Who Needs to be Taught Manners?

A few days ago, I was out shopping with Honeybee. As I was looking for what I needed, an older woman came over and said to Honeybee "You are such a sweet and beautiful girl!"  To which I replied " Honeybee, "You say "thank you" when someone says something nice to you - say thank you." Of course Honeybee chooses this moment to get shy. The woman looks at me and says: "Oh, don't force her to say thank you, you shouldn't push it."  in a very reprimanding tone with a disapproving the look on her face.  "No, Mummy, shouldn't force you to do anything, you little dear!" Now, I didn't think I was "forcing it". I certainly wasn't twisting her arm or being mean or even that strong about it.  I was simply using it as a "teachable moment".

Losing the Princess Battle

Like many little girls, I wanted to be a princess. I wanted to wear a pointy crown and pretty ball gown dresses.  I wanted to wear white gloves to tea and banquets.  I wanted to find prince charming and live happily ever after in a castle.

As I got older and the Princess Epidemic began to take root, I grew to hate princesses, specifically those of the Disney variety.   When I had my daughter, I vowed not to let her fall victim to the same princesses I grew up watching on tv. After spending a week in Disneyworld, I realize It was not so much the princess movies that I objected to, as much as the mind frame that many of today’s little girls have regarding being a princess.  It is the selfish, self centered, lazy,diva attitude that many little girls are developing, the very UN-princess-like behavior  that drove me away from the princesses that I once loved.