We have been reading of late a Christmas gift: a most fabulous and decidedly "boy" book (although Mary enjoys it too) called "Calico the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Stinker" by the inimitable Virginia Lee Burton.
When this week I found a couple of my old bandannas, I knew they'd be a big hit with a certain five-year-old boy newly fascinated with cowboys. I showed him how Good Cowboys wore bandannas wrapped around their necks to keep the dust out of their shirts and the sunburns off their necks, and how Bad Cowboys wore them over their faces while they held up stagecoaches.
John has worn a bandanna around the house every day since!
And--despite that we do not do the whole "princess thing" with our daughters--Mary asked me right away, "How would a princess wear a bandanna?"
A princess would wear her bandana over her hair to protect it while she serves! :-) That's what Cinderella did!
ReplyDeleteWhy no princesses? I can see avoiding Disney Princesses or any character driven merchandising sort of princess (although we have watched the old Cinderella and Anna got some Disney Princess preschool dolls for Christmas, but she has no idea that they are characters). But why good strong boy cowboys and knights for John but not good strong feminine princesses for girls?
ReplyDeleteAnna got into princesses during feeding therapy (one of her toys was a light up princess wand). She just loves that the stuff is pink and girly and flowery and frilly and feminine. So we have Melissa and DOug castles that came with princesses and we have Playmobil sets that came with princesses and dress up princess-ish dresses. I never thought of it as an issue as one can easily be a feminine, modest, and holy royal princess. A far cry better than Dora and other modern female preschool characters.
Thoughts?
We didn't do the "princess thing" either... Ime it's kinda like little boys making guns out of applesauce containers. They find a way.
ReplyDeleteChristine: Yes, I agree that girls find a way to "do" the princess thing no matter what!
ReplyDeleteJamie: Just to clarify, it's not that we eschew all princess. It's just that we have avoided calling her "my little princess" and wearing pink pants with "PRINCESS" written across the behind and such like that. We don't like the *bratty* princess thing that seems to happen too often. And we hate the Disney princess for myriad reasons, so the kids have just never seen those movies.
ReplyDeleteBut that said, we do talk about princess, especially royalty who became saints. We have a few somewhat more godly books about royalty, like, "The Weight of the Mass." (And I want to get "Take it to the Queen.")
We don't have all the nuances worked out yet, but I think we're just trying to steer clear of the frivilous, vain, self-important, conceited princess THING that girls get into so easily. ("I'm a princess and you have to do what I say!") But princess who are godly, virtuous, and use their royal power for serving the least among us are to be lauded and emulated.