to think "The Little Princess" is a bad role model & can 'move on'

[FindingStuffToChuckOut]

DD (3) has been given three "Little Princess" books (all by different people).

They all involve a spoilt brat screaming "I WANT, I WANT, I WANT" while all the adults run around her pandering. She usually gets what she wants.

Apparently this is a TV show too (thank goodness we've never seen it). But the books seem to be very popular.

I can't stand them & I hide them & now DD has access to them at nursery!!!

AIBU to HATE them & hide them from DD? (I don't want to donate to charity as that would involve inflicting them on another family?) To me they just seem to encourage selfishness & bad behaviour (ie screaming to get what you want), which I really don't want DD to take up/copy/be influenced by.

Surely I'm not alone? I'm really puzzled as to why people think stories like this are a good idea? Any parents out there who actually like them? (DD seems to like them ) Am I missing something?

I watch the TV show in the morning (7am Milkshake) and find it quite amusing. Husband hates her. Being northern I kinda like the humour as she's a little tyke.

I think she means well and the fact that Julian Clary norates is worth the tune in.

oh DD has lots of non-sensible fun - I just don't get the 'fun' part of these books.

I wouldn't actually mind if DD could read them to herself - but some books I just can't bring myself to read to her & these top the list (closely followed by some really totally crap adaptations of Postman Pat/Thomas/Bob etc that came in a huge compendium. Soo poorly "written"/edited it's astonighing. I find Fifi Flowertots books excruciating too. Really poorly written.

Though grungeblob I confess I am reading DD the little brother one (I'm expecting) - but she doesn't seem to be quite so whiny & spoilt in it. That story almost works - well works enough to be readable.

She'ls growing on you then Findingstufftochuckout!

Do agree with you about the crap Thomas/Bob adaptations though

I honestly don't get WHY you would use that book for potty training though. The whole point is that she spends ages asking for the potty but it doesn't come so she wets herself and goes bright red with shame. HOW is that useful?

The most excruciating book we have is a Dora the Explorer thing. It arrived for Christmas and DS1 likes it because it has one of those slide viewers with it, but the words are almost unbearable to read.

This whole brand had a really bad influence on dd. I just hate it really hate it. Aesthetically, content everything.

Don't you find most of the little girls in books are bossy little madams
The Little princess
Olivia
Peppa Pig

I hate them. They are really badly written as well. I have had to read two of the bloody things already today aloud to DD, twice each. Goes without saying I didn't buy them.
Why do kids like them do much? Arg.

If you want feisty and fun and even subversive, Roald Dahl is your man. Well written, complex and very satisfying.

The Eloise series and the Madeline books are far superior and more responsible, while not losing sight of the sense of adventure or being too prim. The Olivia books are really aimed at adults, imo.

The ones I hated most were Junie B. Jones books - written in slang, with bad grammar supposedly mimicking a child's wobbly grasp of English. They taught nothing. 'Outrageously sassy' Junie managed to thoroughly mangle the English language, in books aimed at young readers no less - 'breathtakingly horrible grammar' (from the Amazon review) doesn't even begin to cover it.

oooh I loved Roald Dahl as a child & adult!!! Must dig out Revolting Rhymes.

'Don't you find most of the little girls in books are bossy little madams'

and Lola in Charlie and Lola

YANBU

I found that the original books (before they became a tv series) were ok. They tended to be very simple, one line per page, easy to follow and usually with a moral or ironic ending. (I want my dummy, I want a sister, I want my dinner, I want to go home)

The books that are based on the TV series are much wordier, and the story tends to be lost in overly complex dialogue. I don't enjoy those at all.

but Lola is small and very funny . I can hack Lola, and she doesn't wear PINK!

I think books are often a fantasy outlet for children. They wouldn't dream of behaving as badly as Horrid Henry, but they love to hear about him and have the experience of being horrid like Henry without risking the consequences.

Same with the Little Princess books. They're a real hit with the little ones I look after, but I've yet to see any one of them behave like that themselves.

ah, like Richmal Crompton's William - good theory Tanith.

YADNBU!

I got the one from the library about potty training. Bloody awful book. I noticed DS started demanding things after "I WANT....." When I read it, I pointed out how rude she was and how that wasn't nice to ask for things like that and I would quiz him on how we do ask. His reply was always "Can I have.... please" the only positive thing to come from reading such a shite book.

I loathe the programme too and have said to DH (as he is usually the one around when its on) that it is to be switched off as DS will watch it but I think she is awful. Luckily DH agrees anyway.