And nail varnish.
And dressing up.
Wearing lilac and pink.
All that stuff that I disapproved of before I had my girlie girl.
But where to draw the line? What is the point where you raise your fist and shout to the masses "NO MORE! My six year old will NOT have her hair straightened! Or wear clicky-clacky pole dancers shoes with a picture of Cinderella on the front. Or wear a t-shirt that says 'Boy Magnet'.
Because this is the dilemma I am faced with. My daughter is officially queen of the girlie girls (although she is a kick-ass Princess Leia when playing with the boys) and would love nothing more than to look like a Southern Belle in a full pageant regalia. Full time.
The other day she was invited to a 'pamper party' at a salon. Eeeek. I saw a newspaper article about this recently and swooned with horror at the idea of these little girls drinking 'mocktails' in a stretch limo, before being gussied up to look like mini-Dolly Partons.
And here was my daughter, reclining in a salon chair with her nails being buffed, choosing an eyeshadow in an alarming shade of purple.
It was all I have ever, as a die hard feminist, been horrified by. But here's the reason I didn't whip her out of that chair (and the reason why other parents don't either, I suspect) is that she was having the time of her life.
How mushy did I go when I saw a little flock of Disney princesses run past me giggling and twirling. How hilarious was it to see them admire each other's ornate hair-dos. It was all so far removed from my dark brown corduroy and navy velour childhood, where a pudding basin haircut was standard, that I was a little wistful about un-girlie I was.
So the line will be drawn somewhere. She will not have tiny heels on her shoes while her feet are developing. Slogans about boys on t-shirts will always be a no-no. But a bit of lip gloss?
My head says no, my heart says awwwww...
