Is It Possible To Avoid The Princess Phase?

Recently read this and thought I'd share: Is It Possible To Avoid The Princess Phase? by Shelley White

I've gleaned the most pertinent bits for this blog to share, but as always, click through to read more.

The first paragraph:

My twins aren't even three years old, and I'm already sick of that girly triumvirate that seems impossible to escape when you are raising girls: The Princess/Barbie/Pink matrix. Toys 'R' Us has entire aisles devoted to Disney Princess merchandise, racks of sparkly pink dress-up clothes, pretend makeup and costume jewelry, and of course, those totally weird Bratz dolls with their stripper clothes and drag queen makeup.

And another passage about fairy tales and Disney:

No doubt, the P/B/P trap will be difficult to avoid. Introducing my kids to traditional Disney fare like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast would be a surefire way to turn them into tiara-wearing maniacs. So right now, we stick with Treehouse. When I told my friends that I've altered some traditional tales (like Cinderella) to make them more "girl power," a couple of them thought I was nuts. Did I really think I was going to hide the fact that the Prince rescues the poor, helpless maiden when these stories have been told for generations? No, probably not. But I'm determined to allow my daughters to make their own choices when it comes to their self-image, especially now, before High School Musical and Hannah Montana teach them that stereotypical beauty = teenage power.

And if you read more, the author is aware of books like Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess and presumably other alternative princess titles.

I am amazed at how much angst the princess stage causes for so many parents. If you missed it, see my previous post Princess phase is OK.