Does it bother anyone else for their little girls to aspire to be a princess in the classic “I’m so helpless! Please rescue me and cater to my unrealistic whims, oh, obscurely perfect man of my insanely romanticized fairytale dreams!”?

I love letting my daughter play dress up, be girly, and pretend to be a princess, but the helpless and hopeless romantic version grates on my nerves more than a wee bit. That’s why I’m an enthusiastic fan of the spunky and sassy princess types! They make the point that you can be a pretty princess simultaneously with being strong, intelligent and perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and that’s a message I can get behind. 🙂

Want some princesses for your little girls to learn about who are far from wilting weaklings? These are powerful women our girls can look up to! Check these rockin’ royals out, y’all! 😉

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Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess

This little princess wasn’t born in a palace. Her mother was a poor village woman who married the king, making her a newly minted princess with all the quirks of an ordinary sweet & spunky little girl, along with the newfound trappings of royalty. She is a kind, but very resourceful, little person. Sophia is a totally relatable little princess, in her own magical way.
Get Sofia the First gifts here: http://amzn.to/2hpK4We

 Mulan / Mulan II:

Mulan’s father was in poor health, and was called up to war. She courageously took his place, and became a renowned and rewarded soldier, with some interesting twists along the way.
Find Mulan gifts here: http://amzn.to/2gEuk2S

Esther from the Bible was The Queen Who Saved Her People

Esther was actually a real queen, way back in the days of the Old Testament. In a day when women- even queens- ordinarily had very little power or influence, she managed to save the entire Israelite people in her kingdom using her intelligence, wisdom, grace and every ounce of power she had. She accomplished amazing things, especially considering the time she was living in. She was definitely a royal of worth!
Get Queen Esther gifts here: http://amzn.to/2gsMhOo

Merida from Brave:

Merida is certainly nowhere close to the helpless maiden type! She had to learn how to calm her wild spirit through a whole series of crazy adventures where the princess is the girl who is both causing trouble and fixing it herself . When they say brave, it royally fits!
Find Merida from Brave gifts here:
http://amzn.to/2hwdAMM

 Anna and Elsa Frozen (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy):

Who can forget this super duper popular pair of sisters-their struggles and strength through their fantastical adventures? Wimpy little ladies they are not! They are full of determination, character and spunk. Let it go! 😉
Shop for Frozen gifts here: http://amzn.to/2gRLBmN

Rapunzel of Tangled:

Now, I think of the classic Rapunzel as the aforementioned annoyingly helpless and pathetic princess type. The version who appears in the movie Tangled, however, is anything but that! She grew up sheltered in a tower, but she broke free and corralled a young man into helping her along in her urgent quest.
Find Rapunzel from Tangled gifts here: http://amzn.to/2hm7w6p

Princess Leia from Star Wars:

Intergalactic strong woman and princess, anyone?? Doesn’t get any cooler than that!
Find Princess Leia gifts here: http://amzn.to/2hg6ATi

Do you know of any other atypical brave princesses or other strong royal ladies whom your little girls adore? Are they fans of any of the amazing girls I mentioned?