So the children get invited to a child’s 7th birthday party. It is Barbie themed.

Let us just say that the Barbie theme party is a first experience for them. And let us leave it at I am HUGELY responsible for this state of their existence. Anyways, at some point main streaming has to happen and I decided to test the waters.

They went, they danced, they ate junk food, they came back with ‘interesting’ return gifts.

Make up set. Fake nails. Nail decor.

Naturally they were very excited and there were 1001 questions.

Can they start using the make up?

Since it is a gift to a child, it must be appropriate for children?(I am not sure if this was a question or they were thinking loud .

How frequently they can wear make up?

Chula’s birthday is coming, so can she launch in to the world of make up starting that day?

Etc.

I braced myself and started with the fact that they have their whole lives ahead of them to grow up. Please don’t rush it girls I told them. And I finished with a strong, ‘The minute you start putting make on your skin, your skin thinks that it can grow and get old. Its starts getting much much much older than you actually are.’

Chula recoils, looks at me horrified and asks me, ‘Amma…. is that what happened to you?’

Kind readers point me to a hole. I want to crawl in and die.