Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of – until they’re not. It happens to the best of us like someone flicks a switch and our little girls go from cute and sweet to sour and sassy. The change happens so fast that you may look at your child and question if she is still the same kid!
If your little beauty hasn’t gone through this stage yet, yes, I said YET, it’s only a matter of time before your little one has mastered the art of applying makeup from the girl in the YouTube tutorial. I often wonder where the children’s parents are while these videos are being made, but I digress. As much as we would like to blame YouTube for inappropriate behavior, we can’t. We are responsible for monitoring what our kids watch and what they are exposed to.
However, as most parents would agree, that statement couldn’t be further from reality. We can’t be around our kids 24/7, especially if we work outside the home. No matter how many precautions are taken, kids will find a way to watch what they want. They are undeniably tech-savvy. When it comes down to it, some of us can probably learn something from them on the computer front!
Another misconception of ensuring your child stays offline and absent from inappropriate content is to have your sitter (if you have one) keep an eye on them. Putting your trust in a person you hired to take care of your kids and monitor their screen time is probably doing the opposite. Not all, but many sitters are most likely gazing at their own screen instead of focusing on your children and what they are watching.
Now that most kids have smartphones, they can access inappropriate content whenever possible if parental controls are not turned on. School is no exception; it is possible that lunchtime may be when your little one is viewing questionable videos. While you think they’re trading lunches with their besties, they study undesirable dance moves and embrace crop top trends.
As moms, we will do anything to shield our girls from portraying themselves as 12-year-olds when they are barely pushing nine. Unfortunately, with flashy flip sequin clothes adorning almost every rack and sparkly phone cases scattered about, it’s hard to convince our fashionistas that a LOL doll shirt and leggings are the way to go. Our opinions are immediately discarded, and the phrase “That’s so babyish” becomes our child’s favorite response and the side eye that gets our blood boiling.
Regardless of who started this new tude tidal wave, it’s up to us moms to calm the waters and rescue our little girls from the magical madness they find so enticing. If you keep your kids busy with activities, they won’t have time to lounge around staring at their beloved devices.
However, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that the activities we enroll our kids in could also increase their bothersome antics instead of helping to eliminate them. For instance, Cheer, which I have nothing against because my daughter participates and loves it. However, from personal experience with her involvement, I have noticed an increase in the sass department and a tone that I will not tolerate. Cheer is an upbeat happy-go-lucky activity that builds confidence and perseverance. It’s about ensuring everyone is having fun and giving their undivided attention to the cheers that promote motivation and enthusiasm.
Some of our little ones may reenact this at home while confusing mom or dad with a crowd at a pee-wee football game. When they don’t receive the reaction they want, they may become confused and annoyed because our response is very different from that of an attentive crowd at a sporting event. As a result, our little princesses get louder and become defensive as they strive to get their point across, which may almost always involve the need for a FaceTime session with friends before homework.
Regardless of the situation, we parents may feel nostalgic as we reminisce about the pink party dresses and tiaras our sweet little girls paraded around the house in at one time or another. The cute snuggles they happily gave while watching their favorite show with us are etched in our minds.
Nevertheless, somewhere along the line, we realized that Barbie had lost her crown to a YouTuber describing their morning routine for the world to see. It may seem like the end of the road at that point but don’t lose hope because there are ways to turn it around. Through trial and error, I have kept my daughter’s attitude in check but believe me; it’s still a work in progress. Taking her screen time away worked for a few days, but eventually, she learned to live without it and pushed her sass into overdrive.
The secret to not giving into the prima donna drama is to keep your cool no matter what. I know this is easier said than done, but if you do your best to block it out and remain calm, your little angels will grow tired and surrender – it’s not guaranteed, but it’s a start.
