Why I love Jake and the Never Land Pirates

There's no rushing the chemistry that may ultimately bring some boys and girls together, but for right now, at a young age, girls and boys often have different passions. My boys are always concerned when they get invited to a girl birthday party, worrying that it'll be Princess or Barbie themed... - but if you love cars, trains, superheroes, getting dirty, and being "fast" - yes, a trait hugely important to young boys, then you're their kind of girl. Otherwise, it'll take some coaching to find common ground.



Photo credit: www.justjaredjr.buzznet.com


Disney Jr's new show, Jake and the Never Land Pirates http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior/jake-and-the-never-land-pirates couldn't have come to our home at a better time.

Pirates - that's definitely a topic that perks my boys' interest. This show is about three pirate playmates, two of which (Jake and Cubby) look so much like my kiddos it's hilarious. And then there's the girl, Izzy, who's equipped with pixie dust and she's so cool. Really cool. She's shattering that preschool glass ceiling of 'boys rule', and making her presence known in all her pink and pirate accessorized glory. And my boys love her. They can see firsthand, episode by episode, how girls can be incorporated into their imagination play. So much so, that now we prepare before "girl playdates" reviewing how awesome Izzy is, emphasizing that girls and boys are equals, although sometimes different playmates. So before last week's "girl playdate" we discussed that we're going to a "girl's home", so she's the host. Manners and compromise dahlings! I'm sure we can find some common ground.

Off we went to try out our new approach and the playdate was a huge success. I actually had a blast hanging with one of my bestie mom friends, and the kids had a blast getting dirty riding their bikes through puddles and climbing and sliding down muddy hills. She definitely proved to be their kind of girl, their very own Izzy.

On our drive back to our home the boys were excitedly talking over each other explaining all the cool things they did in "Izzy's room" - exploring the world of Polly Pockets, glitter, and...
D: "Mommy! Her pants were dirty, so she took them off and she showed us her pink princess underwear".
G: :"Yeah, so we took our pants off and showed her our cool superhero underwear".

After a few leading questions...it looks like their undies stayed on. Innocent enough...for now! Phew! But most importantly, my dirt-lovin' boys found common ground...with a GIRL!

What are some of your recent adventures in mommyland? Do share!