If your house is anything like mine, it probably feels {and looks} like a princess is living there.  I’ve been working on teaching Maggie about the value of people and things that are important to us.  One way that has really helped is to tell her she will get a princess makeover at Princess School.  This is the kind of stuff she really gets into.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard her say something like, “That is what a princess does.”  To get started – a Princess Makeover is in order.

To make sure we have everything we need for princess school, we headed to Walmart and spent some play time in the princess aisle.    Aside from picking out a game and some toys, we also had to snag the new Sleeping Beauty diamond edition gift pack.

Here is Maggie’s take on What a Princess Is.

I LOVE having a little princess in the house.  I often times feel like we live in a fairy tale, but I still want to keep her somewhat grounded in reality.  I do not want to take away from the things that she loves and cares about, so instead, I take my teaching to her world.  We often talk about things like being responsible for our actions, for our things, etc..  We talk about doing the right thing, and when we make a mistake, we sit down and talk about what we did and whether it was the right or wrong choice and how we should handle it next time.  Focusing on the things she cares about has really helped to get her on board with the things I am trying to teach her.  Are you ready to enter Princess School?

There are 4 main traits to be a princess:  Generosity, Intelligence, Beauty and Confidence. My 4 year old has this nailed, right?!  Okay, pull up your royal chair and lets learn.

Beauty:  Being a princess begins with beauty, from the inside – out.  Dressing the part of a princess is not only easy, but fun too.  Maggie spends every day dressing like a princess of some sort.  One day she is Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Sofia, or her very own princess.  From the tiara down to the shoes, she always looks the part.  Beauty from the inside is more work.  Being kind and true and having good manners is not always easy, and requires practice and patience.  Inner beauty shines through to others through your words and actions.  Part of Maggie letting her light shine is when she gets just as excited when I win a game as she does when I win.

Generosity:  This is a fantastic thing to teach your little princess about.  We have spent some time over the last few months talking about just this.  We had a friend who knew a mom and little girl who is the same age as Maggie.  They had been homeless and recently found a place to live, but the little girl had no toys at all!  While we were cleaning up Maggie’s room, I asked her if she loved her toys.  I asked her how she would feel if she didn’t have anything to play with.  This was a great conversation and a great time and reason to show her about being a generous princess.  We went through stuffed animals, blocks, toys, etc..  and talked about how we don’t need 2 of something, or how if we don’t play with it we could donate it to a friend in need or put it in the garage sale box for our annual sale.

 

Confidence:  Showing confidence in your decisions and actions is all part of being a princess.  For my little 4 year old princess, her confidence can shine when she is making decisions.  Whether it is about what she wants to eat, or what she wants to go do for her birthday, I love her confidence and sureness in the decisions she makes.  The most recent example that made me see how mature she is becoming was at dance class.  She had been going and going for days.  She was tired, got to nap late, and then had to go to dance class right away.  She was adamant that she did not want to go and made that very clear to me.  But we went to dance class and she did her best.  She participated and tried her best throughout the class.  That is part of being a princess.

 

Intelligence:  Intelligence in a princess can be shown in many ways, including good problem solving skills.  Being able to lead your friends, family, and kingdom when faced with a new challenge will help you grow.  Leaders need to be able to use their quick thinking to solve problems and challenges that arise.