There ain't no princess here

I have recently started thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, we are fighting a loosing battle.

We, G & I, have always maintained a gender neutral environment at home. Which means, that neither of us uses the gender card to either get out of responsibilities or to assert our rights. We both are opinionated and yet never chauvinistic about it.

And this extends to little A, too. We haven't gone the route these parents have, but rather strived to make it happen in simpler ways. Such as our expectations from her, her books and her toys.

For those who have read my previous posts, know how much 'pink' bothered me. So, now imagine our discomfort when the darn princess shows up every where. And I mean everywhere.

Try shopping for a 2-yr old and you will be surprised by all the products that come in the princess theme. Right from the gauzy pink dresses to plates and spoons, from bibs to sticker books, and from story books to toys. It is exhausting sieving and sifting for non-princessy items.

If that wasn't enough, her daycare provider has a bag full of princess gear for 'dress-up.' And then there are strangers who think it perfectly normal to playfully let A know that she is "pretty as a princess."

So, for parents like us, where do we draw a line and, most importantly, how?