Children, especially girls, seem to be getting fashion conscious at an earlier age these days. They forget their dolls and teddy bears at an increasingly young age and turn into girls who love fashion worlds, mini images of the adults that they are trying to copy.
Many of them do look very cute, almost mini-adults, but that is the problem – they are trying to grow up too quickly and enter into the adult world before they are ready. Their idols are grown up women, models and singers, and seeing a girl of six or seven trying to dress like an adult is often sad.
Girls should be allowed to stay young and enjoy childhood without the pressure of fashion. They should be allowed, indeed encouraged, to leave their hair in pigtails and wear comfortable clothes without worrying about what they look like or whether they have the latest fashion on. They will have plenty of time to worry about that when they are grown up, so leave them in peace and let them enjoy their time as a child.
Much of the pressure comes from the mass media, who create the images that they want to follow – and of course the clothing companies who can make hefty profits selling clothes to young girls.
But this comes at a price to the children themselves as they are forced to grow up far too quickly.