We should let little girls be little girls

I know it’s 2016 and the world is changing, but one thing I cannot understand, nor do I want to, is what is happening to little girls. Nowadays I see girls as young as 10 wearing makeup, and girls in their early teens wearing high heels. They know how to dress sexily before they’ve even had sex education at school.

It deeply disturbs me that this is where society is going. When I was a little girl, and when my daughters were growing up, there was no pressure to grow up too quickly. We could be children and get dirty and dress in cheap clothes without it being a fashion statement. But now I see such young girls trying to look beautiful. I don’t know who’s to blame: magazines or parents? Or even clothes shops? Or all of the above.

I went to the shopping centre today and a few of the girls in front of me were with their mums. They couldn’t have been older than twelve but they were wearing short skirts, heeled boots and had mascara and lipgloss on. They were holding their phones and taking photos of one another and pouting. It made me sick that these little girls were so sexualised.

We live in a world where we need to be so careful of what we put out into the world. If our young granddaughters are walking around in skimpy outfits so young, what message is that sending? Not every man is honest, and we all know too well the horrible things pedophiles are thinking when they see that. I think the parents should be educating their girls on why Kim Kardashian and other fake celebrities are not something to aspire to. I think mothers should be telling their daughters that they are beautiful just the way they are. I know I tell my granddaughter that every time I see her but it’s so important to hear that from your mum.

But other than that, a mum should be praising her daughter for things she is aside from being beautiful. We need to focus on good qualities that have nothing to do with appearance such as ability to draw or paint, play an instrument, be the best at a sport, or even participate. We need to praise behaviours that will do more for our girls than their looks. Looks fade but life skills are forever – and that’s what we should teach.

Get girls away from magazines that promote bad self esteem and get them to read quality novels that increase their intelligence. Inspire them with your own abilities that have nothing to do with how you look. And make them know that they can be themselves around their family and friends. And if someone doesn’t accept them for having perfect hair or makeup, they’re not someone you want to be around.

I teach my girls these morals. I hope others will too…

Tell us, do you think young girls are growing up too fast? Who is to blame?