"My husband hates that I let our daughter wear makeup."

It’s just a bit of makeup…

My daughter has been fascinated with my makeup since she was about three.

When her cousin used to come over during school holidays they’d take my old make up, slather it all over their faces, practice a dance and perform for us all. It was incredibly cute. I didn’t think much of it until my now five-year-old daughter put on a bit of makeup and dressed up one weekday afternoon. I’ve since bought her a very cute kid’s makeup kit and she carries it with her everywhere.

When my husband walked through the door that night, he was horrified.

“Caterina, are you wearing makeup?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered carefully, picking up on his distress.

She ran over to me and my husband walked up to us and said, “Why is she wearing makeup?”

“Because she likes it,” I said. “I bought her a little kit. It’s not a big deal.”

In addition to wearing makeup, she also obsessively watches YouTube makeup tutorial videos, like this Queen Elsa one. Post continues after the video.

He started muttering and walked away. I whispered to Caterina to go and wipe it all off because dinner was ready but did that thing married people do where I filed the matter away for an argument/discussion after the kids were safely tucked into bed.

We got stuck into it minutes after the kids were asleep.

He just hated the fact she was wearing makeup, even though it was just a bit of kid’s makeup and quite light. I tried to figure out why he found it so upsetting but he didn’t even know why he was so freaked out by it. I put on my wife/counselor hat and suggested it might be because he doesn’t want her to grow up too fast. In his mind, it was probably going something like this…

Makeup…puberty…kissing boys…moving out…having sex…getting a job…growing up…not needing us…

Dramatic, right, and yes, it left me feeling a little sad too. I don’t want any of my kids to grow up. I want to freeze them in time forever.

Sadly, this isn’t an option.

"If you can't handle her wearing a bit of makeup for fun, what are you going to do when she starts dating," I asked.

"She's not dating until she's 30," he stupidly said.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, a move I have down pat. We often butt heads over how to raise the kids. My husband is older and a little old-fashioned. I'm a feminist and progressive. If my boys wanted to wear makeup, I'd fully support that. My husband would have a stroke.

Should children wear makeup? In my mind, makeup is just like any other form of dress up.

He wants to be progressive with his children and he wants to be supportive of their choices, but raising kids these days is not for the faint-hearted.

Now I send a text to him before he walks through the door if Caterina is dressed up like a showgirl and dancing around the lounge room, just so he can prepare himself.

I give him credit for not trying to stop her from wearing it. She would just become more obsessed if he did. He's also coming around to the idea of her piercing her ears. But he still stomps around and mutters whenever he sees her with a face full of makeup. I even hear him trying to encourage her to take it off, when he thinks I'm not listening.

I feel sorry for all of her future boyfriends.

Do you think five is too young to start wearing makeup?

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