4-Year-Old Thinks Mom's Gown Is a Perfect 'Elsa Dress.' When She's Asked to Put it On, They Go Full Princess Mode (Exclusive)
4-Year-Old Thinks Mom's Gown Is a Perfect 'Elsa Dress.' When She's Asked to Put it On, They Go Full Princess Mode (Exclusive)
Hannah SacksTue, March 3, 2026 at 10:45 AM UTC
0
Mary Hendricks and her daughter Haley.Credit: Courtesy of @theverymarylife -
Mary Hendricks' daughter, a Frozen fan, calls her mom's blue glittery gown the "Elsa dress" due to its sparkly design
Hendricks and her daughter dressed as Elsa together, singing and dancing to Frozen music in a sweet bonding moment
The mom of three went on to explain how she tries to create intentional moments with her kids, even if it's just for a few minutes daily
When Mary Hendricks bought herself a blue glittery dress, she initially thought she'd be wearing it to her sister's wedding. She didn't think it would turn into her "Elsa dress."
The mom of three and content creator, 35, shared a video of herself and her 4-year-old daughter, Haley, playing together on her TikTok. In the sweet clip, Hendricks' daughter asks her if she'll go put on her "Elsa dress" — a blue sparkly gown with silver snowflakes.
"The moment she saw it, she called it my Elsa dress," Hendricks tells PEOPLE. "The color, the sparkles, but especially the light snowflake embellishments. I bought it on Poshmark (originally Baltic Born) to hopefully wear to my sister's winter wedding, but it felt a bit too fairytale for the occasion."
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hendricks says her daughter is a "huge" Frozen fan and has been into the 2013 animated film since she was old enough to watch. This past year, however, the proud mom says her daughter has developed a "full princess obsession."
"Anytime I ask what she wants to be when she grows up, she says, 'Mommy queen,' " she shares. "For her upcoming 4th birthday, she's requesting a 'queen room.' No clue exactly what that entails, but I'm thinking lots of sparkles, pinks and even more costumes to add to her already large (and growing) collection."
In the video shared to her social media, Hendricks puts on her Elsa dress as her daughter dons her own Elsa costume. The two go on to sing and dance around together to music from the movie.
"Funny enough, from the time I got the dress a couple of months ago, she's always mentioned 'Mommy's Elsa dress,' but I didn't actually realize what she meant till that very day we filmed," Hendricks says. "She has some speech impediments, so sometimes things get lost in translation. But we finally figured it out, and I'm so glad."
Mary Hendricks and her family.Credit: Courtesy of @theverymarylife
Hendricks says her daughter "lives in princess dresses" when she's home and has three different Elsa costumes.
"They're basically her house clothes at this point. After school, she immediately changes into one, or she'll wake up and put one on before even coming downstairs," she explains. "It's hilarious and adorable. She eats in them, naps in them, collects our chicken eggs in them — especially the Elsa dress lately because with snow on the ground, it's Elsa's ideal climate."
To get into character, Hendricks put on her dress and quickly did her hair into the signature Elsa braid.
Advertisement
"I did a quick, very messy, imperfect French braid because to [Haley], all braids are 'Elsa hair,' " says Hendricks. "For makeup, I just did my usual everyday routine but added a little extra shimmer and frosty glitter."
"I honestly didn't spend more than five minutes on it. She doesn't have the patience to wait, and she doesn't notice the fine details anyway. As a stay-at-home mom, getting dolled up isn't the norm, so I knew a little would go a long way — and it did," she continues.
Mary Hendricks and her family.Credit: Courtesy of @theverymarylife
While Hendricks loved getting to play Elsa with her daughter, the mom of three says she doesn't often get a chance to play pretend.
"Pretend play is actually really tough for me. I'm much more of a dance-together, run-around-the-yard, be silly kind of mom. My kid self would be disgusted to hear that because, wow, I had an imagination. I used to build entire worlds out of nothing," she says.
"For a long time, I felt guilty about that, like I was failing some invisible mom test because I didn't love playing dolls or staying in character," says Hendricks. "But I've realized that it's okay. I don't have to show up the same way my kids do to still show up fully."
Hendricks explains she tries to strive for intentional time every day with her kids.
"To make that realistic, I set a timer for what I know I can truly give that day. Some days it's like 20 minutes, some days it's five," she says. "I put my phone away, and I'm 100% with them — on their level, in their world."
"Sometimes that looks like coloring together or watching a show side-by-side. Other times it's dance parties in the kitchen or racing down the driveway. Connection doesn't have to look one specific way to be real."
Mary Hendricks and her kids.Credit: Courtesy of @theverymarylife
For Hendricks, it's important to give her daughter moments like this because she will remember that her mom was there, playing with her during her childhood.
"She won't remember if my braid was perfect or if my makeup was blended. She'll remember that I showed up. That I sat on the floor with her. That I stepped into her imagination — or invited her into my version of connection — for a little while," says Hendricks.
"Childhood is made up of tiny, ordinary moments that feel magical when someone you love joins you in them. If I can give her the feeling that she's worth my full attention, even for a short, intentional window each day, that's everything."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
