In the book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters (which I would highly recommend to any Christian man who wants a healthy relationship with his daughter), author Meg Meeker encourages fathers to steer their daughters away from the pride associated with being a princess:
“Don’t let this happen to your daughter. Keep her world larger than herself and her talents. Gently guide her to recognize her strengths and limitations. Let her fail. Let her know that you still love her when she fails. Let her know that she’s valuable not only for what she does, but for who she is. Here is your chance to teach her one of life’s greatest lessons: people are valuable because they’re human, not because of what they do.”
And so I always emphatically use the word “precious” instead of “princess.” I believe the former connotes value, uniqueness, and self-worth without carrying the negative implications associated with the latter.