disney princess merchandise

[momma2beaugirls]

I don't have an issue with the disney princess movies. I actually love them. However, I HATE all the merchandising for disney princess in the toy aisles and everywhere else. I know some parents whose girls have disney princess everything. Do you allow any of it in your home? We have the movies but not the toys. Occasionally we have toothpaste or cups or other little things with them on it but it makes me angry and I just want it all out of the house forever (except for the movies of course )

[lauren]

We didn't stress about that as much because it is such a short term stage in the big picture. We found things from time to time at yard sales and such. My daughters loved it but the stage just didn't last long, indulged as it was at the time. It didn't affect their development at all.
 

[Bokonon]

My daughter likes the princesses, but I don't buy her much princess merchandise.  I don't think it's a big deal.  Don't like it, don't buy it.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by lauren 

We didn't stress about that as much because it is such a short term stage in the big picture. We found things from time to time at yard sales and such. My daughters loved it but the stage just didn't last long, indulged as it was at the time. It didn't affect their development at all.
 

 this is how DH describes it as well. He told another dad that oneday- he said "its in and out of your house in a short time so dont sweat it."

And our girls are girlie. We didnt go over board and didnt buy a lot of the movies and it passed.

[meemee]

i did things to point out to dd why "I" didnt like them. 

so for instance she wanted those small toys. i pointed at the faces and asked her if she really liked them. ever since then we always look at the faces of the miniatures of anything and have a good laugh. it became an art piece with faces we didnt like (look at their faces - except in print media, they mostly look terrible).

a friend gave her princess bed set. 

however dd wasnt so much into it, as she got interested in them at about 5 and wasnt really into princess stuff as much as into sparkeley stuff.  someone did give us a princess halloween costume so dd happily wore that for a couple of halloweens. 

however she did get into a hana montana phase where i bought her the stuff she wanted because as pp said i knew it was a short stage. she doesnt even remember her K school supplies were all HM stuff. 

however to be very honest with you i was more into the princess stuff and had stickers on my computer (easy to pass off and say dd did it, when it was purely me) and notebooks. 

[Smokering]

We don't buy a lot of "stuff", period, so DD knows I'm not going to buy her Disney stuff. It cuts down on the whining.

She did ask for a Cinderella dress at the craft store the other day, which set me off on a bit of a rant about how badly-made the thing was. It was appalling. $52 for a flimsy acetate thing with wonky seams, topstitching all over the place, flimsy elastic... and it wasn't even accurate. There was a big cameo-brooch thing with Cinderella's face on the front... because it's not enough to have a Cinderella dress, it has to be a Cinderella dress with Cinderella on it. Possibly because the quality was so poor, most kids wouldn't recognise it as Cinderella's beautiful ballgown without the obvious visual clue? :p Plus it was "18-36 months", which is not only a baffling size-range, but it was way too scratchy for a kid to wear, let alone a toddler.

I made DD a Snow White dress for her birthday, which she loved and has almost worn to pieces - sadly, she's nearly outgrown it already. I'm going to make her another Disney dress for Christmas - not sure which one. She fancies Belle's "library dress" (pale and dark greens); I love Tiana's green wedding dress, but it's rather impractical even for a princess dress. Maybe Merida (yes, technically Pixar, but she's a "Disney Princess" nonetheless)... we'll see.

The only official merchandise DD has is some wipe-off colouring-in pages she got for her birthday, and a puzzle (also a birthday gift). Neither were from us, but I can live with them, largely because they can be put away and I don't have to see simpering pastel faces all over the house. I like some of the Princesses and love others, but I think the merchandise cheapens the films. Tiana did more than just stand around smiling with her wrists delicately flexed in Princess Pose, KWIM?

[dogretro]

I really really don't like to let licensed anything into our house. That said, we have made two trips to Sesame Place, so we have lots of stuffed Sesame friends and a couple of character shirts. That's been it thus far. I can see it being something I will give into more as they age b/c I can't, and don't want to, control everything. Most characters out there, they have no idea who they are yet. We don't watch much tv nor go to the toy store much. DD1 is now getting into movies, so we'll see :) I'd rather not buy actual Disney Princess (TM) stuff b/c it is v cheaply made and expensive. Both girls dress up as princesses with tutus, fancy dresses, felt crowns, wands, fairy wings, etc. The tutus are from clothing stores & I get nice fancy dresses for cheap from resale shops. Wands and tiaras can come from the dollar store (Disney stuff does not last any longer :p ) and fairy wings are always available cheap at big box stores. I would like for them to not watch Disney movies yet b/c I think they are too young, but I enjoyed them as a child and see no harm in the stories themselves. Hopefully, b/c we are waiting, they will be "too old" for the DP merchandise.