Is a pamper party at seven too young?

[Strawberryfield85]

Hi everyone,

I'd like a bit of a sense check please.

My soon to be 7 year old daughter loves make up, clothes, nail varnish - you get the picture. Her birthday is coming up and I found a company that offers pamper parties including chocolate face mask making, mini mani and pedicure and a little catwalk in the end. It would be in our home, so no salon or anything.

I'm after honest opinions - is this too early? Some of the girls would obviously still be 6 years old. I know my daughter would love this but I'm happy to wait a couple of years if you think some parents may not agree with it at this age.

And how would a 7 year old girl come to want a party involving this kind of thing? Of course parents have influence, shocked at the nonchalance of a 7 year old being interested in make up and the like.

No, it's not weird. It's completely normal, as evidenced by this thread.

Yes it’s too young imo. My dd started having sleepovers with face packs etc age 10 and that seemed early enough.

She read the sign at the children's hairdressers when I took her to get a haircut

Pamper parties were all the rage in year 2 for my DDs, they went to several and opted in for what they wanted and out for other things. A year later it was trampoline parks, then clip n climb and so on..

Well this is a depressing thread.

@Username19893847477374
Did you have a catwalk ?

My daughter was invited to a couple things like this around 9/10 but we always had to say no as she has eczema. I wasn’t particularly sorry to swerve it.

Well that would be pretty easy to say no to then surely if such a minor incident, completely isolated from anything else she’s exposed to peaked her interest?

No, didn't have a catwalk. Or facemasks actually.

Glitter tattoo
Foot spa
Hair braids/plaits
Nails
Games
Buffet
Cake

11 girls, 1 boy

Why would I say no to it? I was fine with her having her choice of party for her 7th.

I dreaded DD being invited to a pamper party at this age because they are a form of grooming to persuade girls from a young age to think they need to spend money to be acceptable. (She wasn't invited.) It's part and parcel of the sexualisation of little girls, along with bikinis.

I think having parties for girls that focus on their appearance gives a very strong message that looks matter, that it’s important for girls to look ‘pretty’. It’s not something I would encourage.
An alternative could be a craft party making bead bracelets and face painting with traditional party games. I know that my little granddaughter would love a party at Jump Xtreme though!

I think it’s too young, wouldn’t allow it, wouldn’t allow mine to go & think it’s absolutely vacuous tbh. I would also think the parents were stupid as another poster has said. Don’t we want more for our children than thinking this is fun???

Interesting. My daughter (6) does musical theatre, Rainbows, swimming, guitar lessons and singing lessons. She also loves makeup, nail varnish and "girlie pamper" nights. What hobbies do you think she should take up to cure her of this terrible affliction? What hobbies do you recommend for boys who are interested in gaming and football to stop them from these stereotypical interests, or are boys allowed to like traditionally boyish things?

My DD is this age and her and her friends seem miles away from this sort of thing.

I’d be v surprised if she was invited something like this and would have found an unavoidable family occasion that was on the same weekend. I’m not comfortable with putting gendered expectations on them that young.

DD is 7 and if she was invited to a party like this I'm sorry but I'd make sure we were busy that weekend so she couldn't attend.

A salon near us does something similar with hair and finger nails and I wouldn't mind that quite so much. A catwalk of any description at 7 is a bit much.

Not sure. I wouldn't be keen but if my child wanted to go I would let her. Saying no would make a 'thing' of it rather than just treating it as a dressing up kind of thing.

DD went to one at 6. I didnt even think to question it tbh however dd hated every minute. Not her thing at all. It was very well done tho for the girls into that kind of thing.

The same bday girl is doing a sleepover for 8th birthday. Now that one has me in a predicament! I was not expecting sleepovers till secondary school and hate the idea.

That's an interesting point I think!

For me it's not so much the "girly" aspect, it's just that 6/7 year olds just feel so young for all this? I'd think the same about boys having a "gaming" party too honestly. Like it feels more of a tween/teen thing?

Totally fine - it's a special treat and sounds great fun! If people decide not to come that's also fine.

No, I think it's far too young.

i think it’s way way too young aswell. It struck me as quite sad your daughter isn’t more enthralled by the world at that age..it made me think her world must be small. These things aren’t hobbies and there’s all kinds of other undertones about women wrapped up in them. Which aren’t positive.

We’d have already booked a family day out on that day if any DD under 10 was invited to this….

Way too young

How is it that this is what she wants to do at age six? Nail varnish and catwalks. How depressing.