Web Extra: Anti-Princess Movement
When it comes to princesses, Aylana Goodwin can't pick just one. Aylana said "I don't have a favorite."
Instead Aylana's mom said she likes "Everything girly, everything pretty, fluffy, and fancy."
That common childhood phase has recently been taken to a new level at The Bookworm in Omaha.
Ellen Scott, manager of the Children's Department, said "The whole princess thing kind of got out of control for a little while."
The pink shelf is still here but now some parents are asking for something different, an anti-princess reading list.
Ellen Scott said "Parents don't want their children, their daughters to see themselves as only a princess that can have everything done for them and has all this pink and frilly stuff and isn't going to get their feet muddy."
It might seem like overreacting, especially considering many moms grew up loving tiaras and magic wands. However, psychologists say things have changed. Children are being marketed to younger than ever. Plus, reality shows mean TV and movies don't seem like pure fiction anymore. In other words, the lines are being blurred.
Psychologist Peg Miller Evans with Children's Hospital and Medical Center says that doesn't mean princesses are bad, just that parents need to emphasize context and choice.
Peg Miller Evans said "If they want to be a doctor, if they want to be a stay at home mom or a stay at home dad, or whatever it is that they want to do we need to be clear in supporting them in those choices."
Aylana Goodwin's parents couldn't agree more.
Bryon Goodwin said "She loves fantasizing about being a princess and that's okay, we encourage that. We just work on core values and making sure she understands that's superficial and that it's about treating other people correctly and treating other people the way you would want to be treated."
