I am very worried because my 7-year old daughter is very drawn towards pictures of scantily clad celebrities in the newspaper - Rhianna, Lady Gaga, etc, and thinks they look cool and is very impressed by them. She has always loved fashion, and particularly pouty, scanty, figure-hugging fashion.
Whenever I open a newspaper (I don't buy women's magazines at all) she jumps on it to see who is wearing what and she really likes anyone who is looking sexy. She is obsessed with make up, clothes, fake nails (she wants them, but knows she can't have them, but gets her aunts to buy kiddy ones from the pound shop and sticks them on with blu tac) and is always trying on my bras and stuffing socks down them. She insisted on buying children's high heels with her own money that she saved up for (50p a week and the shoes were £12!) and she knows she can only wear them in the house for dressing up. She knows how to walk like a model on the catwalk and practices it all the time.
I am mildly fashion-conscious but don't particularly like or have the time to go clothes shopping (typical, 40-something, modestly dressed mom) and that is very disappointing to her - she asked me the other day why I don't wear "one of those bras that pushes your boobies up?" and is constantly asking if she can give me a make-over!
She doesn't watch a lot of TV (maybe one hour every few days) but if she can choose she wants to watch Disney and I am not sure whether to ban it. What do other people think? Lots of the programmes have good messages (working is cool, being honest, loyal to your friends etc), but it seems that the attitude is very overly grown up and argumentative.
As a family we are really into music, so sometimes music videos are on TV, especially as she has a teenage brother. And she has lots of cousins and friends and they all watch music videos, lots of which are very sexy. Even if I don't let her watch them, she will see them at other homes. We can't stop her going to other houses!
What am I to do? Am I overly worried? Is she just being a little girly girl? I would appreciate all advice. Without going and living in a remote commune I just don't know how to control all these inappropriate messages which children just seem to soak up like a sponge.