Is this really what primary school kids are like?

My daughters think they are ridiculous because you can't chuck them in your bag... so you have to carry them around upright. So daft and impractical.

I know one family like this but only one.

My daughter (12) has friends that were wearing false eyelashes and fake nails and a bit of makeup. I asked dd if she wanted to do her nails, wear a little makeup. She looked at me with that 'mum dont be silly' look and said 'no, im only 12'.
These are the same girls that also play with Sylvanian Families, Monster High dolls and Littlest Petshop, so part kid, part teenager in the making!!

DD's are 10&12. Neither wear, buy or show any interest in make up.

For a start I will say that I would not be having that and if my DD asked for these things it would be a no. We also don’t see this in our circle in regards to birthday parties.. the most “out there” being a clip n climb party which felt very grown up for my kids 🤣

Regarding your colleague, it is their child. They can parent them and spend money on them how they wish. As as long as they aren’t abusive/neglectful etc it’s not really anyone’s place to judge that (even when we disagree)

I don't think most girls are getting expensive makeup brands for their 8th birthdays, to be honest. I have a niece, now 13, who now never leaves the house without makeup and false eyelashes, but at 8 she was still very much into running around outdoors and playing with Lego, her baby doll, and her endless collection of craft kits.

I was at primary school in the 1980s and there were always a few girls in my class who were into very 'grown-up' stuff, dressed like adults, wore makeup and (showing my age here) had perms. There are a few photos in my mum's albums of my 10th birthday party and it's basically a dozen girls who look like 10-year-olds and two who are wearing makeup and dressed like they're 17.

Also I can imagine if I asked my dd if she wanted a Stanley cup for her birthday she'd think I'd gone mad buying a cup for her birthday! 😆

Some are. Makes me glad i have boys to be honest. When my 14 year old has friends over they are usually all out on the trampoline.

Well my 8 year old is not in to make up. She enjoys playing with her toys still and I absolutely want to encourage thay for as long as possible. She has never worn make up and never asked to. I think her friends are the same. I saw a couple of little girls about the same age when out shopping talking about the skin care and make up they had just bought and it made me shudder. Kids are being forced to grow up too fast and I feel social media has a lot to answer for. I saw an 8 year old "influencer" talking about what skin care kids should be using. They are 8! The only skin care should be soap and water!

I mean I wasn't into this stuff at 8, but I'm still not now at 37. But other 8 year old girls in my year 4 class in the 90s definitely we're. I doubt they were bought expensive brands but they were definitely wearing make up and pretending to be the Spice Girls and some kids were girlfriend/boyfriend by that age. I guess it's a sort of more grown up version of dressing up as pirates or princesses?

I'm not sure this is new really, I remember there being some girls that were like this when I was at primary school in the 90s...
I don't think it's the majority of kids at all, I don't know any of my 8 year olds friends or class that are into this stuff. Parties are still soft play or lazer quest type parties.

My 8 year old was loving swimming parties at that age. By the time she was 12 escape rooms were very popular amongst her group. Now she is nearly 15 she does cinema and shopping or just goes on a day out with her besties. We never really got into princess makeup parties. Honestly, for yours just organise age appropriate fun, they'll love it!

Unfortunately it is getting more common. I do know kids who are similar ages or a little older who aren’t into makeup and skincare but they are definitely a minority.
My now just adult dd has said she expects this generation to end up with the worst skin ever and aging badly. This is because some are using products totally unsuitable for their skin.

Sadly I know plenty of parents who are encouraging this behaviour. Witnessed in my dd’s class from year3 onwards. My dd said she was bored by it and it was from this time we saw the cliques in the year emerge.

This Didn’t really happen until year 6 for DD but it was just nail varnish at parties (DD wasn’t in to it so had ‘clear’).
plenty of time for make up etc when older. I sounds like my mum buy children should be children!!

We home educate and I’ve noticed a huge difference between schooled kids at this age and those in their own little group, who seem much “younger”.

From what I recall, my DD’s friends were still doing build a bear, forest school parties, afternoon tea in a cafe (mums in the next room), cinema and McDonald’s until at least 11.

I do shop in there for me yes. Hair accessories and earrings. Got one hello kitty bag and a hello kitty water bottle once too.

That’s the fault of parents who want their daughters to grow up before their time. I have granddaughters older than that and neither they nor their friends are allowed those things. None of them are on social media either. They have good parents.

Oh Lucy demanded that I buy her that sparkly nail varnish, what a little diva, hahahahahaha".

It is almost like they are proud of it. For goodness sake they are the parents, they have the money, they can stop enabling this crap.

From this post you’ve nailed what I think. I probably sound really judgey but Im the only one out of my friends who doesn’t do designer sports gear. All their children, even babies as young as 6 months are in under armour etc and the older children so 6+ only care about brands, not about toys or experiences etc. I know we should all mind our own and let people do what they want but I find it sad when small children would choose a trip to JD sports than a toy shop or day doing something fun. It’s sad they’re not behaving their age. My kids get vinted clothes from next or marks or primark. I also shop Vinted. (Controversy alert, I’ve even bought second hand SHEIN and Temu because I don’t buy from sites directly but I genuinely like the clothes) but we have so many days out, we’ve passes for places, have a holiday yearly and try to do a winter get away to an air b&b so we can visit a new place for Christmas. All very low budget but my children are so much happier than their peers who just seem bored and to crave the instant gratification of something new and shiny to then lose interest because it is simply just a t shirt with a logo.
Im sure there are millions of parents who think my way is wrong and would mock me and my dc for being dressed in second hand clothing and whatnot (friends do occasionally comment “oh no way x would wear that, he only wears x” when my dc are wearing no brands and that’s fine. To each their own, but I hold the hope my dc don’t look back and think, “what a pity we didn’t have north face coats” and instead think “remember that Christmas market when I had a fight with a seagull over a hot dog and lost”.

In fact I worked myself in to an angry state browsing in Claire's the other day (40% off being the only reason I went in). No adult shops for themselves in there so just who are the fake eyelashes, face masks and £15 eye shadow sets in unicorn cases aimed at. Fucking glad is closing down

I do not know any kids like this!

There are definitely certain types of mum who are happy for their young girls to grow up v quickly, and encourage skin care, branded clothing etc…from an early age or just allow them unlimited access to tik tok and YouTube. It’s not the majority but it’s certainly not uncommon where we live.

It’s really sad. At 8 my DD was playing with dolls and Lego. At 11 she is still occasionally playing Barbie’s and compared to some of her year 7 peers is quite ‘young’. One of her school friends has had her hair highlighted, wears mascara / lipstick and is constantly on her phone. She’s 11 going on 15. They are just growing up way too fast, and I don’t understand why, as a parent, you wouldn’t want to rein it in.

Nope, it is not like that round here at all. Kids don’t even have ‘pamper parties’ 🤢, thank goodness. There is a certain kind of parent who encourages this nonsense.

Let's say the mums who permit this bullshit are not in my friend group. They are intelligent enough to understand that encouraging young girls to only think about their exterior is not setting them up for a bright future (unless aiming to be trad wives).