AIBU or is painting children's finger & toenails....

[buxomwenchonapony]

... just harmless fun?

or

Is it just the beginning of the lifelong quest for beauty, the first idea that she is 'better' when she is painted or plucked or tanned or in some way adorned.

Only I've just painted dd1's toenails (she's 4). She asked for blue toenails with pink spots and I obliged, that's ok, isn't it? Or will i be taking her for spray tans and eyelash extensions next?

I expect this topic has been done to death previously. I'm new though, humour me?!

my dd1 has just got her toenails painted with silver and black leopard skin print minks - they look fab, I blame myself for starting her along this route at aged 4 with ladybird nails - as I used to paint her toenails red and apply black dots and they looked cute.

Dd2 refuses point blank to have her toenails or fingernails painted, it is her choice. I should add dd1 is nearly 19 years old and pays for her own nails to be done at a local salon now as I can't apply leopard print minks

Harmless. Dd is allowed to gorw her nails ever so slightly, have them shaped by me and painted throughout the holidays. Then cut and polish free when school starts. She loves at and also realizes that it's a treat and not for all the time :)

That should be "grow" obviously not "gorw". Long nails getting in the way of typing

It's chavtastic/cheap isn't it?? Not something I'd ever do. Obviously little girls want to be pretty... But nail varnish is in the same group as earrings on little ones as far as i can see.

yanbu. We don't even own nail polish remover, so just have to wait for it to chip off at school .

It's not very good for the nails, so best reserved for an occasional treat IMO, but not otherwise harmful.

its not good for nails? in what way, curious as having done city and guilds manicure certificate 25 years ago but can't remember covering nail polishes damaging nails in any way?

And yes it is a bit chavtastic, but little girls have naturally chavtastic taste - DD's idea of looking nice for a party involved wearing every piece of sparkly jewellery she can cram on each extremity - it may make me cringe, but there's nothing actually wrong with it.

Yes Karbea - apart from the having a permanent, painful hole in part of your body nail varnish is exactly the same.

Personally, I bloody hate seeing children with painted nails, particularly toddlers.

Hmmm, formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate, acetone... I'm not against other parents putting polish on their young children but I think I'll refrain - their nail beds and cuticles are still so fragile... I know they sell kiddy-safe nail polish somewhere, will try and hunt it down if DD starts demanding polish - Piggy Paint and similar.

Geniune question CrapBag - why would you let it bother you so much what other peoples kids have on their nails?

I know its nothing to do with me what other parents do, but I really do think it looks so tacky on young children, like a few others have said, I put it up there with pierced ears.

Hahaaha All you terrible mothers who paint their kids nails, tut tut get SS !! :roll eye smiley

Of course it's harmless fun.

PMSL at dog having nails done

Fortunately I don't give a shit if other people think my dd looks tacky because her nails are painted. And tbh if I knew any parents who wouldn't paint their kids nails for that reason I would think it a bit sad that they were so scared of people thinking they might be a chav that they would let it get in the way of a bit of fun with their kids.

Harmless fun I think, if you don't take it too seriously. That said, DD doesn't know how my toenails change colour! She's 2.5 and she says "Oh mummy you've got red/pink/purple toes, I've got pink toes..."

Totally fine! - enjoy! :)

harmless fun - i painted my 18 month old daughters toe nails earlier while i was doing mine, they look really sweet! i done my 3 year old boys afew weeks back because he begged me

I agree perfectly okay - DS1 used to want his nails painted regularly when he was little, so i obliged ... he's 22 now, so i'm sure i would've spotted any terrible trauma, caused by the event, by now.

Not for me I'm afraid. I put it in the same category as make up and jewellery which I would probably only allow in teenage years.

I'm not at all a prude - in fact quite the opposite. My kids have a very healthy knowledge of most things, including sex. My issue with it is the feminist one....encouraging society's view of how women should look.

But I'm not a spruced up mum either and my kids always comment when I have makeup on!!

What if boys wear it too?

DD only 16months but hoping both she (and her brother after he's born) will want nail varnish. I absolutely loved having it done when I was as kid - and I never pierced my ears till I was 40 (though I did get my belly and nose done).

You see I think it's wank to get all joylees-feminist about nail varnish. You run the risk of teaching kids that life is a drab fun-free place and that they should never decorate themsevles in any way ie that self-expression is wrong. Because, think about it, blue and green and black and white fingernails are not sexual display any more than wearing a t-shirt with a picture of your favourite band is.

Once in a while for a special occasion or for playing beauty parlours with mummy just for fun and novelty is fine.

Not sure why I just typed mummy. Or beauty parlour actually. Never say either of those normally but it just seemed to fit.