You're On Your Own

My little girl is obsessed with the world of Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Tiana. She is constantly asking questions about life as a princess, specifically marrying Prince Charming. She is fascinated with weddings, she has yet to actually attend one, and the idea of wearing a “beautiful gown and dress,” especially a white dress. She loves putting on her princess dress-up clothes and dancing with Bread, who in a pinch, acts as her very own Prince Charming. Any time a member of the male species comes over, or is on their way over, she has to put on a gown, her “glass slippers,” and accessories.

I’ve said before she’s boy crazy. I’m not sure how this happened; I know Bread is scared silly for her teen years. I have been a bit frightened, being the semi-modern woman that I am, that she has all these crazy notions about life based on her obsessions with being a princess and living happily ever after. In her two year-old mind a prince can save her, protect her and define her happiness. While I realize she is only two, it is certainly a bit frightening to think of how this notion might grow. I hope it will disappear because I definitely don’t want my little girl growing up thinking she has to find a man to make her happy and her only goal in life is to be married. I am happily married and all but I also went to college and had other goals as well. Those are the things we want to teach her. We want her to be self-sufficient and fulfilled. We don’t want to teach her that finding a man will make her happy and be the only way she’ll be valued in society. Obviously we might be a bit ahead of ourselves but best to keep an eye on the situation before it gets too out of control. AND, the child is really, really obsessed!

Yesterday, Bread and Bird were reading a book of nursery rhymes on the couch. I was casually flipping through a magazine, half listening to them. Bird was reciting the nursery rhymes to Bread as she remembered them. She was getting most of them right; it was impressive! She knows all of Mary, Mary Quite Contrary! They got to Jack and Jill. She said, “Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came up with a plan!” A plan, really? Really? Where did she come up with this? Bread and I both started laughing. I think we figured it was a fluke. Throughout the day we kept testing her by asking her to recite it again. It was always the same. Jill was making a plan!

Any notions about Bird being boy crazy and seeking some prince charming to make her happy have been completely put to rest. The girl is smart! She knows that Jill shouldn’t just fall down after him! She needs to make a plan! The plan. The girl is going to figure it out on her own NOT going rolling down the hill after Jack! I love this! I love her. She is a genius! And now, this girl needs to go make a plan and get her Monday started! Happy Monday, y’all!