Is this really what primary school kids are like?

[HopelesslyNaive98]

Colleague’s child recently had their 8th birthday. Photos they posted showed child receiving make up from fairly pricy brands (ie. Sephora, Benefit etc.), beauty blenders snd similar, Uggs, and a Stanley cup. Birthday outing appeared to involve having make up done in store, more make up shopping, and clothes shopping in teen/adult focused shops.

Don’t get me wrong, I was desperate to put on a bit of make up as a little girl but it was a bit of body glitter and some lip gloss that came free with a Top of the Pops magazine. Equally clothes were Gap Kids and H&M, not River Island and Lipsy.

My kids are 7 and 6 so maybe I’m just totally naive about what’s to come. I just thought there was a few more years of childhood left!

All the activities listed in this thread aren’t mutually exclusive. We have a 9 year old who loves horses, rugby and cheerleading. She had a gymnastics party for her birthday which involved running around hitting each other with foam blocks. She loves drawing and crafting. But she doesn’t live in a bubble and isn’t sheltered from all social media movements (no tik tok or instagram and no phone, but watches YouTube). So she asked for byoma, bubble and some Sephora bits for her birthday, plus loved a shopping trip with a bubble tea. It’s sad if that’s all an 8 year old is into, but I guess (hope?!) they’re few and far between!

My dd12 was not like this at 8!… She is a bit now though. Now she’s started secondary school.

IME there are plenty who fit your description because the parents allow/encourage it but equally plenty whose parents still want them to have a “proper childhood” and they’re still receiving more age-appropriate presents and activities.

Some parents encourage this sort of stuff.

But I don't think it's typical nationally at age 8. Make up yes but not necessarily expensive brands. It's whatever the parents are willing to pay for.

But I personally think if a child starts younger with that sort of stuff they will at least develop skills to look after themselves sooner.

I work in a school and I definitely think with some parents there is a desire for the girls in particular to be more grown up, and I do notice this with my own daughter's year group too with some of her friends very much into brands, skincare, make up.

I think my children both come across as young for their age because at the moment they have no interest in a lot of trends or brands (but this could soon change when they go up to secondary).

Yes, that’s how the parents that I know would react. Bluntly, it would be viewed as common/ lower-class.

I agree with other posters that parents influence is key. It’s not just the attitude to smartphones and social media use - I’ve got a basic skincare routine and wouldn’t ever buy Sephora or Benefit for myself, so DD doesn’t see me using expensive skincare. I’m not that bothered about designer brands either, so these kinds of things are just not on her radar.

Maybe not your y6 kids but I have friends and family with y6 girls and this absolutely IS going on with some of their friends.

Agree.

Most kids that age i know (my dd is 10) still wanted barbies and maybe a lip gloss at most.

My dd has only recently been exposed to skincare but thats because blackheads have started and its just facial wash and moisturiser.

Yes I’ve seen that around here and it makes me sad. They have a lifetime of that

Stanley cups are just a water bottle basically so there's no problem there, I do think it's a bit young to only be getting make up and skin care, surely most still want toys too at that age

God no, DD is 7 and none of her friends are like this and I don't anticipate that changing dramatically by their 8th birthdays. I find what you've posted desperately sad and terrible parenting

We had an 8 year old Harley Quinn at the school harvest singalong before half term, the kids were all in there halloween outfits. Ripped fishnets and sequinned hotpants, midriff, lippy etc. Its rough round here.

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).

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.

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.

I do not know any kids like this!

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

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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!