I never wanted to refer to any of my girls as a princess. It has always had a bad connotation for me. I would envision a stuck up, bratty little kid who'd yell "NO!" all the time and cry if she didn't get her way. I didn't want any princess dolls, clothes with the word "princess"...I just wanted to avoid that word all together.
Then of course Audrey got older and started to like princesses...she'd see a princess on tv or we'd read about a princess in a book and she just loved them! Audrey got a book called, "Polite as a Princess," which featured the different princesses and how they are all polite. Of course we had to read it 1,000 times per day and Audrey would start to repeat things from the book, to which I'd reply, "Wow! You are as polite as a princess!" And she'd smile and look so proud of herself. That's when I started to realize that I could totally change the perception of a princess. I would HAVE to change MY perception. Because if my little girl liked princesses, then something would have to change!
I started thinking, what's so bad about princesses? I thought specifically about the Disney princesses...they are all great role models (I hadn't considered them before in my original anti-princess rants.) They are polite and kind and good and always happy. Except for the unrealistically perfect hair, they are pretty great!
I think the princess thing is working for us because a few mornings ago Audrey told me "no." I looked her in the eyes and said, "You don't tell Mom no." She said, "Ok, Momma." I said, "Very good! You're as polite as a princess!" And that was it. A few hours later she was telling everyone at Target, "I don't tell my Mom no!" LOL. In the car instead of whining about a song she doesn't like, she says, "No, thank you!" Because that's what a freaking princess would do.
I never thought I'd be pushing the princess thing but so far it's working. Fingers crossed!
