"The three best friends, who lived in Sabre Springs and attended Creekside Elementary School, would put on glossy makeup together, dress up like models, and sleep over at one another's houses. They were enthusiastic about art, enjoyed taking camping trips, and sold Girl Scout cookies to raise money for their local Brownie troop."
I'm just going to state some observations I've been making recently - about my niece - she is turned 7 in April. She is still very much a little kid - she plays and pretends - but would be much more likely to pretend she is a kitten or a baby or a mommy - or something silly and childlike - than to put on glossy make-up and pretend to be a model - I don't even think she yet grasps the concept of "beautiful models" - she thinks I'm beautiful - haha - she hasn't been tainted too much yet by our culture - and skinny supermodel types being the supposedly truly beautiful people. She has gotten those kid make-up toy type things for gifts before - but I don't think she really puts it on herself too much - she'd rather put it on a doll I think. I look at my niece and see what Danielle might have been like - totally innocent - but do you think she may have been more grown-up seeming than my niece? Any moms or dad's out there who can comment on how different 7 yr. olds are?
I teach catechism as well-----my daughter's class--- and was very taken aback when one of my students last year appeared occasionally with lipstick! The sleepover play was one thing, but this little girl appearing in public another. And the child I am talking about was getting a religious education.