
    i don't know what it is but, when i was a little girl...i loved princesses too.

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  8. At least the Disney crew dresses 1/2 way decent. When my daughter grew out of princesses, she started liking some tramp-like dolls (bratz). When she started soccer, dress up started fading away. Enjoy the phase!

    (Good country song out now about "Cinderella".....)

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  9. That was a super cool photoshop effect!

    With two girls we are all about princesses here. I was a tomboy also, so I just go with the flow. Currently I am waiting for Netflix to route a copy of Beauty and the Beast from Memphis to Washington. My daughter asks me EVERYDAY about that movie.

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  10. Two days in the dress? That is NOTHING. Just. you. wait. If she is anything like my 2 girls. You will probably be seeing that dress for 2 YEARS! I remember, when we first got our oldest some dress up clothes, she looked so cute, we took a ton of pictures. And then, after a year of wearing them (literally), we were SO sick of them because that was ALL she wore. Getting a picture of her in "normal" clothes ended up being the photography event, NOT the princess gear!

    I still like it though. I know it is a huge marketing machine, but they are such old fashioned, innocent stories, I really don't mind. Much rather Disney than Sponge Bob!

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  11. Don't fight it - embrace and enjoy it. Just don't give in to all the spending.

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  12. Its all those fairy tales with the prince and the happily ever after....

    She looks so cute in that dress though. Enjoy it while she does. I'm sure she'll move on to other things soon.

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  13. Um. I dunno. It's insidious. In our case, it comes home from daycare.

    Nice photoshop skills there though!

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  14. She looks so darn cute as a princess - why fight it?

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  15. My 3 yo is absolutely obsessed with all things princesss. Not any one in particular, though. I asked her why she loved them so much and her response was, "because I AM a princess"

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  16. Love the dress!!! Give into the disney machine...you can't fight it. I still want to be Ariel the little mermaid.

    My mom wouldn't get my bro and I a Nintendo when we were young and now we're 26 & 28 and buying Mario Brothers games because we never got it out of our system...true story.

    :) hehehehe

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  17. Sorry no advice from me.. it's all boys at my house. Mine has a spiderman obsession going....
    She is a doll in that dress. I love the photoshop you did. I'm so in awe of your photoshop skills.

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  18. Love both pictures! Miss Peach....adorable! Miss Peach photoshopped Cinderella...amazing work! :-)

    Ok...I was a girly tomboy. I never would listen to the boys say "you can't do that...you're a girl". I loved climbing trees and playing football, etc. But, I also loved wearing dresses on Sunday and looking pretty...just not to school. I totally remember when Cinderella was released in the theater when I was about 6 or 7...could not wait to see it!

    So, what I'm saying is to let her embrace her inner princess, but as a princess of the new millennium...one who is strong, can play any sport she wants, and know she is worth someone treating her with the utmost love and respect...that is a true prince.

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  19. Hi I'm Maria. My 4 year old daughter loves the princesses, too. We just saw Disney's Princesses on Ice and then she had a birthday and most of her presents were princess stuff. I think it's so cute. You're right, Disney is very good with their marketing.

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  20. LOL. I'll trade you one toddler who spits in her hand before shaking mine for one that watches princess movies and wears a princess dress... :)

    (GREAT photoshop work!!! You, mam, are a talented warden!!)

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  21. Seriously?! Wow - that's impressive -- what you did with the photoshop, that is. Fun just letting go and enjoying stuff you normally don't get involved in?? Have a gr8 weekend!

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  22. Photoshop is amazing! That is so cool!
    Wow. She is a gorgeous little princess.

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  23. That's a cool photoshop!

    The Princess thing is one reason I'm kinda glad I have boys right now.

    My girl was little before Disney started the princess onslaught. Each princess was confined to her own movie, doll, whatever, never to meet her fellow tiara-wearers. So they sort of came and went. Beauty and the Beast came out when she was little so we watched Belle a lot. But she never even went as a Disney princess for Halloween.

    All that to say I can't help you, but I feel for you!!

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  24. My girl does like princesses, but she isn't obsessed just yet. whew....I don't really encourage or discourage though.

    Love the picture. very cool!

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  25. Will you believe me if I tell you this too shall pass? She will always believe herself a princess....if daddy or grandpa (my issue) tells her so, but she will outgrow the Disney brigade....Micheyla doesn't even think twice about Belle, who was our Princess.
    I would sneak the dress away occassionally though.

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  26. Dang..wished I could offer up some helpful advice...but around my neck of the woods, it's Star Wars, Transformers and GI Joes.....every where I go, everywhere I look...I am overrun with all that is boyish and manly....help...the testerone is killing me...I would love to have some princessy stuff to balance it all out...LMAO...but, she looks adorable in her princessy dress....

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  27. Miss Peach is ADORABLE! I'm tellin' ya--you're gifted, mama!

    We may never experience the princess phenomena -- it just isn't the same for little princes, like J.

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  28. Dude, that's amazing. Okay.. I have to learn how to do that!!!!

    You are amazing.
    Princess (duh) is a total disney princess fan, I was an osh kosh overall, mudpie, tree climbing, anti dress girl. WTH? Weird.
    This was too cute. I can totally relate. We have Cinderella 1, 2 & 3. UGH.

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  29. And so it starts....


    My middle child, a girl, is four and I am SO OVER princesses. Heehee... but she isn't.

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  30. Your PhotoShop skillz rock hard, woman.

    I don't get the Princess thing either. Whatever happened to throwing rocks at boys? Now that's something I can relate to. I hope the Princesses skip our house, but I'm sure they are plotting their trip on MapQuest as I type this.

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  31. I would just let this new phase run its course. Keep limiting her exposure to the movie and limiting the amount of time she gets to wear the dress. My daughter went through the same thing. Unfortunately, her grandparents continue to encourage it. Fortunately, the all-encompassing fascination has worn off. She still loves all things princess, but has also rediscovered her love of playing outside, building with blocks, and running around the house. Miss Peach will grow out of it, too. Just give her some time.

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  32. Lovely work. Now she is a princess in our eyes as well!

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  33. super cute. how old is she? I am wondering when Kya will trun into a princess fanatic!

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  34. I don't know anything about the disney princesses, but I do know that I am the mom of a blue power ranger about 75% of the time.

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  35. Maybe this will help in the meantime...

    http://www.mindcandyclothing.com/real.html

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  36. I wonder if its just programmed from birth? My two year old loves anything girly and from a very young age would go for pinks over blues, dolls over cars

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  37. Ah, I miss that stage. Now I'm trying to get her to only use half as much make-up as a tramp and wear something that actually covers her body. Enjoy this stage!

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  38. You've got mad photoshop skillz to be turning your little girl into a Disney Princess. heehee.

    The other day while at a store, I had to stop and do a double-take -- there was a lady there who looked JUST LIKE YOU. Well, she looks just like you in the pics I've seen of you! I would have gone up to her and asked but know you aren't from my neck of the woods. But you have a twin over here!

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  39. Sweet Photoshop!

    Ah, grasshopper, your mad photoshop skillz amaze!

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  40. Perfect! I love it. My Janie is a princess too. It's funny to watch them.
    Our dresses got out of control...so after a while of her wearing them non stop, I told her we could have 'dress up Friday'. She gets her dresses out every Friday and plays in them, and every other day of the week, she's my beautiful Janie.
    I always make sure to tell her that I think she's more beautiful than the princess she's dressed like. "Oh Janie you look way better than Belle does in that dress..." She eats it up. And i'm hoping it will build her self esteem too.
    Miss Peach is a doll! I just want to pinch her little cheeks.

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  41. Oh and Janie has a pair of princess high heels that have been worn non stop for 3 years now. I only wish that they had an odometer on them.
    You've gotta take her to see Enchanted...we loved it!

    Tam

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  42. I can quote Cinderella verbatim I've heard it so many times. One of my girls LOVES it almost to the point of obsession. And she's not even the one I consider my TV head. Cute picture.

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  43. I'm no good either. I was a total tomboy and still to this day have never seen any of the Disney movies with the princesses. But Miss Peach is DAH-LING in that dress! And mommy has some crazy Disney skillz too ;)

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  44. Nice photo shop-ing....

    Princess started here around 3 and didn't really end until 7. At least she's not into Bratz....

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  45. Oh gosh, we got princesses out the wazoo here, four girls, that's a lot of princess dresses through the years! And even though the oldest is close to 13, don't let that fool you, she's the biggest princess of all! Of course I do constantly walk around calling myself the queen...

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  46. She is BEAUTIFUL!! She'll be fine...it's a phase. My princess is 22 now. She grew out of it eventually!

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  47. That is adorable. I am sure it is just a phase that will change eventually. Kids this age always obsess about something. At least it is a good obsession. My 18 month old is starting it already too. At least the dressing up part. She can't really get the outfits on herself yet but she tries : )

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  48. I can't offer up much on the princess thing since I have boys and grew up with boys, but I LOVE what you did with her picture - that's awesome! I will say to just enjoy it (as much as you can) while it lasts, since she will grow out of it at some point...

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  49. I have a three year old who has embraced the princess culture wholeheartedly. Now, in addition to the princesses, she has discovered Barbie--and loves her. Now, she has never owned a barbie, played with a barbie, or seen any Barbie movies. How does she even know Barbie's name? Maybe little girls nowadays are born knowing (and loving) all things princess (and Barbie). Too cute!

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  50. Aw, man. I hadn't thought about the potential princess battle in my future, Sofie being only one year old and all.

    Like you, I was a total tomboy. My favorite outfit was a pair of green overalls. I did not like Barbie dolls either, and always popped the heads off them, sending them into the air like rockets.

    Not that there's anything wrong with Barbie and princess stuff. (I think I'm supposed to say that?)

    I'll be curious to see how Nap Warden's Princess Adventure plays out so that maybe I'll learn something to help me later.

    Sorry I haven't any advice, but you have my full support. :)

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  51. Wow! Who needs Disney magic when you have a mom with Photoshop skillz?!

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  52. Very cool!

    My youngest loves princesses. I'm trying to boy it out of her.

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  53. Oh my gosh, that's awesome! You are super powerful, NW!

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