I am all for a good fairy tale - the fair princess, the knight in shining armor, the danger, rescue, and fabulous romantic ending. I loved the Disney classics as a kid, and then delved into the darker originals by The Brothers Grimm as a teenager. In college I took a class called "French Fairy Tales" and spent many afternoons on the lawn of the quad lost in the enchanted forests and castles of Perrault and d'Aulnoy.However, when it came to raising our daughter I felt very strongly that she not be limited to the "helpless heroine" stereotype. I read a study once that said girls today very rarely hear that they are brave, smart or strong. Haley certainly went through a Disney princess phase (as most 3- and 4-year-olds do) but over the years we have encouraged her to be brave and strong and to stick up for herself. I often wondered if it was sinking in.
Then last night we watched "The Wizard of Oz" as a family for the first time. Haley followed the story carefully and was concerned for Dorothy when she was captured by the flying monkeys and locked up in the tower. But a moment later she turned to me and said, "Why doesn't she get up and find a way out of the witch's castle instead of just sitting there and crying?"
Hurray for our brave, smart, and strong little princess!
