This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.
n a recent trip to Toys R Us to do a bit of birthday shopping for my soon-to-be 3 year old, I spent time in one area - Disney princesses. My daughter absolutely adores anything to do with princesses - be it Sleeping Beauty/Aurora, the Little Mermaid, Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White ... you get the idea. We're just now getting into these sorts of toys, and so it had never crossed my mind that there isn't one single African American "Princess" character. Granted, Jasmine is Middle Eastern, and Mulan and Pocahontas (who don't have dolls) Asian and Native American, respectively. But still, no doll that looks like the majority of the little girls in this country?
Surely if the nation can overwhelmingly elect an African American president, his daughters should expect a similar-looking Disney princess to be a part of their play dates. I'd certainly applaud the company if they modeled one on Michelle Obama, the chicest first lady to come along in years.
Come to find out, Disney does have just such a character in the works. The company announced in 2007 plans to introduce its first African American princess in a feature-length film set to debut in theaters at Christmas 2009. "The Frog Princess" (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/), set in 1920s New Orleans, tells the story of a Princess Tania, and what I assume will be her search for a prince. Oprah Winfrey is even slated to voice one of the characters, according to imdb.com.
Controversy has swirled around the project. Disney changed a number of character details in response to accusations the story was playing to racial stereotypes. You can read people's comments about that here: http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/2008/08/first-black-disney-princess-in-theaters-christmas-2009-trailer/
and here: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/21/princess.emails/index.html?iref=newssearch
(The above link contains comments that don't reflect more recent script changes, such as the character's original name, Maddy.)
My daughter and I will certainly give the movie a chance when it comes out. And I'll definitely add a Princess Tania doll to my daughter's collection. If there's one thing Disney IS good at, it's taking my money!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
V Day Is Almost Here!
This blog originally appeared on AtlantaWomanMag.com.
t's been circled for weeks on my calendar in bright red pen - Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. What to do? Where to go? What to wear? Who will babysit? As a working mom, it's nice to have an official, designated day to go out and have some fun with my husband. Otherwise, date nights seem to take a backseat to everything else going on in family life.
I think it's a wonderful opportunity to tell the friends and family in your life how much you love and appreciate them. And now that my daughter is getting older, I'm going to enjoy the day even more as we make cards, bake cookies and eat way too much sugar!
Some families find it a great day to spend time together. A friend on Mamasource.com tells me she and her family often go to the movies - family-friendly of course - and enjoy the nearly empty theater and the relaxed feeling of not having to rush around for a babysitter and reservations.
A few friends have shared their favorite Valentine's Day ideas and experiences:
* A complimentary couples dance lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studios
* The Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Dante's Down the Hatch on Peachtree - romantic, with great fondue
* A family-friendly trip to The Waffle House somewhere in town that offers tablecloth/jukebox style dining on Valentine's Day . Come to find out, a Waffle House in Johns Creek did just this last year: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/02/13/buzz0213.html?cxntlid=inform_sr
* Staying in to cook dinner and watch a movie were mentioned by a few friends. A soon-to-be married couple I know takes this idea one step further. The guy cooks for the girl - he does the shopping, comes up with a menu totally new to both of them, cooks, and prepares the dining room. She doesn't see a thing until it's time to sit down and eat. They've been celebrating this way for years, and think it really cuts down on the stress associated with trying to get a reservation at a pricey restaurant.
* One of the sweetest treats was related to me by one of my daughter's preschool teachers: "One of the nicest things my husband ever did for me on Valentine's Day was to sneak into my classroom the night before and decorate it with balloons, streamers and hearts. I loved it, and the kids enjoyed it too. I'm pretty sure he followed up with a bouquet of my favorite yellow roses."
Need help finding a babysitter on the big day? Several readers have shared a few suggestions:
Ms. Lala's Treehouse in Marietta is offering drop-in childcare with special Valentine's Day activities from 3 to 10 pm.
Kids' Stay 'n Play (Roswell, Gwinnett and Dunwoody) also offers drop-in childcare.
And many area churches may also offer special nursery care that evening for a small fee.
t's been circled for weeks on my calendar in bright red pen - Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. What to do? Where to go? What to wear? Who will babysit? As a working mom, it's nice to have an official, designated day to go out and have some fun with my husband. Otherwise, date nights seem to take a backseat to everything else going on in family life.
I think it's a wonderful opportunity to tell the friends and family in your life how much you love and appreciate them. And now that my daughter is getting older, I'm going to enjoy the day even more as we make cards, bake cookies and eat way too much sugar! Some families find it a great day to spend time together. A friend on Mamasource.com tells me she and her family often go to the movies - family-friendly of course - and enjoy the nearly empty theater and the relaxed feeling of not having to rush around for a babysitter and reservations.
A few friends have shared their favorite Valentine's Day ideas and experiences:
* A complimentary couples dance lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studios
* The Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Dante's Down the Hatch on Peachtree - romantic, with great fondue
* A family-friendly trip to The Waffle House somewhere in town that offers tablecloth/jukebox style dining on Valentine's Day . Come to find out, a Waffle House in Johns Creek did just this last year: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/02/13/buzz0213.html?cxntlid=inform_sr
* Staying in to cook dinner and watch a movie were mentioned by a few friends. A soon-to-be married couple I know takes this idea one step further. The guy cooks for the girl - he does the shopping, comes up with a menu totally new to both of them, cooks, and prepares the dining room. She doesn't see a thing until it's time to sit down and eat. They've been celebrating this way for years, and think it really cuts down on the stress associated with trying to get a reservation at a pricey restaurant.
* One of the sweetest treats was related to me by one of my daughter's preschool teachers: "One of the nicest things my husband ever did for me on Valentine's Day was to sneak into my classroom the night before and decorate it with balloons, streamers and hearts. I loved it, and the kids enjoyed it too. I'm pretty sure he followed up with a bouquet of my favorite yellow roses."
Need help finding a babysitter on the big day? Several readers have shared a few suggestions:
Ms. Lala's Treehouse in Marietta is offering drop-in childcare with special Valentine's Day activities from 3 to 10 pm.
Kids' Stay 'n Play (Roswell, Gwinnett and Dunwoody) also offers drop-in childcare.
And many area churches may also offer special nursery care that evening for a small fee.
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