The original image of Merida was precious and clung to by moms who adored Merida for her adventures, her love of her family, and her resemblance to the young girls they know and love.

I have met more than my share of inspiring, incredible women over the last year, the majority of whom have been very young indeed, and they all seem to have a very definite idea of who their role models are. And when I listed a few of them in my head today, I found myself asking the question: How many of these women would be improved by a few extra sparkles?

A funny thing happened when I met my son -- I started to realize how destructive girl power can be to boys.

Our daughters are awash in princesses and pink. Is this pinkification and princess obsession harming our girls? Is being a princess a career? I put these questions to Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture.

I will miss the princess aisle this Christmas because it will always represent my daughter's utter innocence. Her ability to believe only in the goodness of people and life itself. It will forever represent, to me, the unshakable confidence of being four.

Disney has long transformed little girls into princesses by selling them costumes, wands and tiaras. But a new limited-time offer at Disneyland takes ...

I began to suspect I had made a mistake when Kallista, 4, answered a question from Athena, 6: "No, Athena, Princess Leia didn't want to be a slave so she choked Jabba and killed him."