On Being a Princess....

My girls are adorable.  I mean let's face it, I'm a completely un-biased, impartial source who can firmly say that my girls are adorable.

My girls are also incredibly funny, kind, smart, creative, and possibly sporty (they're only 4 and 2 so it's a little early to make a call on that one).

Needless to say, when I'm out with the girls I always get stopped by people who have something to say about them.

Take last week for example:  we were crossing the border and were stopped at the Nexus agent.  He looks in the car and says: "Are the Princesses good shoppers?"  Now if I had really been on the ball I would have quickly fired back: "Yep, I'm a great shopper!"  Instead I came out with: "ummmm... yeah... most of the time."  Then he gives them a big smile and says: "well you be good for Mommy Princesses!"

Hey, I didn't want to get pulled into secondary for making a snarky comment so I drove on.

While we shopping an old man came up and said to me: "I see you have a Queen helping you shop."  Again, I just smiled and said: "yep."

But as I drove home I started to think about things, and very quickly got irritated by the fact that everywhere I go, the girls are called: "Princess," or "Honey" or "sweetie."  They are constantly told how beautiful their hair is, or how cute their boots are, or how adorable they are.

We were at a hockey game last weekend, and the girls wanted to wear shorts.  Ummm... it's the middle of January so shorts aren't really weather appropriate attire.  So we said they could, as long as they wore leggings underneath the shorts.  They happily skipped off to their rooms and got dressed in their shorts and leggings.  At the game, another mother said: "you're a better mother than me, I could never let my daughter out of the house wearing that!"

To which I replied: "Hey, they dressed themselves, and in my books, that's the most important thing."

Now don't get me wrong. I want my girls to have a positive image of themselves and their bodies.  I want them to be confident and feel pretty.  But I also want them to know that they are strong, independent, capable individuals who can do anything they want.  The constant labelling of "Princesses" or "Queen" puts all the focus on what people think they look like rather than who they truly are.

My girls like to play princess, dress-up like princesses and watch princess movies; but my girls also like to play shot 'em up, hide and seek, and skate with their brothers.

And my girls?  They don't take crap from anyone!