When you have a daughter, there is a pretty high chance of her going through a Disney princess phase… or several princess phases… or just stays in the princess phase forever. My 7 year-old daughter has dipped in and out of princess phases but since November, she has been absolutely positively obsessed with the newest Disney princess, Moana. The soundtrack plays on repeat driving to and from school every day. And thanks to the master, Lin Manuel Miranda, I don’t even mind because the music is outstanding. My family has also been known to break out into an impromptu Moana dance party during dinner too. My kids saw it in theaters and then went back for the Moana Sing-a-long and then purchased the digital copy, which coincidentally came out the week of my daughter’s birthday…thank you for that Disney! “You’re Welcome!” (inside Moana joke) And now this week, the Blu-ray Combo Pack comes out, which means there is a likely chance that my wife and I will cave and buy that too… who am I kidding, there is 100% chance of us buying it!
But here’s why I’m more than okay fueling my daughter’s obsession with this particular princess… Moana rocks! No seriously, she embodies what I hope my daughters will grow up to be one day… Moana is adventurous and strong. She is hard working and respectful. She is both passionate and compassionate. Qualities most parents dream for their kids. Now my little girl already is a brave, strong, adventurous spirit.
Why? Because in 7 short years, my daughter has overcome open-heart surgery, several medical procedures and academic challenges. I often say to people “my daughter is the strongest person I know.” She’s had no choice but to be brave and strong at times. There is one part in the movie where Moana’s Gramma sings:
“I know a girl from an island
She stands apart from the crowd
She loves the sea and her people
She makes her whole family proud
Sometimes the world seems against youThe journey may leave a scar
But scars can heal and reveal just
Where you are”
That is my little girl.
So yeah, as a dad to the strongest person I know, I for one am very grateful for this Disney princess Moana who gives young girls like mine an inspiring role model to look up to.
My daughter loves to pretend she is Moana, I watch as she imagines herself as this character. Little brother is Maui, baby sister is the chicken, my wife is the Gramma and dear old dad gets stuck being the crab… which if you’ve seen the movie that should give you a laugh! Also worth noting, my son loves the movie too. Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) gives tons of fantastic humor for boys and girls. Even my 1 yr old starts dancing around as soon as she hears the music!
Safe to say this crew are Moana super fans!
*Life of Dad partnered with Disney for this promotion, but the opinions are clearly our own!
