Parenting
by Jake Thompson
Updated: July 2, 2020
Originally Published: Jan. 11, 2017
While I was zooming through Space Mountain, my wife whisked our middle daughter, Mia, off to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique nestled near Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland. I had nobody brave enough to join me on that ride, so I went solo. When I returned and learned that Mia was getting a makeover that, in my mind, seemed like it would cost a small fortune, I felt like I’d been duped. It all felt like some elaborate scheme to keep me occupied while my wife indulged our daughter.
At the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, little girls get to choose their princess persona for the day (Mia opted for Belle), and then they get transformed from head to toe into their royal doppelgänger. We’re talking fancy hairstyles, sparkles, tiaras—the whole shebang. The package even includes a photoshoot, a meet and greet with a Disney princess, and, as a bonus, the parents are dubbed king and queen (which is more amusing than anything). Let’s not even discuss the price. I say “we” since it was a joint gift from my in-laws and my wife and me.
I had my reservations about Mia undergoing a princess makeover, and it wasn’t just about the cost. The first piece I ever published in The Huffington Post was titled “My Daughter Is Not a Princess.” This was around three years ago when Mia was 4 and just beginning her fascination with princesses. I wrote about wanting her to grow up valuing people for their character rather than their possessions. I envisioned her loving someone not for their castle or flashy steed but for their goodness and integrity. Someone who would treat her as a partner, not a princess.
As a dad, I have conflicting feelings about Mia’s princess obsession, and I worried about how a full-blown makeover might influence her. However, I never imagined how profoundly it would affect me as her father.
Sitting next to my wife, Sarah, on a bench at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, I watched my 7-year-old daughter. She was perched in a stylist’s chair, one woman tending to her nails and another working on her hair, both dressed as whimsical characters from a fairy tale.
Mia donned a pink gown, beaming with joy, her little pink and white sneakers bouncing with excitement. I could see her happiness radiating from her smile all the way to her toes. When they placed a crown atop her head and turned her around to face a gold-framed mirror, I could hardly believe the transformation. The moment she saw her reflection, my heart melted. I was enveloped in a warmth I can only describe as a mix of pride and love. My eyes misted over—not quite tears, but close. I had never experienced emotions like this before, and it took me by surprise.
What I realized in that moment was that Mia felt truly special. In a world riddled with pressures about looks, personality, and social standing, it can be hard for a girl to feel that way. As a father, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mia is unique. She is kind, spirited, and intelligent. She has the potential to achieve incredible things, and I want to help her realize her dreams. Yet, sometimes I sense a disconnect between how I see her and how she perceives herself.
But something magical happened at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Her radiant smile reflected the love I felt for her, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed like that gap closed. I can’t claim that the princess makeover entirely reshaped how she views herself, nor can I relax my role in nurturing her into a confident woman. And I’m not even suggesting we’ll make a habit of visiting the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
What I can say is that, in that moment, my heart soared, and so did Mia’s. She discovered something about herself that I had seen since the day I first held her in my arms. And for that reason, I have no regrets about splurging on my daughter’s (rather pricey) princess makeover.
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In summary, treating my daughter to a princess makeover at Disneyland turned out to be an unexpected journey of emotion, revealing her self-worth and filling a gap I hadn’t realized existed.