From the Mommy Files…

OK, before you start the chorus of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero…”

I can hear you…

“Where have all the good men gone…”

I’m not talking about those princes…

I’m talking about DISNEY princes.

Princesses are EVERYWHERE.

And I mean everywhere.

Princess dolls, accessories, panties, clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, cups, plates – you name it.

I didn’t realize the void in the prince department, until one day Boo happened to bring it to my attention.

I went into her room, and a handful of her dolls were naked.

Yup, no clothes.

Not a stitch.

I told her the “girls” would get cold and she needed to dress them.

“No Mommy. They have no dresses because they are pretending to be boys. We don’t have any boys. They are the princes.”

I started thinking.

I don’t know that I had ever seen a PRINCE doll to that point.

So is the prince considered not necessary?

I thought to myself, I’d keep an eye out for a prince doll, or heck, even a Ken doll.

Man! Even Ken is hard to find too!

When the girls saw “Toy Story” with Ken, they asked again why there were no boy dolls.

I don’t know.

I guess boys aren’t interested in them and so the doll manufacturers figure it’s not a big deal.

Or maybe they figure the whole princess fantasy thing is enough, or perhaps it has something to do with the entire “bride” thing.

You know how from little girls we had this image of our wedding, and we made plans…

The entire thing was planned in your mind, and then it was just “insert groom” when you found him?

Maybe that’s it!

They think it’s all about the princess fantasy thing, and the prince isn’t so important.

I beg to differ.

The prince is part of the fantasy.

In many of these stories, the princess is rescued.

In some, the PRINCE is rescued.

Needless to say, it’s about a love story, right?

Can’t have a prince and princess love story with a princess and an imaginary prince.

As the girls prepared their Christmas lists, Boo brought up the subject again.

“How do you spell ‘prince?’” she asked.

I told her, and asked which prince.

“Well, Sleeping Beauty has Philip, Belle has the Beast, Rapunzel has Flynn, Ariel has Eric, Jasmine has Aladdin, Tiana has Nuveen…”

Was I to get all of them?

I asked about Snow White and Cinderella.

“Oh, their princes don’t have names.”

So are they not important?

Why are these princes nameless?

Boo said she would give them names and she’d get back to me.

So I began my quest for a prince.

A doll, people!

Target? Nope.

Toys R Us? Nope.

A search of other stores allotted a total of zero princes.

Where are all the princes?!

I didn’t remember seeing prince dolls at Disneyland, but I thought, if the princes would be anywhere, they’d be at the Disney Store.

I went to the website, and sure enough, there were the princes, carefully tucked away, sheltered from the masses.

There were all the ones Boo mentioned: Eric, Beast, Aladdin, Nuveen, Philip.

Even a prince for Mulan!

Cinderella’s prince was there too – called Prince Charming, but basically nameless.

Ditto for Snow White’s prince.

Huh? Snow White would still be in her glass coffin if not for the prince!

Hmmm…. I just had a thought.

Are these princes nameless so we can later make them the princes in our own personal fairytale?

Maybe the original storytellers were on to something?

But I digress.

I found the princes.

I’m off to the Disney Store.

Sorry, but I can’t tell you where the real princes are.

If you find some, let me know.

I have some single friends.

Merry PRINCE and princess fairytales!