Children's Disney Princesses Culture

Growing up, I was obsessed with Disney Princesses. Like so many little girls, I spent hours watching princess  movies dreaming of a life where magic, beauty, and kindness defined who I was. I had my favorite princesses, admired their looks and courage, I wished I could live in their fairy tale world. But as I gotten older, specially after I became a mom of three daughters, I've started to see how these stories weren't just about magic, they were about beauty standards, gender roles, and how to internalize our worth. I was ready to break the cycle; I did not want my daughters to watch these movies and wished they looked like them or to dream for a prince "to rescue them and make them happy." As a single mother, I know this is just a fantasy. I want my daughters to be independent!

A deeper reflection of this began after reading Linda Christensen's "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us." Christensen critiques how fairy tales and cartoons shape our views, specially on gender, and her insight really make me pause and reconsider the impact these stories had on my own childhood and how they could affect my daughters.

Like many girls, I couldn't get enough of Disney Princesses. Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle were my favorites.  But looking back, I realize a common theme across my favorite characters; their lives were defined by their relationships with men. Ariel traded a voice for a prince, Belled tamed a Beast, Cinderella waited for a Prince to rescue her. As much as I admired these princesses, I now see that their strength was often tied to the idea of being "saved" by a male figure.

Now, here is where things get personal. I am the middle child of seven and have 3 sisters. Out of all of us, I was the lightest skinned, my older sister has darker skin and fuller body. This difference became glaring when we played with our princess dolls. I was often "the princess", while my sister, who was darker, didn't always see herself in the roles we were pretending to play.

These subtle differences in skin color and body shape affected our self image in ways I didn't fully understand at the time. I internalized the idea that being lighter and skinny was the standard of beauty, something to aspire to.

Christensen's critique really resonates with me. She argues that fairy tales, particularly those like Disney's, teach us limiting ideas about gender. Women in these stories are almost always passive, waiting to be rescued or validated by a man. Their worth is often defined by their looks, or their ability to nurture and support others. In contrast, men are brave and in control. This teaches viewers that a woman's strengths depend on her relationship with a man. Growing up, I internalized that beauty and worth were things I had to earn. As I grew older I began to see how this framework shaped my sense of self. 

Now as a mother of three daughters, I'm very aware of how a Princess movie can impact them too. They grew up seeing her mother raise them alone, there was no active father figure for almost 10 years. Growing up with a single mother helped me "break the cycle" and have my girls grow up and understand that their worth is not tied to their appearance or their relationship with anyone, specially not a "prince." Having conversations with our children is essential, I want them to understand that beauty is about being kind, brave, and true to yourself. It's about doing what's right, no matter what anyone else thinks.

Disney is making changes! 

Unlearning the myth that bind Us, as Christensen urges, is a continual process. I don't expect my daughters to grow up completely sheltered from the world of Disney Princesses. They will keep viewing this in many other movies, TV shows and even at school! I want them to have the tools to question those stories, to understand that they don't have to conform the ideas they are presented with. I want them to stand tall and know their worth; to know that their worth is something they get to define for themselves!