Barbies, Princesses, & Peer Pressure

In the waiting room of an obstetrician's office this afternoon, I checked off "change in stress" under "Current Health Condition". As I've told a few close female friends (and Bill, of course), knowing that we're having a girl has totally stressed me out.

I've heard about 5-year-old girls refusing to have cake at a birthday party because "cakes make you fat."

I've seen little girls totally obsessed over jewelry, cosmetics, and hair gadgets.

I've heard preschool girls talking about wanting to be "hot".

Then I got an email from a mommy group asking at what age should my daughter be allowed to wear thong underwear, as if that should be on my list of things to teach my child.

Truth be told, I don't want her to play with Barbies or wear princess dresses. I don't want to put makeup on her face or paint her nails when she's clearly too young for those things. I don't want "play dress-up" to be a regular playtime activity. I'm going to try very hard not to use phrases like "You're a doll" or "You're my little princess". Instead, I want to shed light on who she is and what she has accomplished.

(Having me as her mom, she's probably not going to want me to do her hair or her nails 'cause I can hardly do mine without screwing them up somehow)

I'm not a hardcore feminist. I'm just a rookie "mom of a daughter" who's trying to figure things out.

This is what I've come up with for now anyway:
Instead of worrying about my daughter becoming the victim of stereotype and peer pressure, it's more important to equip her with the confidence and wisdom to look beyond the surface and focus on what makes her truly unique and beautiful.