Would You Take Your Six-year-old to a Beauty Salon?
In London, the UK's first child-only salon, Tantrum, has opened, with racing cars and airplanes instead of barbers'chairs and DVDs and computer games for the young clientele to play with. If you want to see inside, have a look a this video from the Times Online reporting on the salon.
An article in the UK newspaper The Guardian, Salons boom as girls yearn to grow up fast, reported that beauty salons are providing treatments to six-year-old girls. The child beauty trend has been going on for even long in the US, where two-year-olds are being taken to salons.
You might think there's no harm involved; after all, if parents can afford it, why shouldn't little girls be taken to a salon instead of a playground? But the rise in child salons reflects the disturbing trend for girls to fret about their looks and figure from a very early age. Even if they love the glamour, is it worth the money - and what message does it send to them?
The Guardian writes that:
Research by market analysts Mintel of 6,000 youngsters from the age of seven to 19 found that more than six out of 10 girls aged seven to 10 wore lipstick and more than two in five wore eye-shadow or eye-liner. Almost one in four wore mascara and three in five wore perfume.
Perhaps this could be dismissed as no more than a desire to play dressing up games - but when we learn too that "almost 50 per cent of girls between five and eight want to be slimmer", it becomes clearer that societies' obsession with womens' appearance is becoming dangerous to the health of these children.
Would you book your kids into a salon? How old should a child be before they're allowed to use makeup?
(Image by pawpaw67)
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In the US we have "Goldilocks" salons...same idea
ReplyI have mixed feelings on this. Part of me thinks that kids are going to be more interested in what adults promote, so if you take your daughter to the salon once a week, she's going to care about her appearance more. At 7-10, I was still running around outside without a shirt on & playing in the woods all day - I was also a major tomboy, so I realize I may not be the best indicator for little girls!
I don't think that there's anything inherently wrong with a salon for little girls. To me, the problem would come with the overuse. It might be a fun treat once a year or something, but more often than that might send the message that your little girl was the center of the universe. As a former U.S. teacher, I found that kids are taught by their parents that they are the most important thing in the world - in my opinion, it's more important to teach your kids to think of others at this age, and prove the point that it's not always about them... just my experience.
ReplyYes, I think the "self-esteem" message has gone too far in some cases. Of course parents should show their kids that they're valued and loved, but that shouldn't mean spoiling them rotten. There's definitely a difference between a one-off treat -- especially one where it's a fun occasion for the child and friends -- and a regular pampering event.
ReplyI agree. If children are treated to it, it is fine. When I was in elementary school, one girl had her birthday party at a salon and we had so much fun. We all got our hair done and nails painted. But other than that my dad cut my hair and I didn't wear nail polish until I was a teenager. As a treat, it is wonderful! If they're going all the time, it is probably promoting the wrong ideals.
ReplyI wouldn't likely do all that, or make a huge look focus--- but I would take my daughter with me when I got a manicure and let her get her fingernails painted as a treat. That's just fun and some mother-daughter bonding.
ReplyThe makeup and full on spa treatment-- probably too much. Or if it's routine or made to be more about actual looks than fun "dressing up" type of thing
To a degree I think it's okay. For some it might be the only way they can convince their kicking and screaming kid that a haircut is fun will not kill them.
For others, it might help prevent the parents from giving the kids those seriously dorky haircuts that make them miserable and gets them teased for the first 18 years of their lives...
ReplyI wouldn't do it regularly, but maybe as a special treat it would be kind of fun. When I was 8-9 years old, I took ballet lessons and for our recitals, my mom took us to the salon to get our hair done in professional updos and get our stage makeup put on. We felt SO glamourous, but we knew it was just for a special occasion. And when I was 12, my aunt bought me a manicure for my birthday. It was so cool...I loved having my nails done so nicely and she painted nail art on my nails. It was definitely not something I'd let my kids do all the time. I wouldn't want mini-divas, a la Kimora Lee Simmons' girls.
ReplyI didn't wear makeup until I was at least eleven or twelve. But then again, I also screwed my appearance over for years by plucking my eyebrows when I was twelve and doing a horrible job of it. (They've never been the same to this day.) I think as long as kids don't start tanning and wearing acrylic nails too early, it should be okay. Keep them away from beauty-enhancing chemicals and diet pills, and there's not much of a problem.
ReplyI don't think it's a good idea, for the reasons others have given and for another reason as well. If this trend becomes more common, what about the girls that don't get the salon treatment? Will they be made to feel inferior? Young girls are capable of increadable cruelty, something that a lot of adults overlook. Anything that creates an divide between them should be treated with caution.
ReplyGreat point, Gabrielle -- I agree that it could end up being yet another divide between rich and poorer families.
ReplyI'm going to echo the general sentiment. I think it's ok to do as a fun thing occasionally. I don't like the idea of a full blow spa treatment, or getting a lot of makeup put on. That can promote the wrong idea to young girls that they need to be overly concerned with their image.
ReplyAish, I don't know but there is something about having salons devoted to children that somehow sticks in my throat. We're already obsessed enough with our looks - personally I'm much more in favour of things like Dove's self-esteem workshops being offered for little girls than whole salons devoted to them.
ReplyI don't think it's all that bad. Young girls are more emasculated these days in American culture. They don't play with dolls and now play coed sports. Girls now tend to be more violent than boys.
I still think the whole self esteem stuff with kids is hogwash. That's why they can't deal with any amount of stress because everyone gets a trophy.
Reply