AIBU that my child is not the unusual one !

By fourteen it seems more par for the course... I dunno. I don't have a fourteen-year-old yet, but from what I remember of being fourteen there were certainly girls that were very into it. Also at least some of them have skin breakouts and such by then, but not too many at ten I'd have thought.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow same. Dd only has a big brother who is definitely not into make up and me who has no clue.

It's definitely tiktok / social influence.

Took Dd to a free beauty event recently with luxury samples and she was in heaven.

She also wants loads of other things that are expensive and she doesn't get and she's fine with it. For example she's saved up all year and just bought herself some apple AirPods.

It's not a moral failing for your preteen / teen to be interested in make up and skincare even if it is expensive. It doesn't mean they're materialistic superficial kids.

Owner of a 14 year old who unfortunately does want Dior lip oil, Drunken Elephant whatever and thinks Sephora is the magic kingdom...

No older siblings, and I have ridiculously little in the way of make up and it's more likely to be Max Factor and Oil of Olay then anything designer.

It's entirely down to social media and TikTok. Or at least whenever I ask where she's heard this nonsense about some £75 shampoo that makes your hair curly, the answer is invariably TikTok,

We have compromised on Byoma as being suitably desirable among her friends and not requiring the GDP of a small country to acquire.

At 10/11, she was still asking for dolls clothes for Christmas and lipgloss from Claires was as adult as it got.

Yes it's defo down to social media, tiktok in particular. My 13yo DD asked gave me her bday list a few months ago and I was gobsmacked. Dior lip oil, Drunk elephant cream and other similar ridiculous requests. I can assure you now she didn't get anything off the list except the Ariana Grande perfume, which I was OK with. It was also the cheapest 🙄

Exactly this! My 15 year old wouldn't even want face cream for Christmas!

What about suggesting bath bombs instead. Fun but could still be seen as not as “young” compared to her peers. I would much rather my 9 year olds be into fidgets and some toys still!!

I think expensive branded face creams for a 9/10 year old is bizarre. I wouldn't be encouraging it...let them be kids, it goes quickly enough. It won't be long till she catches up.

Surely the first thing you do when faced with a secret Santa situation is to find out what THAT child/person likes, rather than “they’re an x-yo girl/boy and therefore MUST love xyz and Omg if they don’t all love the same thing??”

Don’t worry about “falling behind” her peers, there is no such thing. My DD 13 was never into dance/fashion/traditionally “girly” stuff and felt a bit excluded from some early friendships as a result. It took until secondary school for her to meet similarly-minded people and make proper friends. Whether it’s sports teams/playing in a band/collecting slugs/Lego or if hair and makeup is your thing - or all of it - the important thing for self-esteem is being able to confidently express their own interests rather than trying to fit in with some enforced vanity or other peer-led scenario. (That may change of course).

YANBU, the other parents are by calling this out as unusual and not understanding that children - as individuals - like different stuff to each other.

Wow, I would be classed as unusual. I was Tom boy, hated anything remotely girlie, still do.
So no it's not unusual to not be a sheep and follow the herd, good on your child for being an individual and like different stuff.
Buying face creams for kids is weird, so girls are being turned into money makers for the beauty industry early. Yikes..

This. I wasn’t remotely interested in face cream when I was that age. What the hell.

@Lostmymarbles25 I've got another non-sophisticate. She's ten. For her last birthday she wanted stuff such as art materials (especially foam clay), how-to books for drawing cartoons, Lego, T-shirts with cute things on, books and graphic novels. She does like a fruity lip balm and I bought her a multipack of different flavours last Christmas, but no interest in face creams.

I wonder if the ones who ask for cosmetics maybe have big siblings or mums who are very into it, and want to be involved to feel grown up? I am kind of a scruff so my daughter doesn't see me doing much of a skincare routine (soap and water plus sunblock, not very exciting), but it's normal for many.

I don’t think your daughter is unusual at all. I think she is exactly how a child of her age should be. Even if she was still playing with dolls etc that would still be normal at that age. The reason her her peers are wanting stuff like that for Christmas is because they have been exposed to things that are not appropriate for their age on platforms that are not appropriate for their age!

Much be your area. I know a few children of that age and they all want what your daughter wants....face cream..come on how daft. Bet they don't really want it. Your child is very normal for her age

Or Sephora, no idea. Lol

There has never been a time in my life when I considered face cream a product I would either by for myself or want as a present.

If DD is into this shit by the time she's 9 I'll be somewhat saddened.

Sounds like mum wants a sephora voucher more like. No that's not normal for a kid to want expensive makeup and face creams. What does a kid need with a face cream.

This is depressing OP, don’t think 9/10 year should start their anti ageing regime(!), glad your DD has healthier interests

My daughters year 8 and her and her friends still wouldn’t want face cream for Christmas…

My 9 year old still likes barbies! She'd cry if I gave her face cream. She doesn't have a phone or ever been near TikTok though so that might be why? I'm worried she's going to seem babyish to her friends now!

My 11 year old likes mini brands, pokemon, squishmallows and actually still plays with her dolls with little sister!
I'm thinking maybe the difference is children that are on social media v children who aren't!

your child is the normal one!

I could understand asking for bath bombs at 10, or lip balm or nail varnish but seems really strange age to ask for top end skin care brands designed for people age 30+

what will be next year lip fillers and Botox?! 😂

My 13yo would still like all the things your daughter likes.

I’m going to be honest with you - mine struggled in the first year of secondary, had few friends, some girls were really horrible to her (all girls school).
Once she hit her second year she met the girls who liked the same things…they’re all a little geeky, work very hard in school, don’t like the “standard” things, don’t wear make up, still buy soft toys/figures/books.

They are such happy, free spirited, lovely girls. They have coffee dates and sleepovers, they play minecraft together and just dance. None of them even talk about boys or face creams.
They were playing Duo Lingo in the back of the car on the way to her birthday party rather than scrolling TikTok.

I am so grateful that they are a little “unusual”! They are bright, articulate, funny, caring and kind - I’ll take that over the other options.
Being “usual” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

This is awful. Your DD sounds great!

Your DD is definitely not unusual she is just a kid that thinks for her herself and not a follower.

I think there's a difference in messing around/experimenting and going for named brands cos they're the in thing!