Oz parents blame make-up parties for childhood death

MELBOURNE - Australian parent groups have slammed make-up parties and bikini waxes for preschool and primary school girls saying they brought about the death of childhood.

Melbourne-based Glamour Girls Makeup Parties offers two-hour makeover parties for girls applying eyeliner, eye shadow, blush and lip gloss to kids four and up.

Kids Free 2B Kids spokeswoman Julie Gale said the concept was outrageous and cashed in on children’s innocence.

“It is totally unnecessary and it is feeding into the sexualisation of children, which is an increasing issue,” the Herald Sun quoted her as saying.

“I am telling parents, don’t do it. It is just about making our kids commodities,” she stated.

But Glamour Girls Makeup Parties owner Lidia Kannemyer defended her business, saying it was tasteful, innocent fun.

“I target the four-to-10 age group and the type of make-up that I do is very tasteful pastels. A little bit of eye shadow, a little bit of glimmer, a little bit of shimmer,” she said.

Kannemyer said the business, which is the first of its kind in Melbourne, began in June last year and, for 250 dollars, also offered jewellery, costumes and nail painting.

She denied her parties were sexualising young girls but said some dads took time to warm to the idea.

Gale said it was ignorant to believe such parties did not harm children.

“Parents need to wake up. This is not a good idea. This is not just sparkly, fairy, fun face make-up parties, this is stylising your four-year-old as an adult and that is not appropriate,” she dded. (ANI)