Mums, Dads, & Grandparents.........

[trt]

Your opinions please.

I have been having a friendly banter with my daughter 40yrs (modern mum) who has been a Health Visitor for 15, with my 4yr old grandson.

Last week they came over to my place, and she had painted her nails with a new red shade, and he had blue nails.
I laughed and said, are you trying to make him gay, and she said he asked her because he watched her doing hers.

We got into a discussion, and she said I was old fashioned, (she calls me grumps by the way), and that there was no harm, and children have to experiment, as he would probably do it himself if she wasn't looking.

I didn't agree, and she said, ask you friends on A/B, and see what they say, so I have!

I think I am right, what do you think?

[pixie374]

I very much doubt anyone would do that, canary!

[eanceoil]

nail polish remover will get rid of it should they need to go somewhere, it's not like they have themselves tattooed

[Bathsheba]

Why on earth would you think painting a 4 year olds' fingernails could make him gay??

[DaisyNonna]

It isn't sex, it isn't drugs, it isn't firearms, it isn't violence. What are you afraid of?

[ummmm]

Yep. If the are nice and well behaved kids they can have simple pleasures that probably wouldn't last until adulthood.

I was obsessed with wellies as a child (and dummies and buggies) Indulge your children now and then. No harm.

[ladyalex]

Why on earth would anyone think that you can 'make someone gay'?

[sherrardk]

It's a bit of fun in the holidays. At the end of term, the things had a summer fun day at school and the teachers (after asking permission) did face painting and nail varnishing for all. The scandal of it!

[eanceoil]

good question Bathsheba, as for sherrardk, try being a gran at the school gates [a young gran I might add]

[pixie374]

It's the same as anything. They ask, you decide. Nobody is saying that means a child gets everything they ask for.

[jourdain2]

sserrardk - of course you don't. You have the difficult job of weighing up desirable and undesireable and laying down the law.

Anyway, off to bed now..

[Cloverjo]

I don't really like to see small girls with painted nails, so can't say I'd like to on a boy. However, if they're all doing for a bit of fun I can't see the harm. It won't make him gay, anyway.

[PankySmooch]

So when he sees mummy putting lipstick on and he wants to then what?

Where do you draw the line?

[pixie374]

Just around the outside of the mouth.

[Mamyalynne]

Out of my 3 Grandsons only one has never asked for some nail art - we are not suggesting you say yes to every request and the sanitary towel example was a bit weak in my opinion.


PS - You don't insert those,you may mean tampons and a boy may struggle.

[Mamyalynne]

Oh yes,a bit of lippy (usually wiped off in half an hour),clopping round in high heels.

[eanceoil]

cloverjo and on this thread pankysmooch, I've seen my grand children wear make up, nail polish etc., when mum goes shopping or errands the make up remover and nail polish remover are quickly put wiped over any cosmetics and never seen out doors, I must say, I have seen nail polish on little girls - unrelated to me or mine

[Bathsheba]

@ pixi....good one ;) x x

[Canary42]

They were called sanitary towels when I was a 4-year old ;-)

[sherrardk]

I don't wear make-up and my girls know that you don't need make-up to make you a beautiful person. Kids these days are very pressurised so a bit of fun (inappropriate or not) is not the end of the world. I'm happy with my parenting 'skills' and v happy with the way my kids are turning out. If my 15 year old son wants to wear nail varnish and is happy, then that's fine too.

[Mamyalynne]

Don't forget 5 minutes later, they're Batman or Rambo.