AIBU to think a seven year old should not wear lipstick and nail varnish?

[sammypaws]

Maybe I am being old-fashioned, but I don't think that my SIL should allow my seven year old niece to wear lipstick and nail varnish (in fact she applies it). She has been doing this since she was four/ five years old. I am of the school of thought that children should look like children and not miniature adults - some of the clothes she wears would look more appropriate on someone in their thirties! I think she should be wearing things with animals on them, .

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

Yabu My DD aged 8 has worn it since she was tiny. She asks....my other DD never wants to. My oder DD isn't allowed it to school or anything but if she has a school disco then she has lipgloss and polish on.

[Hippymum89]

My DD (7) wears nail polish... I've put it on her since she was little.
Never make up though or tarty chavvy clothes. Think vertbaudet and mini-boden usually

[sammypaws]

I am worried because, I have an eighteen month old daughter and do not want her to think that this sort of thing is what she should be doing too. My SIL also likes to give her 'advice' on child rearing and I fear the day that she tries this on with my daughter, or my niece does, because I think my response will be rather .

[McHappyPants2012]

my dd loves makeup, and will pretend to put in on or use a chapstick. I am confused to where she gets this from as i do even own makeup.

I say pick your battles

[freddiefrog]

My 7 and 11 year olds wear it to dress up with - they have the cheaply peel off stuff but don't go out wear

[Hippymum89]

i think there are worse thing she could do than a bit of pink nail polish!
When she's buying her cansof special brew and condoms then you'd worry ha ha. But if you feel that strongly, tell her fgs!

[Scaredbutdoingit]

The thing is, it is absolutely fine to have preferences regarding your own children and how they are to be brought up.

Its even fine to have an opinion on how other people bring their children up, as long as you realise this is just an opinion and that it should not in any way be pushed upon them (unless there is real concern about harm).

But if it is bothering you, and niggling at you, and making you feel like you want to say something or do something more... then it would be useful to explore for yourself, what exactly it is that is making you feel that way.

[freddiefrog]

Oops, bloody phone. Posted too soon

They can play with it at home but are not allowed out in it.

DD1 is allowed nail polish and clear lip gloss for school discos or whatever

They still look like young girls

[Jins]

Not sure my DNiece (6) would wear anything with an animal on it unless there was literally nothing else to wear

[Dancergirl]

YANBU!

I hate this sort of thing, it's just horrible. There's something v weird about an adult putting make up on a child. What happened to just saying no, you're not wearing that, you're too young....?

And there is a world of difference between children dressing up/pretending to be mummy etc and applying make up on them.

[sammypaws]

My concern is that my niece is being brought up to focus on the wrong things - not my DD I know, but I think that it is okay for me to care. Both my niece and her brother seem to being brought up on a diet of tv shows - they could tell you everything about strictly come dancing/ x factor / insert some other inane drivel tv show. The TV is never turned off - we have had the misfortune to go on family holidays with them and it is a fight to get the damn thing turned off.

The make-up thing is just another symptom. I have said something before when I caught her trying to bully my DD into eating solid food - because in her opinion she thought she should be doing more for herself ! DD was fourteen months at the time.....

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

YABU! The highlight of DD's weekend was when my best friend who is a beautician did her nails. She is 6 and a really girly girl.
We don't do it all the time, but it is a treat and she really enjoys it.

She has a flavoured lip gloss and a bottle of perfume (smells like love heart sweets). She likes it and I can't see the harm tbh.

I don't cake her in foundation or lipstick, and I make sure she is dressed appropriately for her age and the weather. What is the harm?

[sammypaws]

Thanks dancergirl, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks it odd.

[Startailoforangeandgold]

There's something even weirder about people caring so much.

So long as it's for fun at home what on earth is the harm.

Little girls in make up are still little girls, they are just children dressing up.

[sammypaws]

Little princess - playing dress-up is one thing but my DN seems to be wearing this stuff on a regular basis. I just think children should do child-like activities, for example making dens, playing in the park, riding bikes etc, not emulating 'celebrities'.

[sammypaws]

Yes startail, but why do they need to wear make-up to have fun?

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

And as to a bit of lippy making girls think looks are all that matter...my 8 year old DD who loves lipstick said only tonight "Mum...I need new school trousers...I know you said they didn't have my size in M&S...so why not go back tomorrow and get me a boys pair?"

So meh.

[Dancergirl]

But that's the point startail, they're not just dressing up, they're having make up/nail polish carefully applied on them by an adult (or a beautician in littleprincess' case )

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Is she eulating a celebrity though?
Or is she just dressing up a lot?
Sorry but I think there are worse things a parent can do to their child than paint their nails

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

sammy they don't NEED it to have fun...it just IS fun! It's ONE fun thing that my science, insect loving, boys trouser wearing DD likes to do.

She also likes to sit in bed with vampire teeth in, reading her science books. So shoot me...I let her have makeup when she wants to wear a bit.

[sammypaws]

Is there any real difference in children's trousers at that age?

[ElectricSoftParade]

YABU - each family to their own. My DD loves make-up and nail varnish. I don't particularly but she has been given stuff and uses it. She is 6 and loves to dress up and use make-up. It's not the end of the world.

[sammypaws]

sorry childrens' - can't type on ipad

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Dancergirl - what is wrong with my friend doing it? She is the ideal person, the nails look better than I can ever do, and she enjoyed spending that tie with my DD. She was here, and offered and DD said "Yes please!" and I okayed it. It was just a basic nail varnish job, not gel nails or false nails.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Dancergirl - what is wrong with my friend doing it? She is the ideal person, the nails look better than I can ever do, and she enjoyed spending that tie with my DD. She was here, and offered and DD said "Yes please!" and I okayed it. It was just a basic nail varnish job, not gel nails or false nails.