Disney Sleeping Beauty Costume

disney sleeping beauty costume

Princess Fantasy Dress Costumes – A Dream Come True For Little Girls

By the age of three, children are beginning to define themselves, both in terms of gender and as individuals. Little boys dream of power, strength and skills beyond their current capabilities, in short about being some sort of super hero. Little girls, on the other hand, dream of being princesses. The princess phenomenon has now reached fever pitch and has been dubbed “the princess syndrome”, with sales of everything pink, jewelled and sparkly, from princess costumes to Sleeping Beauty’s castle in the playroom, reaching new highs.

It has been argued by some pediatric experts that parents, in pampering their daughters like royalty, are placing their little princesses on to pedestals, never criticising, giving in to their every whim and turning them into little divas with a hugely-inflated sense of entitlement. The worry is that such traits may follow them out of the actual princess costume stage and into adulthood. Such parenting has been labelled “princess parenting”.

With princess paraphernalia now ubiquitous, some parents are becoming uneasy with the whole phenomenon and questioning whether the princess message is a good thing. These days, that message begins from birth with everything from baby princess costumes, princess bibs and slippers, to princess-themed books, photo frames and even cribs. By the time these babies are toddlers, they are attracted to princess costumes, sparkly crowns and even make-up. As the children get older, they will be drawn to princess themed dolls, such as Barbie in one of her many guises, along with her fairytale castle, carriage and horses, and Ariel the “Little Mermaid” princess. Then, of course, there is the “king” of all things princess – the Disney company, with films featuring princesses such as “Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Snow White”. Recent additions to the Disney princesses are “Mulan”, an Afro-American princess, Tiana and the movie “The Princess and the Frog”.

There is a strong counter-argument that the princess stage is a normal part of growing up and one of many stages girls go through. For generations, little girls have liked to imagine themselves as princesses, although it is only relatively recently that it has been possible to buy princess costumes and all the attendant paraphernalia. As long as little girls understand that being a princess is a make-believe situation and the children are not indulged to excess, then such worries are groundless. Such imaginative play constitutes a natural part of childhood and little girls love dressing up in princess costumes as a part of their fantasy world.

Some parents try to strike a happy medium by finding positive ways to use their daughters’ obsession with princesses. A good piece of advice for parents worried about possible diva-like tendencies in their daughters, is to focus on positive princess traits, such as being compassionate and trustworthy. In the end, “moderation in all things” is a maxim worth taking note of and, as long as the princess fantasy is not acted out to extremes, then it is a harmless and fun activity.

princess costumes

About the Author

Angelina Cox organises children’s parties and supplies angel costumes

Sleeping Beauty 2008