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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

in refusing to face paint a 6 week old?

60 replies

quickdrawmcgraw · 01/09/2007 23:03

I was face painting at a local fete today and a young mum asked me to paint her 6 week old baby's face . I was a bit shocked and said no straight away. i mean why on earth would she want the poor baby's face painted? Anyway he was asleep so I thought she was mad to even think of it.
I was right wasn't I?

OP posts:

EricL · 01/09/2007 23:50

Sure is. And i am proud of that fact.

Just call me 'Judge'.

islandofsodor · 02/09/2007 00:19

My poor dd had her face painted when she was 2. It looked so good she ended up onthe front page of the local paper covering the event.

The next day she came out in such a rash, I'd hate to think of that happening to her as a baby it was bad enough as a 2 year old.

Rachmumoftwo · 02/09/2007 00:31

Mine wanted hers done at 18m, so I just did the tip of her nose and a couple of whiskers- instant mouse, cat, whatever. But a teeny baby? Silly really, but the mum was a child herself from the sound of it. If I was doing it professionally I would say 3+, as per the face paint recommendations.

EricL · 02/09/2007 00:42

Yeah - they have to actually want it themselves don't they - otherwise it is just for the parents amusement which is just plain wrong in my book.

madamez · 02/09/2007 10:31

I don't get the objection to putting babies in fancy dress outfits - unless said outfits are really uncomfortable, babies don't know or care what they are wearing.
Having said that, someone gave me a baby Santa outfit for DS when he was a newborn, and I did dress him in it and take photos for Xmas cards. WHich I captioned with a little speech bubble: 'Call social services, I'm being ritually humiliated for Xmas'

lulumama · 02/09/2007 10:33

i dressed DD as a pumpkin for halloween

and DH drew a 'tache and glasses on her with an eye pencil when she was about 5 months old.....

am i going to be excommunicated??

FrannyandZooey · 02/09/2007 10:35

I'm organising an event with a face painter today, and the age of the children attending has worked out younger than I thought it would

for children coming up to 2, would you consider having a small design such as a flower painted on their hand? Or do you think it's best avoided altogether? I feel almost sorry for the lady who has offered to come and face paint, and there are only going to be about 4 children there over the age of 2, I think. I was hoping some of the younger ones, who were coming up to 2, could join in by having a small design elsewhere rather than on their face.

FrannyandZooey · 02/09/2007 10:35

Agree pumpkin outfits

harmless and quite entertaining

themildmanneredjanitor · 02/09/2007 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

divastrop · 02/09/2007 10:43

lulu-if your dh really couldnt live without knowing what his 5 month old dd would look like with glasses and a tash,wouldnt it have been more humane to use photoshop or something?

face painting a 6 week oldwhy???

NAB3 · 02/09/2007 10:43

I wouldn't want a child of mine who was that age to have their face painted. I would worry about how it would affect their skin.

Hulababy · 02/09/2007 10:50

Madness for a tiny baby to have face painted. DD liked the idea of face painting from about 18 months or so. But as she had a bit of sensitive skin I wouldn't let her. Instead she would have a small design - flower or butterfly done on her hand/arm. Which she thought was fab.

Let her have a little design on her face from being about two, and then the full thing a bit older once I was sure it wasn't likely to cause her face to get dry/itchy.

TheMuppetMuggle · 02/09/2007 10:53

YANBU - i wouldn't of dreamed of getting my DD face painted at 6 weeks old, the first time she had it done she was 1.5yrs and then again at beginning of august (we were on holiday), but its not a full face just flower on cheek or something small.

glitterchick · 02/09/2007 10:57

I am a face painter and totally agree that you did the right thing not painting the 4 month olds face. FrannyandZooey - if I were you I would recommend paint on arm or little flower on cheek. What we do is paint the childs initial on their arm and sprinkle fairy dust (glitter)on to the paint for a girl or dragon dust (glitter!) if its a boy. Most kids at that age cant hack paint on their face plus they are able to see what you have painted. Good luck!

southeastastra · 02/09/2007 11:04

some children under 2 are capable of sitting still and love to have their face painted. 6 weeks is too young though.

something on the arm or hand (or even cheek) is good. i use snazaroo and don't think i've ever known a child to have a reaction to them. but if it's their first time, i do a small one to check first.

LucyJones · 02/09/2007 11:11

blimey, we are encouraged notto use baby wipes and baby bubble bath's for goodness knows how long in the first year so why on earth would someone think it was ok to smother a baby's face with face paints!

startouchedtrinity · 02/09/2007 11:21

Totally mad - well done for refusing - my ds got infective excema from an organic baby face cream so God knows what face paints could do. And all so the mum (and even more so the granny) can have a good gawp at the poor little mite.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 02/09/2007 12:46

I just think that there are some things that are pushing the limits towards humiliating a child for your own entertainment.

I mean, you wouldnt turn up to a party in fancy dress if it wasnt a fancy dress party, would you? Or would you?

I dunno, its just how I feel about pumpkins, puddings and reindeer antlers on babies.

Children who insist on wearing spiderman pyjamas wherever they go are a different thing entirely, of course. (DS is sooooo gonna be like that).

FrannyandZooey · 02/09/2007 13:05

Thanks glitterfairy

VVV I see what you mean, but I don't think it IS humiliating for a child to turn up in fancy dress in any situation, although that it could be for an adult

Completely a matter of taste, however. I personally can see it is a bit naff but I still somehow like it. Especially at Halloween. My friend had a baby ghost costume for her baby that still gives me shivers of cuteness when I think about it

JudgeyMcJudgeyson · 02/09/2007 14:07

So none of you think that it was the mother's choice to make and not yours?

If you were serving food, would you refuse to serve food if you though it was inappropriate for children (health wise) or would you leave that to the parents choice.

It is surely not your desicion to make.

RubyRioja · 02/09/2007 14:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

startouchedtrinity · 02/09/2007 14:14

I agree Ruby.

JudgeyMcJudgeyson · 02/09/2007 14:21

quickdraw had the right to refuse I get that, but the amount of bile against the woman who asked shocked me.

And the seeming attitude that it was almost expected cos she was a young mum, but when her mum asked then that was more shocking.

Seriously the attitudes on this thread are extremely condescending.

startouchedtrinity · 02/09/2007 14:25

@It's not condescending to expect a grandmother to be able to guide her young daughter as to what is best for her dd. A six wk old with infective excema wouldn't have been pretty.

RubyRioja · 02/09/2007 14:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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