Here is the debate I have with my husband. I found this super cute website that sells pretend makeup for little girls. It's safe for their faces and it doesn't transfer on to the carpet..
Jackpot, right?
See, our girls can be very girlie... they like dressing up like princesses and I'm all for them believing in happily ever after...(a topic for another post). Except, my husband wasn't too keen on the idea of his darlings wearing makeup at this age, even if it was pretend make up.
It got me thinking about the whole idea and I wondered how other parents felt about this topic that seems to be so divided in our house.
Here's my take on it.... As mothers we are our daughter's primary and most influential female role model. Our behavior and how feel about ourselves and the people around us is noted and emulated.
When we watch ourselves in the mirror and pick apart our image they see that. They start to learn that beauty is on the outside and we need to be perfect. Our little girls want to be just like us and they will mimic our feelings and moves, so we better be careful.
When it comes to makeup, the majority if not all of us mamas wear it. Whether it be just on special occasions or an everyday occurrence, its presence is there and our girls see us put it on.
Unless, you put your face on in the closet and pretend you just always look that way. Probably not so much...
So do we want to go au naturel the rest of our lives? If we wear it, they will want to wear it too.
What are we to say when they ask why we put makeup on?
"It's for grownups and helps hid our age, lines, wrinkles, any imperfection we are self-conscious about"..
?
I just don't buy and never believed in telling my kids it's only for grownups. It just makes it all the more attractive and something they want but can't have.
I would rather make it fun and playful, an expression of art.
I'd rather pretend to play dress up with a smile and not have them think that their beauty is not enough. Maybe that seems counter but makeup and dress up is fun for girls at this age.
They have their whole lives to realize how jaded and unfriendly the world is so let them be, right? Like everything else, there is always the good and the bad in every argument. I just don't know how to explain to my daughters why I choose to cover up my face without making it about image. Do you?
If you are against play makeup how do you talk to you daughters about this? I'm really curious for your suggestions because the subject is obviously tabled in our house (for now) since we can't agree.
I'm really interested to hear from you... What is your take on this subject? Without any mommy wars, let's be respectful and discuss.
XOXO, Katie
