Princess dressing up in reception

[jackierussell]

This is a bit of an AIBU, we are getting increasing uncomfortable with the amount of dressing up as Disney princesses that seems to be happening in our daughters reception class, the class is small and comprises 80% girls. The teacher has already made several comments about them being a group with lots of strong characters, and it seems a lot of their play involves dressing up a a princess and/or arguing about who is wearing what. We haven't banned princess stuff at home but don't try to encourage it and all the talk about who was which princess at school is making me feeling queasy! I also feel it is quite excluding for the boys in the class. Is princess dressing up every day common in reception, I can't help but feel that the dressing up could be tailored to the half term topic, down played or based on more every day roles. Fair enough if they have to play princesses but why give them the Disney style dresses? I am also concerned that it is not helping with the class dynamics.

I am sure there is a huge range- it doesn't stop them all wanting to wear the princess outfit! I really can't see what is wrong with that and why you want to change a bit of harmless fun.

If children can't have a free choice in play, when little, I despair.

IME, the dressing up clothes available were rotated to go with the general overall 'theme'. Lots of princesses (male and female) during Fairy Tales, and a wonderful role play castle in 1 room and cottage in the wood in the other.

Lots of doctor, nurse, policeman etc etc costumes during 'People who help us'. Knights and monks in a different school during 'Castles' (and lots of random swimming / diving / scuba gear, during 'Under the sea')

The princesses might well be around at the moment because the theme may well be around well known stories / fairy tales, because so many children start school with some familiarity with them. You may find that they disappear later in the year.

"If children can't have a free choice in play, when little, I despair."

YY! So very, very important there's more than one type of costume, so there's at least a modicum of choice.

I have read it again and can't see anywhere where it says there is a lack of choice. OP wishes to have Disney type princess costumes taken out of the choice. She doesn't say what the choice actually is.

It morphed into that halfway down the first page I think for no particular reason and seems to have stuck. To the extent that the OP is considering supplementing the dressing up box without even knowing that they are short of costumes.

You can have as much choice as you like but if the costume to have is a princess one and there aren't enough to go round there will be arguments. Especially if you have lots of strong personalities trying to establish their place in the class.

Exactly - you can have as much variety as you like but there will still be the favourite that everyone covets.
The best idea was the one that someone gave that you have a theme and just put in the costumes for the theme so that you can have princesses and the fairy story one week but move on to emergency services the following week and so on.

Exactly you could provide every single costume imaginable but every child will want that "special" one ...unless you can provide one of everything (impossible) there will always be some "negotiation" (argument).

It's up to the children to engage in whatever type of imaginary play that they choose.

It's all just power play, the princess dresses are the currency. If they weren't arguing over the dresses it would something else.

What is the problem here? If they want to dress up as princesses then why not? There is not many parents who would buy a princess outfit for a boy. This thread is crazy!

Non of my girls or boys went crazy for the princess dresses at school. Some kids do but not all of them.

Are you sure that's all that's on offer or is that just what they're choosing? Don't worry about the boys, they'll be wearing them too!

I assume its donated costumes. My last nursery was near barracks so we had army fatigues and a UN uniform in the dress up bix next to the princess dresses.