Teaching Girls To Dream Big, Princess

I am the proud mother of three strong and beautiful daughters. Our princesses are smart, kind, brave, witty and they will move mountains. Currently, the oldest wants to be a fashion designer, the middle a zoo keeper and the youngest (only one) is just happy to do anything her big sisters are doing. They have big dreams for themselves, and I have even bigger dreams for them. As a mother of girls, I am all for Disney’s Dream Big, Princess campaign and its message of empowering girls to do and be anything they want to. 

Dream Big, Princess

With three kids, it is rare to spend a day one on one with one of the big girls. So it was a special treat to be invited to Disney to learn about Disney’s Dream Big, Princess initiative and spend the day pampering my middle princess. Thanks to Disney for hosting the sponsored event. 

Give Her Role Models 

Ask my daughters their favorite princess, and each will give you a different answer. That is the beauty of Disney’s princess stories. There is a story and a heroine for every girl. I am always fascinated by how children gravitate toward different stories and characters. Each of my girls choose a favorite when they were quite small, and as they have gotten bigger they have developed different reasons for loving their favorite princess. 

For Sissy her favorite Disney Princesses have always been Ariel and Jasmine. Whenever anyone asks it is always Ariel and Jasmine, never just one or the other. When asked why they are her favorites she tells people, “Because they are brave and kind.” But I think it is more than that, I think she relates to the characters. Both princesses are full of spunk, and while they love their animal friends, they dream of bigger things. I see that in my spunky girl who has always wanted to be a big kid and do big things like her big sister. She is currently 6 going on 16.

Whatever their reasons for finding a favorite Disney Princess, it is important to expose girls a variety of characters and personalities to aspire to be. My makeup-and-jewelry loving girl was in heaven dressing as a princess for the day. But she also admires qualities of male characters like Miles from Tomorrowland, Ezra Brigered from Star Wars Rebels and Dash from The Incredibles — all of which she has dressed up as for Halloween. In a world where girls can do and be anything, role models can be anything and everyone. I am glad Disney always provide strong characters, male and female for children to look up to.

Let Her Try Everything

My little butterfly wants to do it all. Some children know what they love and what they are good at when they are little, others need to try everything to find their passion. Sissy as tried soccer, t-ball, gymnastics, dance, piano and Girl Scouts. And there is no telling what she will want to try next.

While I don’t advocate over scheduling kids because free play is important to develop the ability to entertain oneself and discover independently, exposing children to a variety of activities (not all at once) helps them learn new skills and learn where their passions lie. Even if it is merely a process of elimination — t-ball was not the sport for Sissy.

Listen To Her Stories

Sissy has something to say about everything. While I love how her little mind works, on a day-to-day basis it can be hard to really listen and hear what she has to say. My attention is regularly divided between the kids, my job and the other million things on my mind at any given moment. So days like this, with special one-on-one time are important to really connect.

For the first time in a while I felt like I really saw Sissy. I listened to her giggle and squeal with delight as surprises were revealed. I saw her glow with joy as jewels and makeup completed her princess look. She even happily smiled for photos all day — soaking in the attention. 

A day of pampering is good for the soul, and I think it was just as good for me to watch my girl be pampered as if I were pampered myself. And listening to her recount the entire day on the ride home and then again for her dad and sister over dinner, I know the day was just as special for her as it was for me. 

Dream Big, Princess At AMC

This fall, Disney fans have the opportunity to rediscover some of their favorite Disney Princess movies on the big screen as AMC brings back some of the classics for a limited engagement. 

During the Dream Big, Princess Movie Marathon select AMC Theaters will present the following movies on the big screen:

• Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Live Action) – September 14 – 20, 2018
• Disney’s Princess and the Frog – September 21 – 27, 2018
• Disney’s Tangled – September 28 – October 4, 2018
• Disney’s Moana – October 5 – 11, 2018
• Disney’s Cinderella (Live Action) – October 12 – 18, 2018

After Sissy’s special makeover the royal princesses were invited to watch the Princess And The Frog at Disney Springs. The perfect way to end a magical day. 

#DreamBigPrincess 

To encourage girls around the world to dream big, Disney will launch the 2018 version of Dream Big, Princess with video stories of 21 inspiring girls with big dreams. With hopes that these video stories will inspire other young girls to do great things, Disney will also make a donation to Girl Up in conjunction with the social shares of the video series. 

Through Disney’s collaboration with Girl Up, for each like or share of a video or photo with #DreamBigPrincess on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, Disney Worldwide Services will donate US $1 to Girl Up, in support of girls’ leadership and empowerment (minimum donation: $500,000/maximum donation: $1 million).

The campaign begins October 10. Be sure to stay tuned to watch and share the incredible stories with your daughters, and remember to share them on social media for that $1 donation from Disney to Girl Up.