I’m Giving Into the Cartoon & Princess Merchandise, So What?
Before my little girl, Annabelle, came along I swore to myself that I wasn’t going to dress my daughter in clothes with cartoon characters and give into sneaky marketing schemes. I have watched one too many “What Not to Wear” shows and I know Stacy always throws out those Disney shirts. Of course, I realize that Stacy is usually helping a 35 year old woman and not a toddler. Still, it solidified the idea in me that cartoon characters are not cool. I wanted my girl to be hip and look like she is always dressed from the Gap.
I also wasn’t going to give into the Disney Princess phenomenon. I am realistic and don’t want to encourage a “princess” mentality. When I was pregnant with my first child I read “What’s Wrong With Cinderella?” in the NY Times. In the article the author is concerned that her daughter’s infatuation with princesses will lead to a life preoccupied with body image. She writes,
I worry about what playing Little Mermaid is teaching her. I’ve spent much of my career writing about experiences that undermine girls’ well-being, warning parents that a preoccupation with body and beauty (encouraged by films, TV, magazines and, yes, toys) is perilous to their daughters’ mental and physical health. Am I now supposed to shrug and forget all that? If trafficking in stereotypes doesn’t matter at 3, when does it matter? At 6? Eight? Thirteen?
I sort of agreed with the author and was concerned about what ideals the Disney princesses were going to teach my future little girl.
I had my standards until I my daughter watched Sesame Street and became a fan of Elmo. Now she will sit on the couch point to the TV and say “Elmo! Elmo!” After we watched the movie ‘Enchanted’ together she came out of the playroom wrapped in a blanket to make a dress, with a purse on her arm and singing. I let her watch Dora and she became glued for the whole episode. She recognizes Dora everywhere she sees her image.
Now it makes me happy to see my daughter get excited when she recognizes a character. The moment my daughter sees her Elmo shirt she says “On! On!” I won’t go overboard and I get a lot of items from garage sales and hand me downs. In my plans to have a trendy dressed daughter I never thought how a TV character would bring my daughter so much joy.
Annabelle naturally gravitates to princess items. Some of that princess stuff is junk and I have some limits on what princess items I allow my daughter to have. I would love to take Annabelle to Disney World and let her run around the park dressed as a princess.
I have come to terms that this will be a phase in my daughter’s life. I grew out of my Strawberry Shortcake phase and I am healthy functioning adult. I am glad that I have given into some of the marketing hype, because it is neat to see my little girl get excited over her Dora pajamas and her Disney princess kitchen. And honestly, it is fun for me too.
Have you had a similar experience? What cartoon items do your kids love? Do you have limit on what items you allow? Do you think the princess phenomenon is detrimental to our girls? And finally, who else doesn’t like the sassy Tinkerbell merchandise?
- top photo courtesy of Chekit
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My son is obsessed with Shamu. Oh, how I wish Sea World sold Shamu undies, I think he’s start pooping in the toilet to spare his underwear!!! I love the Disney princesses because I grew up loving those movies and commercial items. I think I know every line to Beauty and the Beast. 8) I’m not so into Tink. Besides, role-playing and dressing up is something that SHOULD be encouraged by parents!
My daughter had two Teletubbies outfits that she loved to death. My middle daughter loved her Blues Clues shirts. My son has to have Star Wars. Kids love to wear character clothes. Once they no longer watch the show they will stop wearing the shirt…same goes for books and toys. I try not to buy character books, but the look on the children’s faces is priceless when I read a story about Dora.
Dude, I so have a Tinkerbell shirt. For myself.
I have a little boy who loves Wow Wow Wubbzy. Unfortunately Wubbzy is not marketed like Disney Princesses or other Nick characters. I do think that the Disney Princesses are kind of detrimental to our little girls. First of all, I think they are dressed way too risque for something that is directed to little girls or boys for that matter. I would never let my children watch something where a mermaid wears shells as a bra, real person or a cartoon. I think some of the princesses are dressed modestly (Belle, Snow White, Cinderella). But it wouldn’t hurt Disney to give the other two (Jasmine & Ariel) an outfit that isn’t so immodest.
My son isn’t into Princesses, but he sure does LOVE Thomas The Train and Spiderman. We have underwear for both…I won’t give into his whole room being decorated like that. I think it would be creepy to walk into a room full of Spiderman! LOL. Growing up my Mom never let us buy every single “princess” item, but she did give us sheets the hit under our comforters. Ha ha.
All in all, I think it’s neat to see their faces light up. Girls will be girls and boys will be boys! There is not stopping that!
I love this topic and learning about how other families handle this. My perspective is slightly different. I grew up in Disney’s back yard and with all the hype, merchandise and fantasy that comes with it. My parents let me take the princess role all the way and, as hard as I fight it, there’s still princess in me. As a working mama who has had a successful career, traveled the world and made a real impact all on my own, it was the motivation to shun that princess role that motivated me through my late 20′s & 30′s.
While I don’t want that burden for my daughter,I don’t fight her love of fairies and princesses. We just don’t give into the brands (I’m a marketer so I know what “we” are trying to do with marketing to kids).
So we have brand-free dress up with boas, shimmery things, wings and tutus. We have homemade wands, a “pixie hollow” out front and dance around like fairies with pieces of silk. We talk about the good things that pixies and fairies do like help others in need and how to be good friends. So it’s not about Disney in our house. But she has just as much joy and delight when we pretend.
@Alexandra – I think I something Wuzzby at Target once. I agree I do wish that Ariel and Jasmine wore something more modest! I probably wouldn’t let my little girl wear those costume and encourage Belle. The article I mentioned also that we see Mulan in a kimono-type outfit in marketing, but the character in the movie hated that outfit and preferred her warrior clothes. It’s interesting!
@Gina – Thanks for sharing your insight as a mom whose job is Marketing! I think it is a great idea to to encourage other princess type dress up items. My dollar store has fairy wings and a wand for a buck. It is nice to hear that you can point out to your daughter the good parts of being a princess. My daughter is only 2 and I can’t reason with her yet, but I look forward to explaining all of this to her.
Great post Amanda! We have moved into the next phase…I really don’t mind the princesses…it’s what comes next that I am not crazy about! There is just way too much “teenager” themed merchandise that is being marketed to little girls Mackenzie’s age (5yrs). I am actually continuing to encourage the princess/strawberry shortcake stuff for as long as I can. I don’t love the clothes, but last year I gave in and she had a couple of outfits and a bathing suit…she LOVED them!!
We did great. I guess it was important to me not to buy into all the commercial stuff because I didn’t want to get into the “But I don’t have THAT one now, Mommy!” fight. Ugh. So it was a rule and we stuck to it.
No Mickey Mouse, Power Rangers, Sesame Street, Cars, or Thomas the Train stuff at all with our big one. All his toys, clothing, and books are neutral.
He did get a Tickle-Me-Elmo one year for Christmas from an aunt, but we got lucky on that one (he was terrified of it, so we he was fine with us throwing it away!).
Now we’ll see if we can be as good with our new little one…