A few weeks ago I went to a school in Compton, California to talk to the children about careers. I described what was required to become a chiropractor and how rewarding a career it was. Afterwards, I happened to speak to one little girl, “If you work really, really hard at school, you can be anything?”

She smiled and agreed.

Then I asked her what she wanted to BE when she grows up.

“A princess,” she said.

I knew she didn’t get it so I asked, “What do you want to DO with your life?”

She looked at me with big brown eyes, put her hands on her hips and shook her head, certain I didn’t understand how life worked.

She explained, “To be a princess, you HAVE to marry a prince.”

It made perfect sense when you think about the stories we were told and are still telling our daughters:

Cinderella had to cook and clean for her ugly sisters—until Prince Charming arrives with the glass slipper. Snow White had to cook and clean for Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy. Believe me, I dated them all—until the prince arrives.

We have to convince our daughters—by example that is—that we women have the ability to be and do anything and don’t need to wait for a prince to rescue us. Remember, think about the glass ceiling and not the glass slipper, and life will be filled with accomplishments and triumphs.