Recently, I found my ten-year-old daughter walking out the door with lipstick, mascara and nail polish on!
Recently, I found my ten-year-old daughter walking out the door with lipstick, mascara and nail polish on! I should also add she was going to school!
I suddenly realised how much of a “bad mom” I would be if she appeared in school in such a state. However, as I was pushed on time, I had to let her go with her dark, long eyelashes and rosy pink lips!
While I got her to take some of the lip stuff off, the mascara and nail polish had to stay. It was too late and who needs a major argument at 8 in the morning...?
It got me thinking though as I hadn’t really thought about the whole make-up thing until then. I do have another daughter (16) and she refuses to wear even the tiniest amount of make-up, so I haven’t had these issues before.
My youngest is a lot more glamorous and she loves nothing more than dressing up.
Once she took two boil-in-the bag rice packets off the counter and continued to walk around the house in her high heels while swinging her new “handbags” around!
So, I should have seen this coming as she has always been spirited!
At ten years old I can’t help but remain old-fashioned though, and I don’t like little girls wearing make-up.
At home for playing is OK, but as for a trip to school - hell no!
I had to put some rules in place and fast as my daughter got closer and closer to my make-up bag while asking about false eyelashes and hair colour. I am in big trouble!
So here is what I came up with… I told my daughter that she could wear a little mascara to school (as her eyelashes are blonde) but there was no lipstick allowed.
I banned nail polish and reminded her that it is not allowed in school and hid my own stash of nail polish.
Yes, she will get into it and she will paint her nails on the sly and yes, I won’t notice because I’ll be busy working.
However, we hit a middle ground and I told her she could wear a tiny amount of lipstick on the weekend, but full make-up would only be permitted on the days she doesn’t have to go out.
God forbid I meet someone I know with my daughter covered in make-up. Bless my little cherub she hasn’t grasped the concept of “less is more!”
The reality is if your child likes make-up, they will want to wear it and I don’t want to cause a big drama by not allowing her a little fun.
However, the line must be drawn somewhere and heading to school with make-up on is not ok.
I think, as parents, we need to pick our battles, and a little bit of mascara or lippie won’t hurt. Equally, however, I don’t want her to lose the run of herself.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, hit a common ground and make some rules but don’t ban it altogether as you might unwittingly push your child closer to the forbidden make-up!
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.