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AIBU?

To think that this should not be every little girl's dream?

134 replies

IForgotMyPencil · 02/08/2013 18:34

Just been watching the 6 o'clock news on the BBC, where Fiona Bruce claimed it was "every little girl's dream" to be able to write her occupation as "Princess". Following on from the Duchess of Cambridge entering "Princess of the UK" as her occupation when registering her son's birth. Am I being unreasonable to think that there are other things little girl's should aspire to be? And for that matter, the BBC should not be enforcing the stereotype that all little girls want to be princesses!

OP posts:

Report

ElphabaTheGreen · 02/08/2013 19:07

One of the D of C's official titles is Princess William of Wales, so, yes, she is a princess. She cannot, and will not, ever be 'Princess Catherine' as only daughters of the reigning monarch, and the daughters of his/her two eldest sons can call themselves 'Princess X' (e.g. Beatrice and Eug), or 'Prince Y' if it's a son. That's why Zara and Peter Phillips and Edward and Sophie's kids aren't 'Prince/Princess'. The Queen signed a special widget to enable William and Kate's kids to be styled Prince or Princess. Diana, contrary to popular belief was never officially 'Princess Diana'. She was Diana, Princess of Wales.

I need to get a life, don't I?

Sparklymommy · 02/08/2013 19:15

Elphaba you just saved me typing all that out!

As for little girls wanting to be a princess, it's not all bad. My oldest (10) is our carnival princess for the second time and equates this as ticking it off the list of been there, done that! She is a dancer, and whilst we do the pink and glitzy we also do the dark and sinister.

IfIonlyhadsomesleep · 02/08/2013 19:16

And I would wish for financial security for my daughters (and son -there's plenty of scope for them to marry princesses) and to have babies safely with one to one care from a midwife. So-I guess I wouldn't mind if dds became princesses-no one says they can't achieve other thing too, surely?

IForgotMyPencil · 02/08/2013 19:18

I just think that little girls can aspire to be someone that changes the world, and that being a princess is not the way to go about that. Nothing Kate has done since marrying her husband has changed the world, yet women of much lower titles have changed it for the better, for example, Rosa Parks.

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ElphabaTheGreen · 02/08/2013 19:23

Prince George might be gay, and by the time he's marriageable age, same-sex marriage will be well and truly entrenched in law. So we might not get a princess after Wills and Kate but we might get a queen (or two) succeeding Will after all!

Weegiemum · 02/08/2013 19:29

My girls sat "whaaaast?"

They'd rather have a "career" apparently!

Turquoisehat · 02/08/2013 19:30

Iforgot - your last post doesn't make sense. Why can't a princess aspire to change the world? And Rosa Parks died a few years ago, so hasn't done anything since Kate became a princess.

My dd wanted to be a princess when she younger, now she is seven and wants to be an author or a social worker. I have no problem with that.

Flobbadobs · 02/08/2013 19:34

The best thing about children born now is that they can aspire to be anything they want to while they're growing up. Girls can want to be a princess, hell I knew a boy who wanted to be one many years ago, he's now a mechanic..
Reality kicks in for the majority when they're older and they get a sense of what they really want to do and what they excel at.
DD1 loves all things Disney and pink. She also loves Adventure Time and the Simpsons, playing cricket and gardening. Currently she aspires to be a farmer.
Giving our children the freedom to choose means just that, letting them choose and go through phases of whatever it is this week. This is why I didn't worry when DS had his phase of only communicating through train noises. He wanted to be a steam train, not a driver, a train!
Children need to be left to be just children sometimes instead of having adult ideals pushed onto them.

HappyMummyOfOne · 02/08/2013 19:35

Its just fantasy, children say they want to be many things but change their mind many times. Better a princess than a celeb.

Children often end up copying their parents so some will make a difference and become doctors, teachers etc. Others will have other jobs and many wont work.

IForgotMyPencil · 02/08/2013 19:38

Of course you can be a princess and achieve great things, but the reporter made it sound like becoming a princess is the most you could aspire to be, which I think is untrue!

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expatinscotland · 02/08/2013 19:40

Barf! What about every little boy's dream?! DD2 wants to be a detective inspector. Sounds better than Princess.

WaitMonkey · 02/08/2013 19:41

I totally agree with you. But I still want to be a princess

UnexpectedStepmum · 02/08/2013 19:43

I wanted to be an astronaut. DD wants to be a lollipop lady.

DiseasesOfTheSheep · 02/08/2013 19:43

I wanted to be a sheep dog. Not much has changed, to be honest!

OctopusPete8 · 02/08/2013 19:44

When I was little girl my fave film was jaws, I wanted to chase man eating sharks on a boat...not sure thats any better haa,

KingRollo · 02/08/2013 19:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsKoala · 02/08/2013 19:46

I wanted to be a bond girl or failing that one of those dolly birds which walk around a boxing ring holding a number between rounds. At school we had to say what we wanted to be (when i was about 5) so i stood up and said this. All the other girls said nurses. The teacher looked . As i got older i added page 3 girl to the list

(in case you are wondering, no, sadly i didn't achieve my dream, thank fuck)

Flobbadobs · 02/08/2013 19:47

kingrollo given your username obviously you were born to be royalty!
(I used to love that program..)

Shrugged · 02/08/2013 19:47

Unexpected, I wanted to be a lollipop lady, too. Then I wanted to be the guy who walks backwards in front of airplanes at airports waving two ping pong bats to get them on the stand.

ImNotBloody14 · 02/08/2013 20:00

I wanted to be the tango man and run round tangoing everyone- 'you've been tangoed'

lljkk · 02/08/2013 20:02

At 5 I didn't aspire.
I was convinced I'd grow up to be a bag lady at best.
DD was well into being a princess though.

ThisReallyIsNotSPNopeNotAtAll · 02/08/2013 20:02

ImNot That was the best advert ever!

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Remotecontrolduck · 02/08/2013 20:05

I think you are putting massive emphasis on something that is just fun for kids

Most little kids want to be a prince or princess at 4 or 5 don't they? And then the next day they want to be an astronaut....

By 15/16 most want a proper career, it's just a childish fantasy. Maybe one or two girls still want to be one. I don't particularly care, I'm happy we live in a society where girls can be whatever they want tbh.

You're over thinking it, hugely.

ComposHat · 02/08/2013 20:05

I dont have a daughter but if i did andI actually gave a gram of fuck about what occupation they wrote on a certificate, id want it to be a worthwhile career they enjoyed rather than Royal brood mare/sexual helpmeet

squoosh · 02/08/2013 20:06

I wanted to be a cat burglar.

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