Kids or Teenagers?

I went to a kids’ party at the weekend. And when I say kids I mean a bunch of 7 year olds. Yet when I got there I was amazed at just who some of the kids were channelling.

Well, actually I wasn’t amazed that some of the kids wanted to look like certain ‘icons’ because my 4 year old also loves Lady Ga Ga, Beyonce and Cheryl Cole. What’s more I’m not too old to remember that at six I also loved raunchy pop stars way above my age range.

What I was amazed at was how many parents had given in to pester power and allowed their girls to wear make up, and wear fairly sexy clothing (boob tubes, mini skirts and thigh high socks anyone) at what was essentially a playground party.

 

Picture credit: Spablab on Flickr
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With so much in the news about the sexualisation of children and David Cameron banging on about summoning advertisers, broadcasters, magazine editors, and music industry chiefs to a summit on this in October, am I wrong in saying he’s targeting the wrong people? 

“No”, says one mum friend who says she can’t bear for her 10 year old daughter to “hate” her and fight with her, so would prefer for decisions over clothing and music to be made by someone else.

I think she’s wrong because surely as parents it’s up to us to lay down rules and limitations not the government? I’m no fan of padded bikinis for 7 year olds but it doesn’t bother me because there is no way I would ever let my daughter near one.

And yes I know my daughter thinks I’m horrible because I won’t let her wear bright pink nail varnish or have shoes with heels but that’s life. It’s the same argument/fight/sulk I had with my own mother over the years about high heels, short skirts, earrings and tattoos, not to mention make up. Which is maybe why it doesn’t bother me. As my mother says “It’s a thankless task being the rule maker. But someone’s got to do it.”

Anita

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