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All of you who have children under the age of 7 have probably seen the ad’s flighting for the new Disney Junior series starting tomorrow, Sofia the First? Ava is going through the Princess phase at the moment, her baby sister is a princess, she’s a princess, she’s having a princess party, she’s having a princess cake, she’s having a princess bedroom, you name it, everything must be princesses with her right now, so I was chuffed to receive the Disney press release pack regarding the new series, which starts tomorrow on Disney Junior, Sofia the First.

Disney will introduce its first little girl princess with the premiere of Sofia the First, an enchanting animated Disney Junior series for the whole family, at 09:00 on Saturday, 11 May. 

While Disney princess fairytales have been enchanting audiences for more than 70 years, this is the first time a series has centered on a princess as a little girl. The stories are designed to communicate positive messages and life lessons that are applicable to preschool-aged children. The series is a production of Disney Television Animation. 

Sofia the First stories are set in the storybook world of young Sofia who starts out life as a regular girl. But when her mum marries the king, she is whisked off to a glamorous, but sometimes confusing, castle world of royalty, pomp and new step-siblings, Amber and James. Sofia the First will include appearances by Fauna, Flora and Merryweather (fairies seen in Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty) as the headmistresses of Royal Prep, the academy that Sofia, along with other princes and princesses, attends. Special event appearances will be made by classic characters including Cinderella and other Disney Princesses.

Each 22-minute episode of Sofia the First follows Sofia as she goes on an adventure and either learns some lesson herself or helps others around her learn a lesson. Like most young children, Sofia is developing her sense of self, starting to make her own decisions and exploring new things. Whether it be helping her brother James learn the importance of owning up to his mistakes or helping a shy classmate overcome her fears about speaking in public, Sofia uses her problem-solving skills and logic to help model good behaviour for young viewers at home. Sometimes Sofia finds herself looking to others for guidance. Her mother, Queen Miranda, is often the guiding voice, and every once in a while the answers to Sofia’s questions come in the form of advice from one of the classic Disney Princesses.

Throughout the series, Sofia discovers that looking like a princess isn’t all that difficult, but possessing the characteristics of a true princess – honesty, loyalty, courage, independence, compassion and grace – is what makes one truly royal. From learning to put others first when she risks missing a test in order to help the school librarian get home, to proving to herself that a princess can do anything she sets her mind to when she tries out for the all-boys flying derby horse racing team, Sofia’s adventures and experiences always teach her valuable lessons.

I love that there are moral lesson’s within each episode, that they’ve created a show that does not encourage little girls to aspire to be a spoiled little princess but rather teaches them to aspire to be more and to cultivate strong characters.

On another note, one of my childhood favorites and a real Disney classic will be airing on Disney Junior tomorrow too…. Cinderella, I’ve set our PVR to record so that Ava and I can enjoy this classic together! We’ve been signing this song together all week! Ava has even worked out her own dance moves to go with it!

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