If you have ever raised, taught, or simply watched a girl consume media, you have witnessed the invisible curriculum in action. We do not sit her down and say, "Your primary value will be determined by your desirability." Instead, we give her Belle, Ariel, Juliet, Elsa (eventually), and every iteration of "the girl who just needed the right person to see her."
But more than anything, girls need permission to find romantic storylines boring . If you have ever raised, taught, or simply
That girl might still fall in love. She might still cry over a boy. She might still want a wedding, a partner, a shared life. She might still cry over a boy
That is not a relationship. That is a rescue mission disguised as romance. That is a rescue mission disguised as romance
We hand a little girl a fairy tale. Then a Disney movie. Then a YA novel. Then a rom-com. Then a "situationship."