L for Looks.
A few days back someone shared an article about moms taking their 6-7-year-old daughters to beauty parlours and salons. They were getting a pedicure, manicure, and hair spa etc. to get ready for a party.
I want to ask these questions to all those moms-
Why do you think a 7-year-old needs a beauty parlour or a salon?
Why do you want to kill their innocence by introducing all these things at such an early age?
Our girls are beautiful the way they are and if you really want to teach them something, teach them to be happy in who they are and be confident. I am not saying that one should not teach them to be conscious of how they look but it’s the time when they should know the difference between dignity or self-confidence and vanity.
They should be taught to look presentable and tidy. They should not waste time to look like someone else or the way someone else wants them to look.
I make sure my girls take care of their skin and hair. I am sure they are fed up with me as I always run behind them with a lotion for dry skin or lip balms for chapped lips. My elder one was never worried about her hair or clothes till she became a teenager. But now, I can see a difference in her in last few years. On the other hand, my younger one is different, she loves to dress up and she decides her clothes herself.
One thing which I always tell my daughters and want all the moms to know today-
There is nothing wrong with dressing up or looking pretty. In fact, I am always behind my girls to take care of their hair and skin, dress up nicely for a party. Also, I go shopping with them and let them explore different things but I keep on reminding them that they should be proud of their achievements and capabilities as much as they are of theirs looks. Not to get an approval from anybody or for others but for yourself and your personality.
‘Looks’ is not a bad word. We should change our way of thinking and see it in a different perspective. That’s’ all!
I am writing about Parenting for A to Z challenge and sharing my thoughts as a mother of a teen and a tween. Sharing my personal experiences as a mom and hope to help other moms and also learn from them through this challenge. Read all posts here.
A for Affection
B for Believe
C for Confidence
D for Dance
E for Extracurricular
F for Food
G for Guilty
H for Hacks
I for Independent
J for Joint or Nuclear
K for Kindness
April 14, 2017 at 8:58 am
This is great Deepa .Looks are skin deep and important. But what’s inside is more important .Being healthy inside brings our our beauty .
April 14, 2017 at 10:06 am
Thanks Amrita 🙂
April 14, 2017 at 9:28 am
I am glad you wrote this, Deepa. Every word makes sense here. I hear of children, below 10 , having spa parties and i am gobsmacked!
I would blame the mothers here, as children that age don’t even know terms like manicure etc and it’s teh mothers who ‘educate’ them. Really sad!:(
April 14, 2017 at 10:07 am
Yes ..I am not saying that its not important but there is a right age for it.Thanks Mayuri 🙂
April 14, 2017 at 11:23 am
I second you Deepa, no girls should not be taken to parlour and all so early. Focus should be on their emotional well being and education rather than on their physical attributes.
April 14, 2017 at 11:46 am
Thank you Roma 🙂
April 14, 2017 at 12:01 pm
So True! Confidence that is just skin deep will be terrible once the age starts to show. What they should focus more on is life,beauty in the varied experiences and achievements for which they strive.
Lucky
April 14, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Thanks Neha 🙂
April 14, 2017 at 7:22 pm
So true. It is very important for us as mothers to teach them that beauty is not just skin deep. What lies within their minds and hearts has to be equally beautiful. Well written!!
April 14, 2017 at 9:32 pm
Hey thanks a lot. Glad you liked it 🙂
April 14, 2017 at 10:42 pm
It is ridiculous, really. I have even seen young girls going in for hair treatments like streaking them with highlights that ruin their hair. Besides causing them harm they also make the kids look much older than they are. Like you said, it is too early to mess with their innocence at this age.
April 14, 2017 at 11:31 pm
Yes, i hope moms understand this and let them be. Thanks for reading.
April 15, 2017 at 4:34 am
Nicely said. Beauty comes from inside. Brush your hair, eat well, exercise, take care of yourself. As for anything else? Unnecessary. I generally think that holds for adult women as well as your average 7-year-old 🙂
April 15, 2017 at 9:09 am
Thanks Louise 🙂
April 16, 2017 at 6:59 am
Agree with you completely. Kids should not be treated as mini-adults. Recently, I was at a kids party and there were 2 types of kids, kids who were dressed age appropriately and those who were dressed like adults. And guess what, the mini-adults behaved liked adults, with tossing of hair and looking at the hall mirrors every now and then and adjusting their dresses or hair. They had truly lost their innocence. While the former were playing with gay abandon. Why do we want to hasten their growth from children to adults??
April 16, 2017 at 9:46 am
Yes we all get to see it a lot these days. Thanks Shilpa 🙂