kids dressing to look older

I find it a shame that they can't just be girls. My granddaughter is only young but I do worry, she is so image conscious, knows how to 'pose' and is obsessed with her clothes and everything has to be pink. I hope it's a phase.

Tbh, no different in my day! I can actually remember making up at 13, going into a pub with my friend, and us both being served cider.

The influences are different now though, there is little escape from the pressure to look a particular way.

It will always be the case, most young girls aspire to look and behave older.
I used to sneak out to friends houses with bags of make up and clothes my parents would never have condoned.

How was she dressed though? My daughter wore a flowery backless dress and a pair of DMs to hers. She had some make up on. She looked 11.

Yes cossy, I remember at sixteen getting dressed up and going on a pub, but I think that's a lot different from being just turned eleven. We knew the ways of the world then.

Perhaps 11 is a little young. I'm another one who had no problem being served in pubs when I was 14, or getting in to X rated films. It was amazing what you could do with some Miners make up from Woolies. In fact when I reached 18 I actually looked younger than I had at 14.

Youngerthanspringtime

Yes cossy, I remember at sixteen getting dressed up and going on a pub, but I think that's a lot different from being just turned eleven. We knew the ways of the world then.

I’m guessing her parents were ok with it all?

I was “lucky” both our daughters refused to wear make and wore trousers everywhere haha

This is the first year I’ve seen our Y6 girls looking more natural at their leavers party. Usually there’s at least half a dozen with loads of make up or ridiculously long eyelashes and shoes that they often discard once the dancing gets underway and often, very skimpy dresses.
Sometimes they look stunning, but not 11 years old.

Didn’t we always try to look older than our years

I suppose it is how it is all put together which depends a lot on their peers and also what the parents allow. If you look at some of those tiny beauty queens with their hair up in huge styles, plenty of make up and huge dresses, for me, they really are quite OTT. But when I saw Princess Charlotte at Wimbledon I thought she looked perfect and loved her sun glasses. It's about getting the right balance.

Paper Monster - she was dressed in a tight mini dress, with heeled sandals, a good bit of make up and her long hair curled. To reiterate, she looked gorgeous but not 11,
Mollygo, sounds like my granddaughter would be one of the ones you refer to,
Bluebelle - yes we did try to look older, but that was in our teens in my experience.
My daughter (who doesn't have children) expressed the same opinion as I did, before I even commented.

Yes Tuaim, agree with you. Charlotte looked lovely and age appropriate, which is my main point.

Sorry Youbgerthan I totally misunderstood you’re post I hate to see young children in high heels I think there’s a vast difference between us rolling our skirts over or taking socks off when we get away from the house to a parent dressing their child in teen stuff when they re still so young

she was dressed in a tight mini dress, with heeled sandals, a good bit of make up and her long hair curled

youngerthan I didn’t realise that’s what you meant. I thought you meant the child was trying to look older which seems kind of normal, but if the parent is dressing her up older than I don’t agree with that at all and i really take great issue with parents that put their children (11-year-old) in make up and high heels I m with you all the way

It is only some of these children at the extreme edge, not all - and that has always been the case. I can remember back in the 1970s, seeing 2 girls, aged about 9, wearing make-up and been shaken by the site. I still rmemeber the event.

But if these children are dressed like this the blame lies entirely with their parent, who have fostered a mind set and chosen, or allowed their children to choose clothes that means they think like this, when many, may be most girls their age are notd ressing like that.

I certainly did not have this excessively way of dressing with DD, nor DGD, just 17, Nor do I remember it with their friends.

The only clothing battle I can remember having with DD, aged about 12, was on a hot sunny Saturday, she put on her turquoise lycra leotard to go to her dancing class and then put an orange and yellow sun dress over it.

Thanks to all for your input
Bluebelle and Monica - you have totally confirmed my thoughts, sorry if I wasn't clear from the start.
Unfortunately, as its my D I L who is Mum, not my daughter, anything I say is disregarded as old fashioned/behind the times. My son seems to have very little say in matters.

It has been happening for a long time.
Only a few, but Primary age girls with immature bodies sent to parties at school in slip dresses exposing their non-existent chests, faces plastered with make-up and wearing high-heeled shoes.
To be brutally serious, they look, like Victorian child prostitutes and I do not understand families that do this.
The poster is right to be disturbed.

In 1996 the American child beauty pageant queen JonBenèt Ramsay was found murdered - at the age of only 6. If you Google her name it will bring up photos of her at various stages of her career. (A career at 6 - I ask you!)
She's made up and dressed to look at least 30. And she does.
That look is not just "looking older than she really is", but outright child abuse by pushy parents.

The police still haven't got her murderer.

Even thugh she wasfound dead in the basement of the faamily home and no one but her parents were around.

Someone clearly had a good lawyer or a thick wallet.

Yes, definitely some dodgy dealings with that case.
Thanks for all your thoughts and input, really appreciate it.
Just living in hopes that this was a one off special occasion and won't be repeated in the near future but .........

I remember the JonBonet case well and totally abhor the American child beauty pageant scene Did it ever come over here ??
Children should be children, when they get to 15 not so much you can do about it, only advise and hope that your values have rubbed off on them.
Difficult as it’s your daughter in law do you know if your son is onboard with the mother, sexualising their child ?

The child referred to in the OP was 11 years old.

I am sure we have all tried to look more mature but I think I was about 15 then.

Just this morning there were 3 young girls, aged about 12 walking through town. They all had on very short skirts and T shirts as it was hot. They were all very slim but one had very large breasts whereas the other two were almost flat chested. They may have been real or padded but everyone did a doubletake as she was also fully made up with huge false eyelashes.

Just to finish off, BlueBelle, I only received the photos last night, haven't yet spoken to my son but as I mentioned he doesn't seem to have much say. I am hoping to have a quiet word when I get the chance, but it would be fair to say my D in law and I don't have a close relationship, so I tread carefully!