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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think princess school sounds grim and sexist?

99 replies

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:10

I have no wish to slag off a decent local attraction which we regularly enjoy visiting. But I sat genuinely open-mouthed reading this description of a summer holiday activity -

Knight & Princess School

"Join (name of attraction deleted) Knight and Princess School. Brave knights can dress up in chainmail and helmets in the Armour Zone and try out their combat skills in a foam sword battle (suitable for ages 2 to 10).

Sword fighting lessons using wooden training swords and real Medieval techniques will be available plus an interactive Mini Warrior Battle Show for the whole family which will reenact The Battle of Agincourt with the children cast as English archers.

The Princess Show will teach the etiquette needed to meet a Prince, with the opportunity to try on beautiful dresses and learn a Medieval courtly dance."

And that's it. That's all they will be doing in the princess school. Now obviously the argument will go that people should just take girls to the knight school. But why do they even bother having a princess school? Or make it GOOD - Or at least they should have an equivalently dull prince school - learn a dance and try on shitty prince clothes.

Am I losing it or is this bloody awful?

OP posts:

Original poster

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:50

But as AMuminScotland pointed out it is not very realistic at the moment is it? Why can't they all do medieval stuff and pick and choose own activities - obviously in my personal kingdom without the prince meeting bit?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 12/08/2013 21:51

Because perhaps they know their customers?

If it's selling well, there's obviously a market for it.

If it's not, then it won't last long.

Supply and demand.

UnevenTan · 12/08/2013 21:52

Oh this really grates with me too. Nursery are all into this princess shit. They have a special day of it when they're doing their fucking fairy tales topic, and all the 3 year old girls come in dressed in frilly ink and swish about brushing hair . I'd actually have less of a problem with it aged 6 or over, but at three they're forming their core ideas abut the world, and all this stuff just seeps in subconsciously. I fucking hate it (can you tell? ). It's like at toddler groups with babies and shopping for the girls. Why no pretend engineering practices, eh?.

Original poster

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:53

Growlithe maybe we'll have to go along and find out. And check how sexist it turns out to be. Youngest DS would like to wear princess dress and swordfight so maybe he will get the chance.

OP posts:

mrsjay · 12/08/2013 21:53

TBF medieval princesses were not that exciting was all funny head dresses and sewing and learning to dance so I suppose it is realistic ,

UnevenTan · 12/08/2013 21:55

And worry liberty has hit the most depressing nail on the head. It's like the pink and blue lego. They do it because it sells more (in that case by doubling the market because now you need one type for each gender, rather than the original sole type).

mrsjay · 12/08/2013 21:56

I am not sure why liking princess things is so bad are these girls any less girls because they would happen to like something like that ?

SinisterSal · 12/08/2013 21:57

of course it's sexist OP. it's clearly coded girls and boys. it's a bit much to expect a four year old to analyse and defy societal norms, they'll just go to what is laid on for them.

Much better if they didn't gender it quite so markedly,it would be great if there were a couple of other unisex activities going on.

cantsleep · 12/08/2013 21:58

YABU

Sounds fine to me but I have a dd1 who would have liked knight school, ds1 who loves dresses and dd2 who loves all things pink and 'princessy'.

As long as boys and girls can pick which they attend there's no problem??

SinisterSal · 12/08/2013 21:59

Liking princess stuff isn't bad but it's very much presented as a fait accompli for girls.

Interesting you say that it's the girls things that are potentially negative, we don't have that automatic reaction to stereotypically boys things.

Growlithe · 12/08/2013 22:00

Our art gallery childrens activity bit has some great medieval dress up. The dresses aren't at all pink and frilly. I'm guessing the etiquette bit could be quite funny too.

This does have the potential to surprise you.

The princess tower at Warwick Castle was awful, and was just another typical Merlin photo opportunity as usual. We have Merlin passes this year and so have learned to spot them a mile off. My DDs had more fun chucking the rats in the HH Measly Middle Ages.

Original poster

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 22:00

No i have no objection to liking princess things. And if all you want to do in life is marry a prince then you're a sap good luck to you. But maybe lets pretend for a while whilst children are young that men and women can achieve the same things in life and let them have as much fun as possible without reference to the limits or possibilities of their gender.

OP posts:

SinisterSal · 12/08/2013 22:00

But does that happen cantsleep? I don't see it. It gets knocked out of them pretty quick, ime, they want to conform. It's sad and restrictive

mrsjay · 12/08/2013 22:01

I dont understand it nobody said URGH i dont want boys to fight, except one poster it is a naff idea but I suppose it is a medieval thing at a castle somewhere so they are putting it on, It sounds awful I wouldnt take my dds to it but it isn't a sexist event as it is princess and knights

UnevenTan · 12/08/2013 22:04

Sorry, I think liking princess crap is bad. What's it for? It simply re-in forces the old 'women should look good' stereotypes. Real life girls aren't going to become princesses. It's pointless, sexist marketing crap.

inallmydays · 12/08/2013 22:04

girls like being a princess and boys like being knights , not everything has got to be unisex.

WorraLiberty · 12/08/2013 22:04

Blimey that's a bit of an overreaction isn't it?

Since when does visiting this local attraction and playing at being a princess for a couple of hours, mean that small children actually seriously want to grow up and marry a prince?

You said your DS would like to wear a princess dress

So that means he's a sap who wants to marry a prince when he grows up, does it?

Elsiequadrille · 12/08/2013 22:05

It doesn't say the girls can't join the 'Knights' section, or vice versa, does it?

It does sound grim, you're absolutely right.

Elsiequadrille · 12/08/2013 22:06

"girls like being a princess and boys like being knights"

That isn't always true.

mrsjay · 12/08/2013 22:07

IN all these threads you get oh my dd is such a tom boyclimbs trees blah blah of course being a girl is not just about being pretty and simpering but I do think a girl being (for want of a better word) girly there is nothing wrong in that, steering daughters to use their brains play with construction toy \I feel the parents of girls who like glitter and shit get such a hard time,

SinisterSal · 12/08/2013 22:08

Nothing is bloody unisex anymore , from what I can see.

Dividing people into us and them does no one any good. We don't encourage Black activities and white activities, Protestant and Catholic, Christian and Muslim. Over emphasisng differences, whether real or imagined doesn't help.

Original poster

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 22:08

I don't think it is an overreaction. It's an accumulation of these little things that reinforces gender stereotypes. And if DS's whole life ambition is to marry a prince I will feel a bit crap. But I'll do my best to hide it !

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 12/08/2013 22:08

It's not sexist unless they ban kids from choosing either activity based on their gender.

WorraLiberty · 12/08/2013 22:09

But according to you OP, the very fact he wants to dress up as a Princess means he does want to marry a Prince and he is in fact a sap.

Original poster

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 22:09

mrsjay try being the parent of a boy who likes glitter and shit

OP posts:

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