Too Young?

There are days when I just don't feel all that well.  Last Monday was one of those days.  I call my approach to rearing my children on these days "parenting of least resistance".  Which is to say, that I relax and if what they are getting into isn't
a. flammable
b. sharp
c. poisonous
d. prone to extreme staining
I probably don't put up much of a fuss.  This is highly different from my normal style of parenting, which to my surprise when I became a parent is much more controlling than I thought  would be.  Like, "don't put those panties on your head."  What kind of a rule is that? Who cares if she wants to have panties on her head?  This is what my head says to me on days like last Monday.  My normal voice says, "Make her get those panties off her head right now."

Anyway.  On this Monday last week, this day which was definitely a "parenting of least resistance", Hallie got into my bathroom drawers and got out all my makeup.  She brought it to me.  I let her put it on. 


So, seriously now, is two going on three too young for makeup?

My next question, of course, is that she has since had her third birthday.  Um, is she still too young?  If so, when is the appropriate age to start letting them wear makeup?  Five? or fifteen?  Oh dear, it's all so much more complicated than I thought it would be.

Comments

  1. MamaBJanuary 14, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    When as artfully applied as these photos attest, makeup can be worn at any age with aplomb.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JamiJanuary 14, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    I love the lipstick! I got into my mom's a few times when I was pretty young... and ya know, now I'm not such a big fan of the stuff for myself... but really she pulls it off quite nicely... haha maybe she would like lipsmackers too :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tarver FamilyJanuary 14, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    My girls started small.. I put light eye shadow on them all the time... Madalyn was probably 1. Not sure if there is a rule?

    ReplyDelete
  4. ErinJanuary 14, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    I'd say they need to be old enough to recognize and be confident in the fact that they're beautiful without make-up and don't feel a need to wear it every day. They may hate you for that if you enforce it, but probably would appreciate it later? One thing that turned me off to make-up as a young teen was how friends overnight went from feeling 100% okay with themselves to screaming about how UGLY they were without make-up. I know grown women who still feel that way. And the fact that such thinking is totally acceptable in our society is appalling.

    That said, Hallie looks awesome. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mimi CollettJanuary 14, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    aww Hallie is beautiful! haha

    And I completely agree about your parenting strategies. I am often surprised by how controlling I am as well, but every now and then I definitely have least-resistance days.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alisha ErinJanuary 15, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    I wasn't allowed to wear makeup until I was 16 and I think that was a mistake. By the time I was allowed, I didn't know what to do and everyone else did and I felt like a moron. More importantly, however, I think a lot of my self-esteem would have been boosted in middle and high school if I had been allowed to wear at least foundation and whatnot to cover up zits. On the other hand, I think young girls (and sometimes even older girls) shouldn't be into a ton of eye makeup because I think it makes them look sort of whore-y. (just my opinion. I think it's fine on adults. But serious. Why is a fourteen year old wearing all that eyeliner? What is she trying to accomplish with it? She probably doesn't even know. BUT THE BOYS DO.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. AlisonJanuary 16, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    i love how happy she looks with it on. she knows she's got this. yeah!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. "M"January 25, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    I think it's great that you let her put it on. The fact that she brought it to you to help her out, rather than just doing it in secret says a lot. When something is totally off limits it's enticing!
    I will sometimes put lip gloss on Annibelle when I'm doing my makeup. I'll also give her a clean blush-brush to play with while I do my make up. She loves it! We also got her her own flavored chap stick for Christmas. I don't let her run around with it all the time and eat it, but I do let her put it on when i put on mine. It makes her feel grown up.
    My mother took me to buy some neutral lipstick and a little purse when I was preparing to enter middle school. It didn't take long after that for my face to explode and I quickly caught on to all other forms of makeup. (A dermatologist would have been cheaper!)
    As my girls grow up I will teach them how and why to apply makeup as they grow up and watch me apply mine.
    I recall getting a little play makeup when I was about 7 or 8. It was the BEST present ever! It had blush, eye shadow, lipstick, and all in many colors! I don't recall being given rules along with that makeup, but I knew better than to wear it to church. And I specifically remember my older sister explaining to me that it is "Never, EVER ok to wear blue eyeshadow!" LOL I'm still afraid to wear it because of that! Hahaha!
    Hallie looks precious, btw. <3

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ThanksGIVEaway

Image
This giveaway is now CLOSED. In a week we will find ourselves feasting with family and friends.  We will reflect on and share with each other the good things in life that we are grateful for.  And I think that's great, to give thanks. My heart lately though has been leaning in a slightly different direction, I've felt an emphasis on a different part of the name of next week's holiday.  My heart is filled with gratitude to people who have reached out in love, sympathy, and support when they see others in need..  Those who have voiced prayers, and kind thoughts and words on our behalf, and on behalf of people seeking comfort everywhere.  The people who have watched children, sent flowers, made meals, and done so much more to try and ease burdens.  And my thankful heart wants to GIVE back to these people, as a small way of saying Thank You. So today I present you with my ThanksGIVEaway.  You know those big fancy blogs that are sponsored by corporat...
Read more

Come Take a Tour

Image
This is the longest post of all time, but that's because of all the pictures. So I know I shouldn't let myself get carried away since we still have the inspection to go, but... I feel like we've won half the battle, so I will show you pictures now. This backyard is one of the  main reasons I wanted this house.  It is on a corner lot, and it is really quite large.  It extends just as far off to the left.  Here you can sort of see the nice swingset we've inherited also, which Hallie will love as it has swings and a slide. This is the playhouse in the backyard.  It's about nine square feet inside, and has electrical set up and in the spring/summer you can tell it is landscaped.  My girls will be a little spoiled. This is the first thing you see when you walk in the house, aside from the stairs which you can barely see in the left corner.  It is a formal dining, but we may use it as a formal sitting room. This is the front door, with the stair...
Read more

Which One?

Image
Look, I know I ask for your help a lot, but you guys are just so good at being helpful, and I am so bad at making decisions. I have about ten posts that I have wanted to write, but I spent a ridiculously silly amount of time on these pictures instead, and now I can't decide which is better.  That's your cue to step up and say you'd love to help, so that I can free up my brain to tell you all the other things I've been wanting to tell you. (Oreos are involved, so get excited.) What I do is I take pictures that represent the words of the song I am teaching and then I hold up the page for the line and they (hopefully) remember the words and know what to sing, until they have the song memorized. I do this because about half the kids are too young to read, or read very well.  Now you know what I do at church on Sunday. The line of the song in question that I have to teach the kids is "for all His creations of which I'm a part".  Originally I just took ...
Read more