I’m usually very cautious of the programming I let my Fancy Girls watch. We stick to Disney Junior and PBS mostly, with the occasional movie on On Demand and assorted DVDs. Lately, my oldest has enjoyed the Barbie series of movies. While some of them are geared towards the teen crowd, the majority of them involve fairies, mermaids and princesses, perfect for my little Fancy Girl. And while a 4 year old may not be able to extract the positive and insprational message associated with the movies, I am usually happy to replay (and maybe even talk about) the movies that I know can influence girls in a positive way.

To my delight, my Fancy Girl is loving Barbie and The Three Musketeers. In short, it’s about a girl named Corinne, played by Barbie, whose dream is to become a musketeer. While everyone is quick to remind her that “girls can’t be musketeers,” she doesn’t let that stop her. The rest of the story is easily predictable, but is filled with glitter, magic and fancy Barbie moments. Even though the simple message of “you can do whatever you want if you have the courage to pursue it” might be lost on a 4-year old, at least mom is there to turn it into a teachable moment.

What’s great about the kid movies on On Demand is you get a few days of free replay. Just as my Fancy Girl started to recite the scenes from memory, I picked up a worthy piece of dialog that is perfect for Mantra Monday! And what’s great is that it’s applicable to all ages.

Keep dreaming!