Everything My Daughter Needs To Know She Can Learn From A Disney Princess - Jasmine

Jasmine is one of the princesses that has actually lived a princess life. Unlike many of the princesses who came before her she has not been mistreated or hidden away. She has lived her whole life in a castle, catered to and had everything done for her. She tells Aladdin she feels trapped by this. At the same time her father has obviously encouraged her to think for herself and speak her mind. She respects him and wants to do what he wants - up to a point. She stands for what she believes is right and is not afraid to step out of her comfort zone to get the job done.                                                                                                               So what can my daughter learn from Jasmine? Well, right off the bat the line, "I am not a prize to be won," comes to mind. Jasmine is ordered by law to marry before her next birthday - in three days. Yet, she repeatedly turns down suitor after suitor because she is not going to marry someone she does not love and who will not treat her well. As a mom of two little girls this may be the number one lesson for them to learn in love. Jasmine shows my girls that love cannot be forced, that love comes in unexpected places and it must come with respect or it is useless. Jasmine forgives Aladdin for lying to her about being a "real" prince because she understands why he did it. She has already fallen in love with him and while he deceived her she knows that he was trying to live up to the law's requirements. This is another big lesson in love. One I feel like people skip over too often. The people we love, who love us, are going to mess up. They are going to make mistakes. Sometimes they are going to make mistakes for selfish reasons and sometimes they are going to mess up because they are trying to make us happy. Forgiveness is a wonderful quality - as is understanding. 

Jasmine also teaches my daughter to never be afraid of a new experience. Jasmine, fed up with the law and her father's feeling that she should marry, decides to leave. She is not going to let anyone tell her what she has to do. Even though she has no experience with life outside the castle she decides to go and she does. She is not afraid of what she will find nor is she afraid of the challenges she will surely discover. Once she and Aladdin are discovered she immediately tries to fight the guards - regardless of their size. When that does not work she throws caution to the side and reveals herself to the guards. She stands up to the guards and then to Jafar. She will not be silenced. She will not stand by and let injustice occur. 

My daughter can learn to always look beyond what you see when it comes to the people around you. Jasmine sees Aladdin's worth even though he is a "street rat" and not a prince. This is a common theme in books and things. To see a person's inner beauty or worth. But more importantly Jasmine also teaches my daughter to trust her own instincts about a person - even if her father or I like the person. Jasmine does not like Jafar, she does not trust him . Her father considers Jafar his "most trusted advisor" but this does not sway Jasmine. She knows there is something not right about Jafar and she keeps her distance - and intends to be rid of him when she is the queen. This is an important lesson for children. We all used to be taught "stranger danger" but the advice now is to teach your children about "tricky people" because they are much more likely to be hurt by someone they know and their parents trust. Jasmine is a great example of having instincts about someone that her parent trusts and being correct. If her father had listened when she expressed her concerns about Jafar maybe they would have been saved a lot of difficulty. Jasmine teaches my daughter to trust her instincts. 

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