Is 8 too young for beauty/styling?

[Kirstymcc99]

Need ideas for nearly 8 year old girls birthday present. She loved it a couple of weeks ago when I curled her hair with my straighteners. Is 8 too young for a proper curling?

Far too young

Far too young , she’s 8 buy her toys!

8 yrs old? Are you shitting me? Let her be a kid for a while longer, she’s got her entire adult life ahead to fret about how attractive she looks.

Exactly! It’s bad enough that appearance focus and insecurity kicks in when girls hit puberty (in an ideal world, it wouldn’t kick in at all!) but 8 years old… Why? To make them look nicer? 8 year-olds look wonderful just as they are, they don’t need any improvement. And what they look like is the least important thing about them- they really need to learn this if they are to have robust self-esteem through life. I wonder whether the OP would be asking the same question if she had a long-haired son, and I’m guessing not. Why though?

Yes.

Yes

I agree - I stopped wearing makeup altogether when one of my boys asked why I was doing it and I had NO good answer! It wasn't for myself, other than to service my low self esteem, and it was all about being perceived to have made an effort by strangers, when the people I should have been making an effort for wanted me to go to the park, not fanny around with my eyelashes!! 😂

Excellent suggestion. Encourage her to learn, explore, have fun and adventures.

Consider a hair styling mannequin head that she can practice her styles on instead

Another vote for heatless curlers, you could do it with her in the evenings before bed, and still continue to curl her hair but for special occasions! I think that’s a good balance

I’m curling my 5yo’s hair for a September wedding and we’ve done a few trial runs over summer hols. She knows after the wedding it’s not happening unless a super special occasion

This has to be a wind up.

Is she your dd? Or your niece or friends child?

If someone else bought my 8 year old heated hair tools for their birthday, I would be livid.

That's a rubbish birthday gift for an 8yo.

They want something that is interesting, that they get to interact with and that can be used over and over. Preferably something they can use to develop an interest and grow in confidence.

I wouldn’t have liked my 8 yr old to receive a heated hair appliance for her birthday!

When my DD (aged 9) dressed up as Bellatrix Lestrange for WBD I put her hair in rags to curl it. That's the only time and way a small child should be curling their hair - for fancy dress. Buy her some LEGO for her birthday.

It’s FAR too young for anything beauty related - an eight year old is still a little girl and should be playing with toys, and enjoying their childhood. I remember how appalled I was when a couple of my daughter’s friends gave her make up and skincare items as birthday presents when she was nine and ten - they went straight into the bin.

The birthday my DDs and we remember most is when they went to Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons for lunch. This was their 10 th birthday treat and the birthday child could invite 4 fiends. They did a wonderful child menu and it was amazing! They welcomed dc and Msr Blanc came and spoke to them. I’d find something memorable snd have a day out. We did a theme park birthday once and a zoo party.

Agreed. I wonder how many 8yo boys are being given silk pillows so they can look after their hair.

Tacky, tacky, tacky. Kids should be left alone.

Agree.

Thanks for the reality check! I'll keep thinking. She is currently saying she wants to be an artist when she is older so maybe something craft related.

No i hope parents won't allow her to use it unattended and it will just be something they have to do for her, which they might not appreciate

It will also destroy her hair.She is too young

Yes too young, if she likes art then there’s loads to get instead.

Too young.

At this age, if you wouldn't do it for a boy then don't do it for a girl. And I'm guessing you wouldn't get this for a boy.

Get her something she can actually play with rather than encouraging focus on her appearance.