DATE ARCHIVES : May 2014

Should Little Girls Wear Make-Up?

Before you read this post, I should warn you…I have a real thing about kids growing up too fast. I hate it. I don’t like the fact that so many kids seem to have better phones than I do. I don’t like the fact that many have girlfriends and boyfriends before puberty. As the mother of two little girls, ages two and four, I especially despise the fact that a lot of little girls wear make-up.

I know a lot of people out there think it’s really cute to put some eyes shadow and lip gloss on their little ones. Can I ask why? Aren’t they cute enough without it?

I’ll admit, as an adult I wear make-up. But, anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I’m not big on it. I really don’t know why I wear it. I guess because I want to? Truth be told, many days I don’t wear any at all. But still, I’ve had my girls come over and reach for a make-up brush out of my bag because they want to be like mommy. I grab it right out of their hands.

“But Mommy, I want to be beautiful,” whines my four-year-old.

“You already are. You don’t need it, ” I reply.

It’s sad that a girl that young thinks she needs make-up to be beautiful. Sometimes I blame myself. Should I not wear make-up? Should I just let her try some anyway? What’s a mom to do?

My daughter takes dance lessons and recently saw a lot of girls in her school all made up for their pictures. This was my first experience with the whole dance thing. I was never a dancer as a I child. Shocker, I know. I’m not a “dance mom” in the stereotypical sense and neither are a lot of the other women there. But, I guess in the “dance culture” this is what happens. Eye shadow, mascara, glitter, fake eyelashes, and lip stick are more the norm than the exception. Hmmm. My daughter did notice all the glitz and glamour, but did not once ask me if she could have some or why she didn’t in the first place. Score one for me, I guess. I suppose there’s no harm in getting all “made up” for these special occasions, but I’m still not 100% convinced. I just don’t see who benefits from it all.

Maybe I’m just a Debbie Gibson living in a Lady Gaga world hoping they still made “Electric Youth” perfume. I don’t know. I do know that I’m definitely starting to believe that raising girls is harder than raising boys! I also know that we need to start teaching little girls that make-up doesn’t make you beautiful. Having a good heart and being a good person is where true beauty lies. So, how do I convince everyone else? I guess I’ll have to take it one Cover Girl at a time.

 

 

 

What the Fork? Who Has a Potty Mouth?

It’s the moment any parent dreads. The moment when your child learns how to say a swear word. He or she may not be able to say their name all that well, but they sure know how to say “fork” like it’s second nature. Of course you laugh at first because you have no idea that the word or words are about to come out of that little mouth. But, after the shock, awe, and a few giggles you really need to squash it like a bug. But, what if you do and it still happens…repeatedly?

If you haven’t been able to guess, my little princess angels have learned some rather unlady like words. Does it make me a bad parent? No. Please say, no. It all started when I was driving one day and some jerk cut me off. Instead of calling him a jerk or something else that didn’t start with an “F”, I chose some other words that are not exactly in the Bible, if you know what I mean. All of a sudden, I hear an echo like there’s some kind of parakeet in the car. But, she wasn’t saying, “polly want a cracker?” Instead, she repeated my profanity in the sweetest little voice…and then laughed. She knew it was bad. She knew she shouldn’t say it. But, she did. Ooopsy…mommy made a boo boo.

I could lie and say that was the only time she ever said it. My two-year-old says it on occasion. My four-year-old, not so much. It’s the little one who has a little truck driver mouth. Of course I yell, of course I punish, but yet those words have not been erased from her ever growing vocabulary. Oopsy! All I can say is at least she uses it when it’s appropriate…like when the Target lady wouldn’t give her her toothpaste after she asked a few times. Thankfully the lady didn’t get what she was saying, but I knew all to well, and so did my little potty mouth toddler. Of course I yelled at her outside and told her I would run over her favorite teddy bear if she said it again. Of course she stopped saying it…for awhile. Of course she still says it now. Sigh.

So, what’s a mom to do besides watch every word that comes out of her mouth to make sure they are all “G” rated? I’m still working on that one. For right now I’m hoping this is just a phase. Really, I am.

 

Why I Don’t Want a “Perfect” Mother’s Day

“Oh my gosh…my kids got me flowers, jewelry, and took me out to the best restaurant. It was the perfect Mother’s Day.”

Have you ever heard some women say this? I have. It makes me want to poke my eyes out with a spork. Trust me, I’m not jealous and I’m not being a hater…really. I just don’t think that’s what the day is about. At least not to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love flowers and jewelry and going out to eat, but it’s not the whole kit and caboodle.

What really is all that and a bag of chips is this craft my daughter came home with from school:

mother's dayIf you can zoom in and read the fine print it says, “Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small, And always leave my fingerprints on the furniture and wall. But every day I’m growing, I’ll be all grown up some day and those tiny little handprints will surely fade away. So here’s a final handprint to help you recall exactly how my fingers looked when I was very small.”

I’d be lying if I say I didn’t get teary eyed. This was so sweet and the words so true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped an “F” bomb because I’ve stepped on another Barbie shoe or am cleaning up juice off a floor I’ve just mopped. At times like these I don’t think to enjoy the moment or about how fast they grow up. I’m honestly thinking about how annoying the situation is at the time. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and not sweat the small, stupid stuff. It really doesn’t matter.

What does matter is spending time with your little ones, soaking up all the little laughs, pushing them on the swing, making sand castles, cheering because they finally mastered riding a tricycle, hugs, kisses, and bedtime stories. So if a “perfect” Mother’s Day doesn’t include these things, I don’t want it.

Instead, I’ll take an “unperfect” day of staying home, spending time with my family, and doing whatever else we feel like doing. I won’t need to try it on or need a gift receipt. It will be just right.