My four-year-old niece is nuts about anything princess related, despite the efforts of her mom who fends off the omnipresent press on real heiresses -- like jail princess Paris Hilton -- and ads geared to make little girls believe money grows on trees and popularity means everything. My niece is deep into the Disney princess world. She knows about all eight of them -- as if they were her best friends: veteran Snow White, rags-to-riches Cinderella, Chinese empress Mulan, Sleeping Beauty Aurora, Little Mermaid Ariel, strong-minded Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), Aladdin's starlet Jasmine, historic heroine Pocahontas, and New Orleans newcomer Tiana. Yup, there's no shortage of royalty or pampered role models to choose from.

Hesitating before purchasing her favorite princess toy, I argued that a gift promoting monarchy adoration may guide a child on a path to becoming an insipid narcissist stuck on vanity and snobbery. Yet, a child's passion for these characters may also help them with pretend play (ideal fodder to build creative and socially competent minds) and compare individual perspectives -- possibly even learn something about diversity and cultural tolerance -- which summed up my indecisiveness on getting a princess product for my niece.

So in the end, I skipped all eight Disney options; knowing that her mother wouldn't approve. I ended up spoiling her with a Yahoo! gumball machine (sorry, not for sale. It's a company perk, but there are plenty other gumball machines for sale) with the intent of etching a new name for myself by my niece: her favorite, candy-giving uncle! Unfortunately for her teeth, she discovered no coins were needed to get to those cavity-causing, colorful treats.

Disney princess toys - Over 50% off!