'Princess on Board' and 'Child on board'

[Ormirian]

Seen this morning on rear window of car parked outside school. Two stickers with Disney characters on. One pink and festooned with various princess-types. The other blue with Buzz Lightyear and the like.

The pink one said 'Princess on board'.

The blue on said 'Child on board'

So assuming that the blue one was for a boy, why does the girl get to be a princess and the boy merely a 'child'. Is that because the girl is more precious or is it because they couldn't bring themselves to call the boy a 'prince' or similar because it's not 'manly' enough? Or is a 'girl' not good enough unless you promote her to something better?

Just wondering what you think.

I do like having my sticker. I feel that maybe, just maybe, the arse driving so close I can't see the front of their car might be a little more considerate if they see I have a child. Who knows

If someone's driving like an arse I doubt it will make even the slightest bit of difference. Sorry, people are either decent, considerate drivers or they aren't, a sticker in another car will be of total irrelevance to those who aren't

This is nothing to do with the OP tho, sorry!

Talk about the men in the boardroom all you want, there are women out there lapping this stuff up. Most likely that kid's mother bought the sticker, or possibly her grandmother.

But as for simultaneously being revered as a "princess" and devalued as someone capable of achieving anything in the world--oh yes. What images have we got of a princess ever actually doing anything (or do we want to think about Elizabeth and Margaret in overalls, repairing trucks?)

I've seen a blue one with "cheeky monkey on board"

It bemuses and irritates me too orm, and I don't like gender stereotyping of children, whichever way it's sliced

My DS is still little enough to want to be a fairy, and he went out for a walk last week with his sister's pink glittery fairy wings on OVER his jacket

I was cheering inside the whole time.

I just did a little bit of sick

These signs are vomit inducing

Usually means "im a crap driver, so as a warning I'm telling you my kids are to blame for inducing poor driving" on board

I think it can be very difficult for people to understand that the 'elevation' of girls to princesses doesn't mean that women are valued. That it in fact means the very opposite, that girls and women have no value in and of themselves but need to be special. And that the colloraly is that if not a princess she is not a child/human...

Boke-inducing signs aren't just for children.

I keep seeing a car on my street with powered by fairydust on the back

Intrigued, I Googled and discovered there is a whole range in Halfords!

This customer review made me both fume and feel very sad.

Is fairy dust what you get from dead dessicated fairy?

A child can be anything. A princess only has the option to be a princess.

Interesting...

I can't abide these 'on board' stickers, apart from anything else it seems that they are likely obscuring a large portion of rear-view space. I find it hard to get any more worked up about the child/princess thing on top of that though - they all make me shudder.

If I had to carry one by law then my own twee (but non age/gender discriminating) version would be:
'Human being on board' or perhaps for extra tweeness
'Human bean on board'

Oh AnnVeronica

Can I copy and paste for those who haven't clicked

"I love the graphics but this is very difficult to apply. After many attemps i gave up and still have not managed to fit this. The product is obviously aimed at female drivers, i think they should be made easier to fit."

On the OP I think YANBU to post this OP for consideration on this board

And I think colditz's post very nicely sums up the difficulty I have with it.

On the subject of princesses, DH sent me a link to thinkgeek.com wherein he had found a shirt that read "Self-rescuing Princess"

Is that any better? If not, why not?