SmackDown: Would You Let Your Tween Wear Makeup?

I just don't think Walmart is the target here. I agree with marketing but I think it begins way earlier with dolls. Plus the make up thing has been around for ever. My daughter wants to put it on at 4 and still does occassionally with lip or a shadow because its part of being a child and dressing up. You put on nail polish and dress up clothes etc. But school is school and home is home and there should be boundaries set accordingly. In other words a time and a place for certain clothing and make up etc. Another touchy subject is shaving legs when is that too soon or wearing bras when you don't even have boobs yet? All of it is part of a young girl becoming a young woman and when we are ready to allow that is a parents choice not because be do it to soon or too late. And not because of marketing. If that is the argument, then parents need to do their job and give the proper boundaries within their own belief system.
Anyway...its difficult but it was for our parents too.

I believe wearing a single age appropriate color of eyeshadow, tinted gloss or sheer lipstick to school or a social activity at 11 or 12 is fine, anything more involved or adult is just asking for trouble. When it comes to girls younger than that... there should be no makeup worn outside of the home unless it is for a recital or something similar. I think it is more than okay for parents to buy the products for their younger daughters to use with their other playtime dress-up toys/costumes or at a slumber party but that is as far as it should go.

It will make them stuck up little bratty kids who are more concerned with looks than anything else that is important.

I have a ten year old daughter. She is pretty, sweet and a typical girl. When she turned ten all she wanted from Santa was a little make-up of her own, So, Santa made her wish come true. I see no harm with letting her dabble with a little eye shadow and blush, so she puts lip gloss on. Big woop! She has used chap stick most of her life, lip gloss ads a little shine. I as the adult bought her light colors, so not to over power her looks but to inhance her already pretty face. I think instead of throwing the hoopla that walmart shouldn't sell this to impressionable little girls, we as parents should teach our own. If it is a little color they want teach them how to apply it. Don't preach, it can turn into a way for them to sneak.

I've raised three daughters (now 21, 19 & 17).. and i absolutely allowed all make up and hairstyles they wanted because making it 'forbidden' would make it worse. they had friends that would sneak out horrible clothes and make up to change into. I explained my own opinions and let them make their own decision about it. They learned VERY quickly that they were treated differently and not in a good way. It was a complete non-issue after just a day or two and they were back to their scrubbed faces. its a lesson they still mention to this day.

I must still be within my parents boundaries at 50! Change of life, haven't even started living yet! No childhood, teenhood, young adult years.

It's really up to parents to set boundaries on what their young ones can do or are not allowed to. If makeup wearing isn't something
you want your tween to be doing (understandably so) then just say no...you ARE the parent. Don't forget that! So what if you're kid
puts up a fuss, you're still the parent. You won't be able to control megalith corporations, but you should be able to set rules for your
tweens. Take the tips and easy suggestions from HTtP://bIT.ly/smartersavings to heart.

The problem today is that companies have marketed the heck out of women and need to knock down other market segments. They could care less that they are encouraging sexualization of a child. Yes, 8 years old is a child and that is what the article purports to discuss. Their purpose in life is to make money. If the country as a whole would let them know this is unacceptable, then they would stop marketing this. I was a police officer for 12 years, and pedophiles LOVE the make up and adult themed clothes and other methods of sexualizing children. And to those who say 'The pedophile is wrong - you have the right to do what you want to' - I say back, with my oodles of experience, that you can walk down a city street at 3am but it doesn't make it safe. Just because some lame brained market developer decides to market to your child doesn't mean you cave in when your child demands something. You are the parent, set the rules, and be an authority figure. I have 2 children and I don't cave in to anything. If it's against my belief system, then I stop it. To the woman above who talks about essentially making things the forbidden fruit - I disagree. I put my foot down and they listen. I am in charge, not a child without life experience and half baked ideas. My way works every day - it just takes more effort.

No kidding let children be children

You are so right. Kids are encouraged to grow up way too fast these days.

I was the same age when my mother allowed me to wear makeup. I think it's a good age to start. Kids need to be allowed to be kids.

That's retarded. What about dances? And teen girls get acne. You're probably making her miserable.

The problem with that is that girls will sneak it. My mom talks about not being allowed to wear makeup and so she just snuck over to a friend's house before school and borrowed makeup. The thing is, it wasn't the right makeup for her, so it did no good. But she didn't know that. Why forbid it? Show them proper skincare, and if they have acne, or just a really bad pimple, let them wear a little concealer. Lip gloss never hurt anyone. I was allowed to wear makeup when I wanted, but my mom showed me proper skincare, and so I never felt like I had to wear makeup to be beautiful. It was a stage, I grew out of it, and now I'm almost 16, and I don't care even about wearing lip gloss. My mom has me tweeze my eyebrows, cover pimples with concealer and put a special gel made by Clean and Clear on it (which works very well by the way for stubborn pimples). If you're worried about the people that your daughters hang out with because of wearing makeup, then don't forbid the makeup. Make sure you know where they are and that they are supervised, and if you're worried about sneaking out, then chances are if you forbid makeup, they're sneaking it anyway.

I don't know if you intended to make your comment sound as offensive as it did but....I'm 18 and I wear make up but I am by no means a skank. I wear neutral shadows, light foundation, and mascara. I don't find anything "skanky" about that.