5 year old gel nails - is just once ok?

[ChronicallyOnLime]

God I don’t want to sound like an awful mother because I know gels can weaken nails.. but will one time be ok?

We’re off to Disneyland next week as a surprise for DD and she is utterly obsessed with having her nails done, we always use regular polish for her but they never last more than a day or two. I do my own gels at home for special occasions and I’m wondering whether I could do it on DD just for our trip?

I can avoid filing her nails surface as it’s not necessarily being done for that much longevity as you would an adult. But I’m just wondering if it’s still a terrible idea?

In short no. Do not enable this nonsensical potentially damaging obsession with appearance which is affecting younger and younger children. Have fun, help her do something to help someone else, learn something new, enjoy her confidence and praise her to the skies for her spirit, her ideas. (Gets off soap box. Recent experience of this crap in my family. Six year old screaming for pierced ears!)

Yes, like a new era, especially as I was allowed from my thirteenth birthday, it seemed like a real occasion and one that is etched in my memory. I think it’s important when you’re young not to be given everything ‘too much, too young’ (to quote The Specials).

are people genuinely that surprised that a 5 year old girl is into hair, makeup and nails?

Yes. Ffs.

Because it’s deeply naff.

I have a child who was and still is (now 11) into make up, nails etc. that doesn’t mean you don’t have boundaries. Gel nails at that age is ridiculous. It’s still no at 11. Would you let her wear mascara? No. It’s a slippery slope. She’s 5. Kid friendly polish is fine.

Don’t be. Mine was. And so was my 5 year old little boy. They wanted to be like mum. Less so now the wrinkles arrived!

This is the sentence that really got me. Being ‘into’ hair, make up and nails at five doesn’t sound the same as my five year old loves dressing up as a Disney princess. Maybe it was just the way OP said it that seemed off and really it’s just childish dress up. At five nails were just those things at the end of fingers and toes to me, they had no other function other than to scratch an itch (I wasn’t a nail biter so no use to me for that)

Just so you know, the LED lamps for gel nails still emit UV radiation, although it is less than the older UV lamps.

Oh my god. The woman only asked a question.. It was only an idea and she is getting jumped on. everyone should calm down. I have a daughter who is 10 and desperate for acrylics so I know where your coming from. I wear stick on’s (only special occasions) so I know where it’s Coming from. Iv told her they ruin your nails but she goes on and on at me and I keep saying no. And my daughter is the most ungirly girl ever!! Do what ever you feel is right for you and your daughter it’s your decision at the end of the day. Oh and by the way I get my kids new clothes for going away so understand the new clothes and suitcase…

She is 10’tho. My DD was absolutely wanting manicures and pedicures and asking about acrylics at that age… think it’s fairly usual at 10.

There's a huge difference between a 5 yo and a 10yo, the latter is double the age!

Unfortunately gels do cause damage.

Each to their own but I wouldn’t myself for my DD. Just because kids really like something, it doesn’t mean they have to have it. And to be honest I don’t think a 5 year old would see much difference with normal varnish.
If we were going to Disneyland, I honestly can’t imagine thinking about nail painting, but that’s me! I hope you all have a wonderful time x

Here's an article which is quite an interesting read for you OP -

https://nailknowledge.org/blog/nails-on-minors

And how is feminism related to judging other girls and women for making different choices for their own bodies than you are your daughter? Seems pretty unfeminist to me!

I'm a feminist, that means I respect other people's choices to wear whatever make-up or stick on tattoos or gel nails that they want, provided there's no safety concerns- which there is around a 5 yo wearing gel nails.

Nail polish on a five year old gives me the creeps, tbh. If it's the little pretendy peel-off ones and they're just playing, that's not so bad. But otherwise I don't understand why parents can't just say no until they're in their teens. Apart from how bad it is for them physically, it's taking away that rite of passage "okay, now you get to do this grown up thing" experience that is often good for teenagers to have too.

Not talking about OP's daughter in particular here, but in general I wonder what's left for these kids, once they start secondary school and want to assert themselves and feel all grown up (as many girls do). If a tween is already getting salon hair cuts and dye, has piercings, gets her nails painted, wears make up, has a smartphone and social media accounts . . . all sanctioned by mum and dad . . . what's left for her to do? If that's all NBD, just part and parcel of being a modern day little girl, then what does she do to feel all grown up? How does she rebel against her parents? The "cool moms" never seem to think about that, when they're giving their nine year olds highlights and their own instagram account

If you want to do something pretty but struggle with normal nail polish just get some cute nail art stickers, do a base colour and put a top coat over it.

This

normal non gel top coat btw 😅 just incase that wasn’t clear!

It's scary the chokehold fake nails have on the younger generation, as part of the beauty standard. I spoke to a 22 year old recently who admitted she loved rugby all through her childhood, and could have played for the county in her teens, but gave it up because it kept ruining her fake nails.

Spoke to someone else in the same age bracket, a few months before, who was studying for a qualification in early childcare and FUMING because she wasn't allowed to wear fake nails while looking after babies.

You need a qualification or be certified by an accredited training provider to buy professional products.

The stuff (gel, acrylic etc) anyone can buy from eBay, Amazon, beauty stores is nasty cheap shit that shouldn’t go anywhere near people’s nails.

Something has gone very wrong in society if your daughter and her 5 year old friends are into painted nails, hair and makeup. I find this really sad, just let kids be kids.

Get some fun nail transfers off Amazon, if they don’t last, you’ll have plenty of back ups in your purse! Then you can always do a theme a day as they won’t take long to put on. Definitely wouldn’t do gel on a little one!

I can’t believe how many people are putting gel polish on under 10s! Unbelievable.

I wear make up and paint my nails, partly socialisation, partly because I think it looks nicer. I spend more on my appearance than my dh and I get judged on my appearance more than my dh. We don’t make choices in a vacuum.

A woman is feminine by virtue of being female. Saying make up and nails = feminine is gender woo bollocks territory. It is also stifling to girls and boys to grow up thinking nails and make up is normal for girls but abnormal for boys and space and dragons is the opposite. Nails and make up and pink clothes are not a substitute for less introspective hobbies or a personality.

No, it’s a terrible idea.