It may not be a milestone that they leave space for in the baby books, but it's one that's close to every English teacher's heart: Baby's First Shakespeare.

Today I introduced Diva Girl to the wonder that is The Bard, taking her to a puppet show performance of The Tempest. She enjoyed the show and seemed captivated by the magical story unfolding before her eyes (brilliantly staged for a grade school audience), but, like many of the experiences we eagerly look forward to sharing with our children, I think the whole thing meant more to me.

As Sabrina gets older she, and consequently our relationship, becomes more complex. It's not a simple matter of board books and Raffi anymore (although she remains ready and willing to shake her sillies out, so long as her friends aren't watching). She's developing her own likes and dislikes and her own pop culture. It's an exciting thing to watch, but difficult too. My baby, quite simply is growing up.

Barbie is giving way to Britney, and Raffi to rap music and rock and roll. Animated heroines have already fallen by the wayside, and even Mary Kate and Ashley are losing their cachet, to be replaced by Hilary and Lindsey and a more "sophisticated" class of divas. It's just starting right now, this shift from little girl to tween, and for a little while at least, I can still hold it at bay. But it's coming. That great cultural divide marked by my disapproval of her music and the switch from Disney Princesses to a different kind of media darling adorning her walls. It's hard, watching the little girl who couldn't say "lollipop" fuss with the perfect hairstyle. It's hard to let her grow up.

But, there's an upside as well. Because now that's she's growing up, we can share things like Shakespeare. We are no longer limited to Judy and David or The Doodlebops, or even Broadway musicals for our live entertainment. Now that she is growing up, there are other things we can share too. Like an exciting tale of shipwrecks, fairies, betrayal, forgiveness and love at first sight, told at least partly in iambic pentameter.

Diva Girl like the parade of the goddesses best (I know, you're shocked). Me? My favourite part was when she turned to me and made a case for Prospero as the villain of the piece. At that moment, both my mommy heart and my English teacher's soul were bursting with pride in this intelligent, articulate person my baby has become.

Comments

ok here I am crying about your daughter growing up, that confirms it, I will be an absolute wreck when my own does it!
thanks for the reminding me to step back and take a look at what the girls are up to these days

I am a journalist in Portland Oregon working on an article for a national women’s magazine about the marketing of sexualized dolls (Bratz dolls, for example) and other toys to 8-11 year old girls. I'm looking for some “real moms” who might be able to comment on the following questions.

1. How do you protect young girls from an increasingly sexualized world without totally unplugging them from the culture in which they are growing up?
2. Do you have any specific ideas as to how a mom should talk to her ten year old about Paris Hilton? Britney Spears?

If you are interested, please email me and let me know your availability.

Thanks!

Linda Baker
lbaker17@earthlink.net
www.linda-baker.net