My 11-year-old daughter, Lucy, has become quite the makeup maestro. With the help of Instagram and YouTube, she can contour like a pro, her eyebrows are always on point, and she can identify the best shades for every skin tone. She’s even crafted her own makeup using my baking supplies (fun fact: cocoa powder doubles as a bronzer!).
Shopping for makeup with her is a blast. We hunt for the perfect brushes, pick out products to share, and then head home to experiment. Sometimes, things go south—like the time I attempted to fill in my brows, and she glanced at me and said, “Mom, no. I can’t take you seriously like that!” I might have more than 25 years of makeup experience, but if she says it’s a no-go, I trust her judgment. She’s practically an expert already.
Lucy reminds me a lot of myself at her age, so when she pleads to wear eyeshadow and mascara every day, I can’t help but reminisce. I remember longing to be made up each morning; those little pots and tubes gave me a confidence boost and made the morning routine fun. However, I’m not ready to let her wear makeup to school every day.
For now, it’s about playing around. She can experiment at home or with friends, and I occasionally let her wear mascara for special events like concerts or talent shows. But daily wear? Not a chance. I want her to wait.
I know she doesn’t see the same fresh, radiant face that I do when I look at her, and she’s mentioned this before. No amount of reassurance from me—telling her she’s angelic, flawless, and doesn’t need a single product—will change her mind. I didn’t believe my own mom at 11, 12, or even 13, so I get it.
She can keep asking; Lucy is persistent. I’ve seen her tenacity on the basketball court, convincing her siblings to wait for her, and even leading the way when her older brother learned to swim. She copied every move, dedicated hours to practice, and taught herself how to swim the very next day.
But there’s someone even more determined: a mother who refuses to let her daughter rush into adulthood.
Lucy has plenty of time ahead of her. There’s no need for her to rise earlier each morning just to “put on her face” or nail that contour. She’s only 11—11! What she really needs to do is enjoy being her age, sleep in a little longer, cuddle with our dog, and have a healthy breakfast instead of obsessing over mascara. Plus, let’s be honest, that makeup would just run down her face during every basketball game or when she outswims her brothers.
As a self-proclaimed “yes” mom, I still have to draw the line when it comes to letting my kids grow up too fast. Right now, Lucy has no idea of the decades ahead when she’ll have to adult 24/7. She can wear makeup when she’s older. This stage of her life—this precious, fleeting moment when she’s still a kid but aspires to be a woman—is delicate, and there’s no way I’m letting her fast-track through it.
As her mom, I have the final say. I’m all for her playing with makeup for fun, but I won’t let it become a ritual she feels she needs to complete to feel beautiful. She needs to embrace her own skin and feel confident as she is, and we can talk about makeup later.
As parents, we can’t stop time, but it’s our job to help our children appreciate the present and enjoy their current phase. There’s no rush. And for now, my daughter is too young for daily makeup, so this mom’s answer is a firm “not yet.”
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Summary
In this article, Jamie Parker reflects on her 11-year-old daughter Lucy’s desire to wear makeup daily. While Jamie enjoys their makeup shopping adventures and appreciates Lucy’s emerging skills, she firmly believes that Lucy should wait before incorporating makeup into her daily routine. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of enjoying childhood and feeling confident in one’s natural beauty.