make up at school at 13 (almost)

[horsygirl]

I've banned it. She thinks I'm being unreasonable.

ANy thoughts??

you're right! is it allowed at school?

You are right but good luck. My 12 year old DD wears it. I have tried banning it. They apparently put it on on the way to school anyway!

School rules say none BUT she says they have been told minimal make up only. She won't leave the house without at least eyeliner and mascara - oh to have the time to put some on!!

You're right. It's banned by school here, although I wouldn't let her anyway.

In Yrs10 and 11, they're allowed a small amount of make-up, which I feel is ok.

I used to have wipes in my desk and make them take it off in registration, and if I saw it on them again, they'd be back in my classroom taking it off again.

I pointed out that when they were older they'd want to look younger, so why spoil good skin etc by clogging it with make up when they didn't need to, and advancing the aging process! I also pointed out that they'd get wrinkles quicker by holding the skin at the corners of their eyes to apply apply eyeliner, and if they shared mascara they could get really yucky eye infections.

I got caught wearing make up to school one day when my mum had told me not to, and she confiscated my eye shadow until I was 14, which was 7 months away. Learned my lesson there!

I really must learn to be tougher!

DD goes to an all girls grammar school and to be honest I am a bit disappointed at the attitude to uniform. It changed a couple of years ago to a long tartan skirt, shirt, tie and blazer which looks lovely when worn correctly. Unfortunately DD chooses to wear her shirt not tucked in and her tie far too short. Teachers keep mentioning it - that and the make up - but she never gets her card marked - I know she is only year 7 but I think they should be tougher (then I wouldn't have to be )

Banned at the school DD1 will be going to in September and apparently they are sent to the school office to wipe it off if caught. But DD1's friend who has two older sisters at the schools says 'everyone wears it and you are not cool if you don't' so I foresee trouble.

It's banned at dd's secondary, except for Y11 upwards when subtle makeup is allowed

Also earring rules (studs only etc)

School is very strict about this, debit mark if caught, but of course it does depend on teachers noticing amongst the 101 other things they have to do!

i think i must be a bad mother, i truly could'nt care less about my dd wearing make-up to school, today is her last day at school and over the last few years i have picked my battles carefully, i wanted homework done on time, decent end of year results etc. she is so far doing ok, gcse predicted grades all in the a - b region.

she managed to work well disspite dyed hair and charcol coloured eyes

no JWN i don't think that makes you a bad mother , maybe a wise one.
I have two high scool age children . My daughter is in year 7 and does wear a bit of mascara to go to school. She also wears her tie too short .Shirt not tucked in etc, and does not look as smart as her brother who obeys all the rules. But my son has been picked on and bullied at varies points over the years, whereas she just blends in and is having a much easier ride than my son did.
I don't think its right at all that our children should do things because everyone else does ... but sometimes reality is that lifes just easier if they do.Obviously this can't apply to everything but make up is not worth worrying about.

I'm with you jesuswhatnext and kingprawntikka. A friend of mine is a teacher at a school with very strict make-up and uniform rules and spends soooo much time telling the pupils off for flouting the rules.

My own DDs' school is very lenient about make-up/hair colour etc. but quite strict about uniform, which I think is probably the right balance.

I too wore make-up as soon as I got to secondary school and, to my shame, I still have the very first eyeshadow I bought from the local chemist shop!!!

i agree,wearing make up for school isnt worth the battle.I have a 14 yr old dd with dyed hair and dark eye make up.Her grades are good and she is predicted to do very well in her yr 9 sats this week.Thats more important than the colour of her hair and make up.A couple of her teachers make her take it off(she puts it back on at break),most dont mind.

I really love mumsnet and opposing views.

Having thought about this I am going to side with the picking my battles carefully group. Make up for school not worth the battle imo. Now, wet towels on the bedroom floor, unmade bed and unopened curtains every morning is another matter and another thread!

We ban it at school. Not 100% successful, but it gives them something 'safe' to rebel against

It's allowed at my school, within reason, most girls wear it. No one really bothers about it.

I wouldn't like to go to school with no make up on, I'm sure they feel the same. If they wear too much, they'll learn eventually. Adolescence is a bad time, surely make up makes them feel better about themselves.

It's only a bit of slap...plenty of goths there with flourescent orange and green eyeshadow...the one I teach is on for A*

It's allowed at my school, within reason, most girls wear it. No one really bothers about it.

I wouldn't like to go to school with no make up on, I'm sure they feel the same. If they wear too much, they'll learn eventually. Adolescence is a bad time, surely make up makes them feel better about themselves.

It's only a bit of slap...plenty of goths there with flourescent orange and green eyeshadow...the one I teach is on for A*

Some of the boys wear black nail varnish too

My dd is learning to apply incredibly discreet make up because she has to get it past first her father and then her form tutor. She has become very good at very very subtle broen eyeliner and a touch of mascara. I reckon if she can get it past those two good luck to her. She's a red head and hates her invisible eyelashes. I'm the same and I was 25 before I learned to deal with them as well as dd can at 12!

my dd wore eyeliner at aged 14 and nothing before

this was conditional on her recieving good academic reports from school

DD is 13 and doesn't wear it at all to school and only occasionally wears a bit of eyeliner at weekends. She's on her way to semi-gothdom though, I feel (inevitable really) so I suspect this will change soon.

I am a bit shocked at some 12 year olds wearing makeup I must admit.

At the school I teach in, the goths have tended to be the A* pupils - love em!

It's banned for years 7 to 9 at DD3's school. They are allowed to wear a small amount from year 10. I think that is about right.

Oh janite - I really don't want to shock a fellow children's book geek! Would it reassure you to know that my eyeliner wearing 12 year old also loves Antonia Forest?

Sorry Seeker - okay, she's forgiven!!!

I am a bad mummy anyway - I've just let 13 year old (non-makeup-wearing!) dd have her ears pierced for the 2nd time!

And your dd is learning how to "do" make-up subtly - a far cry from the electric blue mascara I used to sneak on as soon as I turned the corner at the end of our road and mum couldn't see me anymore!

Message withdrawn

Electric blue mascara, those were the days! When I was 12, the aim was to get as close as possible to Madonna's look in Desperately Seeking Susan - slouched socks, fingerless gloves, collar turned up.