How to Raise a Feminist Princess

Decribe your idea

As a professional feminist and a mom, I often get questions on how I was able to raise a girl, who will soon turn nine, in today's princess-ified society, who did not go through a full-fledged princess phase. When most pre-school girls were refusing to take off their tiaras and gowns, my daughter was doing everything else a young child does. People assume that I banned princesses from our home, but I didn't. Rather I stressed the aspects of princesses that I wanted to see my daughter connect with. Not the yearning for a prince to save her, but their yearning for life, love of books or sometimes even saving the heroes by being a better shot with a blaster.

Why do you want to share your idea with TEDxUChicago in 2013?

The princess-ification of our daughter’s childhood is overwhelming, even to people who cherish princess fairy tales. The lack of choice for girls is what is frustrating. When a character is introduced that is an alternative, eventually even she is princess-fied.

I have my favorites princesses, love fairy tales and am a feminist who is raising a daughter. When she was born, I thought it would be impossible. I tried to ban princess things, but that quickly was futile. Thanks to my love for a certain 1977 sci-fi flick with a kick ass princess, this idea was born. I replicated it with a warrior princess and recalling that Diana Prince is short for Diana, a princess.

How will you share your idea in a creative way?

Discussing how to uncover feminist themes is fairy tales/princess stories that are usually the bane of feminists is a pretty funny conversation. I will bring the fun as well as some great diagrammed stories.

Discussion

33