So here I am, in school yet AGAIN. This time it is FULL TIME which I haven't done THAT for over a decade. It's overwhelming to say the least.
It's been soooooooooooooooooooooooooo loooooooooooooooooong yet again, writing on here. But now that I'm back in school, I'm thinking I had better get back in the practice of writing since it seems that I have a paper due WEEKLY IN EVERY friggin' class! Crazy. I guess that's why it's called "accelerated". Damn.
Jumping to to the point of this post, I am USING you (all ....one...actually...anyone?) of you & this post in particular to sort out my thoughts on my paper for my Government class. I am exploring the concept of Barbies, Disney Princesses, & other dolls that set unrealistic, unattainable images for our girls. This topic of course has been beaten to death & quite frankly, I oscillate between how mind blowing it is & "who cares". Let 'em play with whatever & feeling exhausted by the need for being politically-correct & being careful about EVERYthing. Motherhood has change a LOT. Before being a mom, I frowned upon pacifiers. Cut to a year into painful nursing for 11 months & not only tricking my daughter into using one, but literally enabling her addiction to her "Fire" for 3 years thereafter. Not proud of it, but being a mom changes everything as you know.
Not sure exactly when it happen, but our first went from crawling to being OBSESSED with Disney Princesses (along with the rest of the world). Wearing princess type dresses, watching Bella being swept away by her Prince...wearing Princess HIGH HEELS (that was a hard one. I actually hid the plastic heels in the closet in dreaded fear of my 3 year old turning into a high-heel wearing toddler. The horror). As I have realized throughout the past 8 years, it is impossible to keep up with the speed of your developing children, what they want in contrast to what you want FOR them & feel is "right". Man. And I know it's just the beginning. *sigh*
Anyway, as much as it bothered me, she grew out of it. I look back & wanna tell myself to relax. It's no big deal. BUT, I will say that I think it is absolutely ridiculous that we are teaching our girls unrealistic & unattainable goals with all this stuff. A Prince solving all your problems with a Happily Ever After? We all know that's a load of crap. But what are we suppose to do? Be socially conscious in everything we do by saying "no" to & giving back the Ariel Princess dress your daughter got for her birthday? What IS the answer? Picket outside Mattel factory & burn all dolls?
I'm suppose to take a stance either way on the "controversial" subject we have picked to do our paper on. Well, the problem is, I don't know. I don't know what the answer is. And writing this, I'm realizing is only confusing me more!:-/
I suppose my stance could be in an ideal world, Disney Princesses would be real life representations of women that were independent, strong & not needing a Prince Charming. They worked, are mothers with real bodies & flawed skin. But frankly, that would be weird. Like this "Realistic Barbie": https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/icymi/new-realistic--barbie--has-cellulite--spots--scars-%E2%80%93-but-what-s-the-point-152914011.html
The beauty (pun intended) of dolls IS the perfect skin, perfect features, perfect lives. Right? So then I'm back to "who cares". They are toys. Let girls be girls & play pretend. Really, in the end, it is what they are taught throughout their development that will have the most influence on their personal body image & who they want to be.
So really, I haven't gotten anywhere. Maybe I need to find a new subject? *sigh*
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