Not only is my daughter an only child, she’s also a mom blogger’s only child. You could correctly assume she’s a bit — okay, a lot! — spoiled. It’s just the nature of our life. She gets mom’s and dad’s undivided attention when we’re together, and there’s nothing we want to change about that. As a mom blogger’s daughter who lives in L.A., she’s gone to Disneyland and Disney World as a VIP more times than she should have at this age. In contrast, I was 12 the first time I went and it was a dream come true! And it’s not only going to Disneyland — it’s screening movies, getting gifts, unexpected boxes at our front door, and on and on…
I’m honestly afraid that she has no grasp of the “real world” where all her first-world problems, like not being able to get a Sofia the First plush doll because it’s sold out or being oh-so-bored on a Sunday with “nothing to do,” seem so dramatic.
It’s actually not her fault at all. I truly believe we’re all born into the lifestyle we need in order to develop the skills, lacks and desires that will propel us towards our mission in life. Because I can’t and don’t want to change the life we’ve built for her, and am very grateful for, I’m fully aware that it’s our responsibility as her parents to make sure she doesn’t grow up in a bubble that shelters her from all the diversity in lifestyles and life situations that our world is made up of.
I can’t force my daughter to not whine or have tantrums over what we, in our mature adult POV, believe is just plain silly, but we can teach her empathy, which is simply the ability to be aware and sensitive to the feelings of others.
This is so important, Ana!
Our neighborhood and school growing up were not diverse and folks back then didn’t even think like that, to be honest. But we had a big dose in our lives of a religious tradition that makes much of everyone being equally a child of God, and Mom was never more disappointed or stern than when we’d done something inconsiderate or hurtful toward another person no matter who they were.
We aren’t active in my parents’ religion but I still try to be guided by some of the same ideas in my daily life and daily decisions. Your post lists some great ideas anybody can try!
I’m so curious about the purple salsa… goodness, what is that? I would love to try it!
Unless this website is grabbing a paycheck from Disney, I don’t know why the contributors support such a misguided, wayward company. As Mary Elizabeth Williams recently wrote:
“There’s something deeply disturbing and wrongheaded about the Disney princessization of American girlhood,” which has girls yearning for sparkly, skinny dolls with no heroic context, writes Williams: “Not to be a buzzkill, but you do know that Belle, in her poufy yellow dress, is a prisoner, right? And that the pink-clad Ariel lining the toy aisle has recently sacrificed her power of speech?”
I, for one, will NOT allow my daughter to be brainwashed by this corporation and led to believe that she is a princess to be admired for her beauty alone. We must teach our Latina daughters that they are worthy of admiration and respect beyond their looks and that they’re equally capable of achieving anything in this life. Disney continues to portray negative female stereotypes.
Shame on this site for buying into such bulls**t.
That is certainly your choice and decision to make, as is any parenting decision and we are all free to raise our children as we may with no judgement.
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