So, has Cinderella eaten YOUR daughter?

[Comtessa]

I recently finished Peggy Orenstein's Cinderella Ate My Daughter and have been contemplating it for a week or so, and thought I'd check in to see if any MDC moms have read it.  I'm feeling... conflicted about some of her ideas and conclusions, and wondered if anyone else felt the same way.  Anybody picked this one up yet?   

[mamazee]

I've just startednit but I'm interested in hearing what people think and contributing soon!

[philomom]

No. I provided my daughter with lots of strong female role models and lots of stories other than the typical "girl gets rescued" stuff. She's 18 this year and a very empowered woman with great ideas and no fear of expressing them.


Here's a list of books...

Tatterhood

Maid of the North

Girls to the Rescue series

Tamora Peirce's Alanna and Kell series

bios of famous women in history

very few Disney ideas... with Belle as the exception because she was so literate
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Remember to provide good role models and be a good one yourself.... if you don't know how to do something, show her how to look it up and work through it together.

Teach her to read a map, handle money, use a pocketknife, change a tire, use simple power tools, how to make simple home repairs

Oh, and love your own body! Don't be passing on any body hate to your daughter.

[beanma]

Haven't read the book, but I'll comment anyway!

My girls hate princesses and pink, but they definitely did go thru a sparkly phase at about 3-6. And I definitely did try to acknowledge that phase rather than stifle it, but I also tried to direct it into what I felt were more positive expressions of sparkle and femininity, so we emphasized ballerinas (strong muscles for dancing) and flower fairies (nature) over princesses (shopping, and being pretty). We did read some traditional princess stories, but also read a lot like the PaperBag Princess, etc. Very limited Disney and chose Groovy Girls over Barbies.

My girls would be incredibly offended if you called them princesses now at 11 and 8. They are proud to be girls and feel empowered and like they can do anything, but they are not precociously sexualized and don't wear make-up unless it's Halloween or a performance. They have their own fashion sense and it does not involve having S-E-X-Y written across the butt of their shorts.

So, basically, I think you can allow girls to explore their femininity without letting Cinderella eat them.