Tips for Parents of Princess-Obsessed Girls

For parents of little girls, princesses are everywhere. The ever-successful Disney Princess franchise has products sold in nearly every market. Plus, princess-centered tales like "Cinderella" and "Rapunzel" are among the most-common fairy tales found in children's treasuries. 

Of course, modern princess culture is full of controversies, from setting unrealistic beauty standards to romanticizing unhealthy romantic behaviors. From what I learned from my developmental psychology classes in college, early childhood is a critical time for brain development. About 95% of a child's brain is developed before age 6. Hence, it is crucial for parents to help their girls navigate the culture properly. 

Princess culture may be difficult to escape, but here are some tips for parents with princess-obsessed girls between the ages of 2 and 6:

1. Ask questions about princesses, since young children learn from discussions:
• "Why do you like [princess's name]?"
• "What do you like about princesses?"
2. Have the child draw a picture of themself as a princess, which exercises their imagination.
3. Check out books featuring positive portrayals of princesses, so that girls know that being a princess is not merely about beauty or romance:
• Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood
• Part-Time Princess by Deborah Underwood
• Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim
4. Show age-appropriate children's TV shows with positive princess portrayals, especially if your girl is too young for most Disney films:
• Disney Junior's Sofia the First (where Disney princesses make guest appearances) and Elena of Avalor
• Certain episodes of PBS Kids series Super Why! (including "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty")
• Certain episodes of HBO Family series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (including "Rumpelstiltskin" and "The Little Mermaid"-streaming on Max)
5. Research and expose your girl to forgotten fairy tales featuring empowered princesses, which might inspire them to, someday, make these stories more known:
• Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls from Usborne, which features the lesser-known Grimms' tale "Snow White and Rose Red"
• Fairy Tales for Fearless Girls by Anita Ganeri
6. Offer non-Disney princess apparel for more creative play, since research shows that children play less creatively with movie or TV tie-in toys:
• Toddler dress-up trunk from Lakeshore Learning
• Princess Costume Role Play Set from Melissa and Doug

Some of you might accuse me for implying four-year-olds can't watch Disney movies once in a while. Yet, it's important to remember that just because something is popular among a certain age group does not make it appropriate. Besides, there are more age-appropriate ways for parents to encourage their preschool or kindergarten daughter's princess interest without letting them watch feature-length films for mere stimulation.

What advice do you have for parents wanting to raise confident daughters in our princess culture?