Is too much exposure to Disney princesses bad for a lttle girl?

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Trivial compared to some of the other threads in this topic, I know, but need to know if I should just indulge 4 yo DD1's princess phase or if I'm setting her up for a lifetime of waiting for her 'true love' to arrive on a white charger and whisk her off to 'happily ever after' (yeah, right).
Going to bed now but am genuinely interested in your replies!

OliveOil - actually, it is not trivial at all

Have you read Bruno Bettelheim "The Uses of Enchantment - the Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales"?

A seminal work on child development and a rocking good read

thankfully not on my reading list

I think we analyse far far too much

dd1 loves her fairy stories

Don't worry about it. 4 yr olds enjoy this stuff.

And she'll end up like this anyway.

You know, only now, having had a boy first and then having had dd, 6 years later do I appreciate the enormous difference between stories for boys and for girls and between the different role models they have. I know it's blindingly obvious but goodness, it's needed to hit me full on in the face really before I could appreciate it.

OO, it IS relevant because I don't want my daughter to grow up thinking life for girls is like those in fairytales. I know they're not real life but come on, let's just go through what happens to them:

Snow white, killed by step mother for being too pretty. Cleans for a load of men. Dies. Brought back to life by kiss of handsome prince

Sleeping beauty. Wicked fairy casts spell that says she'll die at 16. She falls asleep for 100 yrs instead. Brought back by kiss of handsome prince

Beauty and the beast. Well, she's pretty much defined by her looks (the clue's in the title). Trapped by a beast and forced to do housework (!) and then a spell is broken and guess what? He's A HANDSOME PRINCE! Whaddya know!

Rapunzel. Locked in a tower as stupid father promised a witch (again, women are either witches or princesses in these) his first born in return for a cabbage. Has long hair and is eventually rescued by a Handsome prince!

Cinderella. Beautiful girl forced to do housework. Ugly (and therefore horrible, in fairy takes) stepsisters make her do housework. She goes to the ball and is kissed by A HANDSOME PRINCE FFFFFS.

Actually, I do LOVE all of these as they appear is Shrek 2 and 3, good on Dreamworks for finally giving us something great wrt these characters.

WWW - read Bettelheim, you'll really enjoy it and get some answers to why the fairy tale characters are as they are.

WWW - look at my link and listen to the lyrics (my faves are SNow White and Rapunzel)

Anna888 thanks, I may do. I still wish we had better role models for our daughters. I think the Shrek ones are fab, inc Princess Fiona.

Just because fairy tales have been like this in the past doesn't mean they shouldn't be diferent in the future. I accept that they contain peril and danger and horror and murder etc, absolutely

Disney princesses in particular are asinine, pathetic creatures, I do object to them. Whereas Dreamworks princesses are ass kicking castle liberators.

ahhhh........well, DD3 will know that her mummy got the handsome prince and it could possibly happen to her then......

[fanvy]vom!!!

nah, her daddy is fab and she is just as worthy to aspire for fabness.
for now tho, she is still small and indulging is allowed. I still indulge, only mine are different indulgences

GHw, my speakers aren't working, I can't hear it!

pmsl @ www's resume of fairy tales!

My cousin is fiercely feminist, and was shocked when after all her efforts her dd said 'Mummy, when I grow up I want to be.....' (cousin sits expecting brain surgeon/engineer/lawyer) - 'a princess, a mummy and a wife.'

My MIL also firmly believes that children are indoctrinated via their fairytales that beautiful people and royalty don't need to work, and she thought ds1 had proved the point when he said that HE would not wash up when he was older, because HE would be a handsome prince. 'And why don't they wash up dear?' she asked, hoping for a little more proof of her theory. 'Well they can't you see. They all have square hands.'

All my children are very random!

thankfully my dds arent too into princesses. they prefer tracey beaker, tom and jerry. dds hero is mister maker though.

when allowed to choose between a lunchbox with snow white or a kitten, they chose the kitten

Get her to do this quiz!!

WWW - I completely agree on the role model issue.

I am often fascinated by the adult role models in children's literature. As an adult I have re-read Babar (to my daughter) and can interpret it in the light of my understanding of French culture (of which I had none when Babar was read to me as a child) and can see how Babar nurtures some of the typically French behaviours I perceive around me.

My daughter adores Angelina Ballerina - both the books and the DVDs. This is very positive in many ways - I like the Angelina character, the stories are well constructed, and my daughter (only 3) has become ballet-mad and spends hours concentrating on learning ballet moves and on doing little performances for us, all of which is very good for her. However, I am fundamentally uneasy with the role of adult women - Angelina's SAHM who has a husband and children but who cooks and cleans and sews and never leaves the house OR Miss Lilly who has a career and a glamourous social life but no man or children... ho hum...

theres always Roald dahls Red riding hood too. Now she's someone not to mess with

We love 'Little Princess' on channel 5. Jane Horrocks is the distinctly Lancastrian-accented princess, the king looks like Jack Duckworth in a cardigan and crown and the queen like a 1940's housewife. It's good fun, and Julian Clary is the plummy-voiced narrator. DD2 thinks it's brilliant.

yes little princess is great!

Well I will be in a minority of 1 then and say you are all clearly mad

dd1's fave is Hansel and Gretel

I have nothing against Grimms fairy tales tho they might be a little bit grim (groan) for younger children. They were tales with simple messages. The message of Hansel and gretal are ones that we all teach our children Dont take sweets from strangers, things arent always what they seem etc etc.

Waht I hate is teh sugar coated blah blah that people like Disney put on these tales.

In the original tale the children were abandoned by their own MOTHER too and not by a stepmother. Wonder why that got changed hmmmm.

Yes, I love Roald Dahl's red riding hood, she "whips a pistol from her knickers' iirc!

I agree to an extent re Grimm vs Disney, it's an interesting question. I particularly dislike Disney's interpretations I guess. Saccharine wusses, most of their princesses

Yes, I love Roald Dahl's red riding hood, she "whips a pistol from her knickers' iirc!

I agree to an extent re Grimm vs Disney, it's an interesting question. I particularly dislike Disney's interpretations I guess. Saccharine wusses, most of their princesses

Ugh UQD, I am Belle apparently!

They are all written in a time that has passed, what we need are new princesses and role models, like Roald Dahl's red riding hood and princess Fiona, we are moving in the right direction. Only problem is offered the chioce my dd's would watch disney fing princess over any good kids film any day. Drives me potty.

Really? I think that a lot of fairy tales have very useful lessons for modern children.

Cinderella? She was hardworking and kindhearted, and so she found love and happiness, unlike her lazy, unpleasant sisters.

Want more examples? Read Bettelheim

I always resisted the Disney Princess merchandise etc but then to my horror DD(6) started to express an interest in Bratz. If it was her plan then it worked because if it has Disney Princess on it this Christmas then I have bought it. I desperately want her to stay a little girl and if that's the sacrifice I have to make then ho hum. Doesn't stop me from making a few suggestions for Cinderellas predicament while reading the stories though..."she doesn't have to clean and cook though does she darling - she could go to college and then get a good job couldn't she?"
She buys it every time.

Good old Bruno.