Drawing the Line Between Sweet and Not-So-Sweet
Posted in Parenting, Toddlers & Preschoolers on 28. Sep, 2009
Every time I go to put on makeup, I can expect my two year old to come rushing into my bedroom, yelling “EYES! EYES! EYES!” She loves it when I dust a tiny bit of silver eye shadow over her little eyelids, and she will stare in the mirror as if she were Cinderella admiring herself before the ball. Her four year old sister also likes to borrow my pink lip gloss, and I’ll even let her wear it out when we run errands. It’s barely noticeable, and yet she feels like a beautiful princess.
With two girls, I often think about what it’s going to be like over the next few years. As they get older, we’re going to have to start drawing some lines. I started thinking more about this when I read a blog from styelist.com, Suri Cruise Wears Heels – Dress Up or Inappropriate? I started wondering whether or not high heels for a toddler were ok in public, or if they conveyed the wrong message? Now, both of my kids walk around in heels plenty (with better balance than I have…) when we’re at home and playing dress up. Goofing around at home is safe, fun, and part of playing. What about when you go out, though? I want my kids to look like kids, not miniature women. So where is the line between “sweet” and “not so sweet”?
Kids should certainly be kids, and there is no rush to grow up. I want my four year old to wear shirts with teddy bears, walk around in pig-tails, and look her age. I also know that she (and every other female out there) enjoys feeling beautiful, like the princesses in her Disney movies. She loves playing with jewelry, wearing my pale pink lip gloss, and walking around in my high heels. It’s part of being a kid to pretend to be like mommy or dress up like Jasmine. I’m not going to ban her from playing with my lip gloss because I’m afraid that she will grow up too fast, and I love hearing the “click-clack” of her wearing my stilettos around the kitchen. I think it’s sweet when my little princess plays dress up, as long as it’s just that – playing dress up.
The red flag goes up when little girls (and I mean little girls) walk around who are not pretending at all. I see more and more little girls wearing things that (in my personal opinion) are over the line. I actually saw a pair of faux leather pants in the “girls” section of a store the other day. Seriously, shiny faux leather pants for preschoolers? There are some clothes out there that feature miniature versions of grown up styles that are cute, but sometimes it’s just disturbing. A tiny pea-coat is one thing, but a miniature string bikini may a bit different.
We all want what is best for our kids, that’s for sure. Part of that means letting them be creative, feel beautiful, and pretend to be a princess in heels. Another part of that means protecting our children from growing up too soon and sending the wrong messages. What do you think? Where should we draw the line?
- Grace
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