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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to throw this book in the bin?

175 replies

warzone · 03/04/2011 16:34

It was a present for my 2yr old dd. It is called "Be the best ever princess!" The 'content' (ha!) basically involves wearing pink dresses, eating pink cakes, living in a pink castle, being waited on hand and foot, having parties all the time, being the most beautiful of all girls and, of course, meeting a handsome prince.

Would it be ridiculous of me to throw the book in the bin on the grounds that these are the opposite values I want to teach my dd?

I am hesitating because a) it was a present and b) dd seems to like it.

OP posts:
LemmysMissus · 03/04/2011 16:57

YANBU

I detest everything about the concept of princesses and pinkness. It sounds like vacuous shyte!!!

chuck it out !

Original poster
warzone · 03/04/2011 16:57

Ok, its gone in the recycling bin. It does feel odd to throw a book away, but it really is so vile I just want to rid the world of it, rather than inflict it on some other unsuspecting little girl!

Over-react? Moi? Never!

OP posts:
ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 03/04/2011 16:59

If you don't like this, you are going to be throwing out an awful lot of books over the years, including Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood etc etc - it's A book. Surely she has a balance of books?

If you really can't stand it, then donate it to a charity shop - not everyone would hate it - it would be shameful to throw it away because you don't like it.

valiumredhead · 03/04/2011 17:00

Oh dear Lord I would never throw a book away!!! Shock Unwanted books go to the charity shop in this house.

BlueAmy · 03/04/2011 17:03

Oh dear. Way OTT.

zukiecat · 03/04/2011 17:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BelleDameSansMerci · 03/04/2011 17:19

Not OTT IMO. It's not a "classic" which has been Disney-fied (although those are bad enough). It deserved the recycling bin.

FilletSteakAndChips · 03/04/2011 17:27

YANBU. I think my DD (aged 3 at the time) was given the same book by stupid distant relatives. The book's been recycled long ago.

BlueAmy · 03/04/2011 17:30

I'm afraid I strongle disagree Belle. If the OP doesn't want her DD to have it, she could've given it to the charity shop. It isn't her right to police the parenting choices of others.

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 03/04/2011 17:32

Oh gosh...a collegue insisted on lending me The Birthing House, saying I'd like it because I like Stephen King. It was abysmal. I gave up after about the fourth page of him trying to masturbate iirc.

But I wouldn't have thrown a princess book away. My daughters used to like princess books when they were 2. They are now staunch anti-royalists and wouldn't be seen dead in pink. And they both plan to have careers and so far show no interest in marrying a prince, or indeed anybody.

Original poster
warzone · 03/04/2011 17:41

BlueAmy - "It isn't her right to police the parenting choices of others"

Ha ha! I'm not standing in a bookshop telling parents what to buy and what not to buy!

I have the 'right' to put recyclable materials in my recycle bin, surely?

OP posts:
BlueAmy · 03/04/2011 17:46

You did so because you didn't want other little girls reading it, not because you believe strongly in recycling! It's not your right to decide what other children read. It's up to their parents. Another little girl (or boy) may have loved the book, and their parents may not think the way you do about these things. That's you policing them.

fanofpeamum · 03/04/2011 17:56

Shock at how precious some people are about books! A book is not sacred regardless of its content, surely? It's only a load of paper that some commercial publisher has seen fit to try and make some money with.

Good for you, warzone, I'm really glad it's not gone to the charity shop.

Original poster
warzone · 03/04/2011 17:57

Well BlueAmy, from what I've seen, the shelves of bookshops (and charity shops) are groaning under the weight of this kind of brainwashing drivel; so I'm sure those other parents / children won't feel deprived because of my somewhat pointless yet strangely satisfying little act of protest.

OP posts:
BlueAmy · 03/04/2011 18:00

Yes, well done you.

Oblomov · 03/04/2011 18:02

I would never throw out a book. any you don't like or don't agree with, fine. but throw it in the bin ? silly.

Tisallafaff · 03/04/2011 18:04

You should have sent it to me. After 5 years of doing everything in my power to avoid this kind of thing, I now have the pinkest princess ever.

I shall be bombarding DD2 with everything pink and princessy I can find.

StewieGriffinsMom · 03/04/2011 18:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JojoLapin · 03/04/2011 18:10

Throwing a book because its content does not represent your own values is quite wrong (even when it's about princesses drivel). Pass it on.

wabbit · 03/04/2011 18:11

Urgh I loath books of this nature too... have thrown books away before, perfectly happily, just like I'd throw away a shit toy...

But as it was a gift from your dd who's only 2, I'd probably put it on the highest shelf in the darkest corner until she has completely forgotten about it.

Sadly - though nazi-wabbit banned DD from books like this as a little one, at 19 she still thinks being pretty, rich and finding a man are the most important things in the world. Confused

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 03/04/2011 18:16

Erm.....what's wrong with little girls wanting to be fluffy, pink princesses ?

The fluffiest, pinkest princess I knew as a child (I swear I needed sunglasses against the pink glare if I went in her room) is now head of year at a v good school.

Another one is an engineer.

One works on a windfarm

One just qualified as a dentist

One travelled the world for years and has finally settled (alone) in Aus after securing a v good job with MTV (I think) Envy

They have all avoided turning into Jordan or relying on fluttering their diamond encrusted eyelashes to get where they want in life. In fact thinking of all the girly girls from school can't think of any who have been held back by liking pink shite

I however was a tomboy and well..... Blush I do Know all the best places to find frogspawn tho Wink

The irony being if it's a boy choosing to be a princess mums seem to be ok with it in a look at me i'm such a free parent kind of way Hmm

Feel sorry for girls sometimes, and think the op is out of order for discarding of a book her daughter enjoyed.

Himalaya · 03/04/2011 18:17

Jojolapin - 'quite wrong' - why?

she didnt burn the last ever copy of an ancient manuscript. Sounds like it was a throwaway bit of princess pap, and so she threw it away.

flyinstar · 03/04/2011 18:21

ooooh please!!!!
just let her be a little girl while she can...
life soon becomes shitty,who cares if its pink and fluffy..SHE IS A LITTLE GIRL...

dontcallmepeanut · 03/04/2011 18:24

As a five year old, I worshipped the whole Disney franchise, to the extent I nicknamed my entire family after members of the film Snow White... Slight obsession, aye?

21 years on, and I'm an ardent feminist. I still love the Disney films, but I'll sit there and disect them for my film essays at uni. Let her enjoy the book by all means... It's escapism. but perhaps balance it out with something that suits your taste as well?

JojoLapin · 03/04/2011 18:26

It may not be rational but whether it is thrown or burnt, I pretty much feel the same about it: It has been destroyed because of its content (which is, I agree, a load of garbage!).

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