to think Girls World is not quite appropriate for a not quite 3 year old

[ljhooray]

BF has bought my dd a Girl's World for xmas and I have hidden the make up straight away - just seems so young to start down that road. Surely thee'a few more years of teddies, tea parties and being a litle one yet?

[AccioPinotGrigio]

YAB slightly U. The main problem with Girls World is that it makes such a blimmin mess. My four year old niece got one this Christmas and rather enjoys it. Rather that than slathering the make up on her own face.

[ljhooray]

true! The beads are bad enough!

[coldtits]

YABU

Girl's world is awesome and you are being mean.

[MamaLazarou]

YABU. Make up is wonderful fun when you're nearly 3.

[LittleSilver]

YANBU. I would have had a fit.

I expect he's just clueless though.

[ljhooray]

just realised I put bf but meant best friend - my dh will be very upset

[nighbynight]

yanbu!
I also didnt let my girls have makeup at this age. they can choose when they are grown up.

[MummyDragon]

YABU. shineoncrazydiamond puts it perfectly.

[SpanishCYBILwar]

Girls are never too young to learn how to mash turquoise eyeshadow into their eyelids.

[annabelcaramel]

My dcs nursery has about 6 of them, plus rollers, hairdryers etc and all the kids love playing with them. No make up though. I think it's fab - I'm hoping ds will grow up to be a top hairdresser, live with me forever and give me a fab 'do every day!

[CybilsDrivel]

Do they still have that useless plume of hair that emerges from a central head hole when you turn a dial in her neck?

[Moresproutsplease]

Aagh, this is bringing back nightmare memories of trying in vain to detangle a huge mass of synthetic hair on an almost daily basis. My DD loved her Girls World - I think she was about 5 when she got it, the make up didn't bother me at all (except when it got trodden into the carpet) but the HAIR!!!

Strangely enough DD2 hated it and wouldn't go to bed if it was in their (shared) bedroom. I had to hide it as she thought it was the most spooky thing.

[minxofmancunia]

yabu, my dd has one and loves it, it's just a bit of fun. I buy her cheap make-up from Claires abd she smears it all over it's wierd and spooky face!

I was scared of mine when I was little though, and the hair on it is minging. Yes it still does have that wierd hair plume at the back, most strange!

littlesilver what is so offensive about a girls world that would cause you to have "a fit"?

[kitsmummy]

Oh Girls World is brilliant, and even though she may be a bit young now, by the time she's 3 or 4 she'll love it. Putting make up on a doll is fine, nowhere near the same as dressing up your own child like those weird american beauty pageants for four year olds. Don't stress yourself, it's a great present!

[2rebecca]

I loved my girls world. I do think 3 is a bit young, but if my best friend bought my daughter a present there's no way I wouldn't give my daughter it, unless it was life threatening.
My friendship with her is more important than concerns about early exposure to make up.
I played with make up far more as a kid than I do as an adult and I think girls get alot of their attitudes re make up from their mums. My mum rarely wore make up and now I rarely do so if you're not a lay it on with a trowel woman she'll probably be more laid back when older.
I don't really see playing with make up as sexualisation, it's more art and design and colouring in.

[BendyBob]

Yabu (not about the mess though - I seem to remember lipstick all over the carpet)

My dc are older and into all sorts but they still love their teddies and pretend games too. I think little ones just see it as a toy like any other; not make-up in a serious grown up sense.

[crazycat34]

Take heart that it could have been a lot worse.

My MIL had our DD for a couple of hours last Summer, shortly after her 3rd birthday.

I was told she was having a 'girly couple of hours'.

What DH and I didn't expect was to come back to find a full scale Sandra Dee transformation to have taken place.

[Georgimama]

I nearly bought a four year old one this Christmas and the only reason I didn't was memories of the blooming mess mine was after about 10 minutes and my mum swearing when she was trying to get the cream blusher out of the carpet.

That and the fact that they are actually quite creepy looking, I thought she might wake up screaming with it glaring at her from the corner of the bedroom. But I was probably over thinking.

[ljhooray]

BTW agree with many on here - it is sooo creepy! DD isn't bothered but it scares the wotsits out of me every time it sneeks a glance at me!

Crazycat34 - perhaps I am over reacting to this as if what you just described happened to dd, we'd be emigrating!

[crazycat34]

I suppose the saving grace was that DD didn't like it.

She smiled uncertainly when we saw her, we told her she looked beautiful (i don't think she believed us) because it was obvious she felt very self conscious.

We took her straight home and when I whispered "would you like a bath sweetheart?" she nodded her little head off.

We haven't mentioned it since!

[ellokitty]

YABU - My 3 year old has enjoyed playing with one with her big sister for about a year now. And I have to say I think they're great... for one main reason - since they were given it, it seems to have stopped their desire to dress themselves up with makeup at all - they are now more than content to put it on the doll. I'm happy, it all comes off with a single wet wipe, their faces are no longer plastered with makeup that they have found and the mess is more easily contained.

I think 3-5 is the age at which my children seem to have enjoyed it the most. At 6, my eldest DD doesn't seem to enjoy playing with it as much now, she has outgrown it. But my 3 year old really loves it now.