Girls need heroines — even the ones that come in costumes
Every Halloween, mobs of little grade school girls dress up as their favorite princess to go trick-or-treating. Princesses have come a long way since the days of Snow White and Cinderella where the title character needed to be rescued by a handsome prince. Today, princesses exhibit extraordinary independence and their story line often highlights a struggle the character must overcome to make amends and save the kingdom. While your daughter does not understand, nor care about the nuances of metamorphic enlightenment, what she does understand is that the character that holds her attention gives her an outlet to be and do something truly transformative.
Help her find heroines every day.
Recently, I took my daughter to a midway. There were rides, cotton candy and all sorts of entertainment to delight all ages. Of particular interest was a troop of parkour athletes scheduled to perform in an outdoor structure demonstrating various methods of physical ability to overcome obstacles. We grabbed seats half way up the amphitheater and waited for the show to start. Of the 5 teams of 2 who were introduced, my daughter noticed the lone female athlete and was quite amazed. This ‘girl athlete’ held her own against the other 9 guys and dazzled boys and girls alike. I don’t think my daughter took her eyes off her for the whole time. After the 30 minute show, she wanted to see the next show. By the end of the day, we had seen the same show 6 times!
As I kicked back and watched 3 hours of parkour eating more Cracker Jack than I care to, my daughter was vicariously experiencing total empowerment. She couldn’t stop talking about how great the parkour was and how amazing that girl was! She went to bed that night knowing and feeling that girls like her can do anything. It was far greater an experience compared to anything I can say or do for her.
This Halloween, let her dress up into whatever moves her imagination and ignites her spirit. Let her act out to elevate her soul. For those couple of hours of trick-or-treating, let your daughter be that supergirl — cape and all! This is the one day everyone can dress up as their favorite heroine; but it doesn’t have to be an annual activity. Help her find heroines every day.
If you’ve ever wondered why she watches that same movie again and again, well, wonder no more. You now have a pretty good idea.