The Princess Pose
My daughter Hannah is 4 1/2 years old. And she’s a girl. If you’ve ever met anyone in this demographic you know that most of them are really, really into princesses. Especially the Disney variety. My kid is no exception.
I did my best to avoid this. I don’t want to pigeon-hole my kids into strict, societally-imposed gender roles. I don’t particularly enjoy the messages shared in the Disney princess films. Sadly, as it turns out, Hannah does not share my views. She just wants to be beautiful and dance at the ball with her prince while wearing impractical footwear. Initially I was worried about the princess love. At this point, though, I’ve mostly gotten over it. I remember being 4 years old and wanting nothing more than to be a ballerina. I went on to become an engineer. Fighting it just makes it more appealing, and in the long run my example will be more important than something my kid saw in a movie.
But. (There’s always a but, isn’t there?) Thanks to the princesses Hannah will no longer smile when I take her picture. Because, you know, princesses don’t smile. Instead they look down demurely and half-curve their lips without opening their mouths. It’s supposed to be dainty and feminine, I suppose. But I don’t really think this is a good look, myself. I think that everyone looks better when they smile naturally. Hannah disagrees. And so, I have reams of photos of what I call the ‘princess pose’.
I’ll admit it. In spite of myself I find the princess pose sort of cute. Although sometimes I do wish she would smile naturally, at least once in a while.
Does anyone else have a one-pose wonder? And if so, what inspired it? I’d love to know!
i think his grin comes from reading too much Calvin and Hobbes (as does a lot of his other behaviour, much to his teachers’ collective amazements – yes, books can be as powerful as unlimited tv!).
and the Wee Guy likes princesses too (yay for gender stuff)
pomomama aka ebbandflo´s last post ..time to get with it 
Ha! That’s hilarious. Eve does try to pick out the more reserved pose in school pictures and such, but generally she forgets herself when the camera comes out and I get the wide open goofiness that I love. Angus went through a really unfortunate period when he was three or four in which his ’smile’ was more like a tortured grimace that made it possible to see right up his nose. Thankfully, that passed.
I shared your initial discomfort with the princess stuff. Happily, my little princess moves easily between the ballroom floor and the baseball diamond. I’m sure yours will too.
Allison´s last post ..**************Slightly late list of 23 random things for which I am thankful
So cute! And yes, it is also my 4 1/2 year old’s favourite ‘look.’ But I think it’s coy and cute – mine’s actually not that into princesses. She likes them as much as she likes rescuing animals or getting her sister to do her bidding.
Growing up I wasn’t too particularly into princesses or disney movies (until Beauty & The Beast and The Little Mermaid came out when I was 8 or so, of course), but my entire childhood is littered with pictures of me doing this exact same pose. Hands clasped, twisted in front of me, head cocked to the side, smile showy and insincere. Worry not!
My oldest is almost three and refuses to smile nicely too. He usually stares sullenly but occasionally I can catch him acting like a nut – however I don’t think I’ve had a nice normal smile picture for months and months. I think her princess pose is cute…at the very least it’ll give you something to laugh about when you look back on all the pics from this phase. Have you been to visit the “real” princesses at Disneyland? I’m pretty sure the pics I have from the real-live Disney Princesses taken from Disneyland have them smiling with an open mouth.
sorry to say it, but that is ADORABLE!!!!! She is very photogenic and has a knack for getting the cute to come through in pictures (a skill I do not have).
It could be worse, my boys have NO posing saavy at all. 98% of my pictures of them they look either stunned or gross! (Thank heavens for digital cameras, I can take 300 pictures at a time so that I can have a few decent ones!).
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She’s adorable! I’ll admit it’s a giggle to see a whole row of photos with the matching head tilt. The princess pose is still better than the month where I got nothing but “roaring lion” expressions. No idea where that came from, but I’m glad it passed.
Lady M´s last post ..Containers So Obsessive That Even I Didn’t Buy Them
How could Hannah not be adorable…I have met her parents!
Alhtough Emma is very much into princess’s and the like, she is also equally in love with Spider Man! The year for playschool she picked out a princess lunch kit and thermos and a Spider Man back pack to carry it all in. She wanted the best of both worlds. This year for Halloween both the girls want to be Spider Man. I think having lots of little boy friends has been good for the girls. Yesterday Emma came home from a friends and wanted to be Hannah Montana though – the little girl in the house is in grade 2! Hannah Montana is more frightening than any Disney Princess in my books though!
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She is just so lovely and beautiful!
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I’m glad you just let her be a princess!
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[...] had to do the princess pose with the bear before we went [...]
[...] shared Hannah’s love of the Princess Pose with you a while back. Hannah still uses that pose regularly. I would say it’s still her [...]
Your little princess is so cute!
I’m a long way from embracing Disney princesses, but hopefully I can get there too if our little girl decides to go that route. Sigh.
Our son on the other hand has a very different pose. The hand-outstretched-in-front-of-face combined with grumpy-don’t-take-my-picture look. Just lovely. I think the princess pose is far better.
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