Q: Our 14-year-old daughter is a rising high school sophomore. We let her wear eyeliner this past year, but she is wearing entirely too much. She is well-adjusted (plays sports, good grades) but seems insecure to go out in public without her makeup. When we tell her she looks prettier without it, she becomes defensive. Should we lighten up or insist that she stop trying to look like Miley Cyrus?
A: FYI, I stopped listening to popular music a long time ago, so the words Miley Cyrus mean next to nothing to me, and I intend to keep it that way.
Anyway, your daughter is at an age where peer approval is more important than just about anything else — certainly approval from you — and wearing makeup is a ticket to that approval. That’s unfortunate, but in childrearing, as in every other area of life, it is sometimes necessary to make compromises. Parents should always keep in mind that one can win a battle and still lose the war.
