My Tomboy Princess

Dora the Explorer started out simple - ugly purple shirt and orange pants. We used Netflix to give us never-ending and instantaneous access to all things Dora because Emma is obsessed.

So we've just hit some of the more recent episodes, and I've noticed a big change. Dora the Enchantress. Dora the Mermaid. Dora the Princess. Dora as whatever-will-warrant-Nickelodeon-putting-her-in-a-frilly-dress-with-a-crown. After a little research online, I've found that the new Dora won't be exploring the jungle or climbing mountains - she'll be shopping. Shopping. Dora the Accessorizer. I wanted to cry.

Here's the thing - I was certain sure I wanted a boy. A rough-and-tumble, curiosity-driven, I'm-dirty-and-it's-OK boy. Because I'm not comfortable with girly things. I don't shop unless I have to, and if it's clothes, maybe not even then. I don't know the first thing about makeup or fashion; I don't generally do well in malls or hair salons or anywhere you're expected to dress nicely and act appropriately (whatever that means). I was terrified.

And then I met Emma.

I fought the good fight  against the pink, frilly, lacy clothes and the bows and barrettes her grandmothers bought. I purposefully sought gender-neutral toys and refused to buy baby dolls. In the end, I lost these battles - all her dolls were at her grandmothers' homes, her closet was a solid Pepto spectrum, and her hands were always filled with purses and shopping bags.

But I won the war - Emma is into all those girly things, but she also likes playing with trains and cars. She knows as much about the Superhero Squad as she does Abby's flying fairy schoolmates. She examines how things work - cars, bikes, robots anything that moves - and fills her shopping bags with "tools" to help her fix things. The girl will dance around the house in her ballerina dress while wearing a pair of Converse sneakers and a Spiderman hoodie.


She's the best of both worlds. And the old Dora was, too. With this transformation, though, she's off the Netflix list. Carl and I have found some alternatives - The Magic School Bus is dated but better than most of the current shows, and we'll check out the new PBS show called Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, fashioned after Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, when it airs.

Maybe one day it will be profitable for networks to come up with more than just stereotypical girl shows and boy shows. A mama can dream, anyway.