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But first here is how I got inspired….
This photo is how it all began. I had just returned from Disney World with my two older grandsons and, being a good grandmother, I had purchased an adorable “Princess Thing 1” outfit, complete with pink tutu, for my precious 2 year old granddaughter, Natty Cat.
The look on her face says it all. She was not the princess type…even at 2.
In that moment, it dawned on me that I am not the princess type either…. And furthermore, I did not want her to become the princess type. I did not want her to grow up thinking she had to wait on her Prince Charming to start her life. I also did not want her to think she would have servants waiting on her every need as she did nothing to give back. Nor did I want her to think she was going to live in a castle one day and everyone would become her royal subject.
What were we thinking? How did we let the Disney machine convince us moms and grandmoms that a princess was the right role model for our little girls to grow up to emulate? If our girls get that message from birth, then what does their world outlook become? Yes, those movies and stories are fun and fantasy (and our girls love them!), but how about balancing that with a reality that gets even our littlest girls thinking about who they want to become and how they can make an impact on our world!
So I wrote an Ode to Natty Cat…which later became “I Don’t Wanna Wear a Crown.”
I want my granddaughter to believe in herself. I want her to develop a good sense of self confidence. I want her to have a great work ethic whether it is raising children or being President one day. I want her to have ambition and drive in every thing she does. But mostly I want her to know she has choices. And I want her to know it is up to her to make those choices.
From birth, those are the tapes and messages I want her to hear. I hope this book sends those messages to little girls everywhere. It is only then that our world will experience the incredible value that womankind can offer.
Janet