If you rub elbows and toes with children, you will learn that a "princess fixation" runs rampant in the land.
As an aunt to five, mother to three, and grandmother to nine, I can recite whole chapters about fairy tale princesses and other beloved children's heroes.
More than 70 years ago, I began with Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Charlotte's Web and The Little Engine That Could. While the boys enjoyed these, the girls were indifferent. But when I added the stories about princesses and magic kingdoms, the girls became big fans.
Now I'm once again reading about beautiful, mistreated young maidens who eventually triumph over cruelty and hardship. As I read these old fables to three great-grandchildren (three more are on the way), I acknowledge that fantasizing about being something we will never become is not a bad thing. These make-believe tales carry lessons that transcend cultures and generations. The beloved stories are a way to teach our children that they can remain unbroken even in the most difficult circumstances.
As all my girls grow up, they aren't concerned about the arrival of a prince, a glamorous ball or even living happily ever after. Yes, they play dress-up with wands and high heels. They covet Rapunzel's long hair and Queen Elsa's voice singing "Let It Go". But as they grow older and experience more, they know these pretend kingdoms are not the real world.
Every generation eventually learns the normal constraints of a normal life. By first grade most of us know to leave fantasy behind. So why clip wings before it's time?
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