Piling pressure on kids
Celebrity parents tend to push their young children, but this could be a trade necessity for them.
Recently, reality star Kim Kardashian’s five-year-old daughter North West walked the runway dressed as a cute LOL doll, and like any other mother, Kim K couldn’t stop raving about it on her social media platforms. Tom Cruise’s 12-year-old daughter Suri Cruise has a fashion blog solely dedicated to her everyday wardrobe.
In India, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan often posts pictures of daughter Aaradhya on Instagram where the little one is dressed in the same outfit as mommy and even posing for the paps. And recently, she too walked the ramp, along with her mother.
Be it the late Sridevi’s daughters Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor or SRK’s daughter Suhana Khan, these children too started dressing like adults while still in their teens. Figure hugging clothes, bustiers, heavy make-up and striking the right pose for photographers makes these youngsters look like they are trying too hard to impress and ape adults.
Anindita Chaudhary, founder of Bespoke Makeup Studio, feels that every person has a right to raise their kids their own way and it’s not fair to judge. She says, “For celebrity parents, this could be a need of their trade. In fact there’s a section of mothers who even put their entire life up on social media trying to ape the celebrities, even if nobody has any particular interest in knowing what they are up to. When it comes to my child, I don’t like to share her pictures everywhere or expose my kid to any of these trends.”
Parents may love to flaunt their kids on and off social media, but it could get problematic as children grow up feeling pressured to ‘look perfect’ always. Bindiya Sharma, powerlifter and model, is a mother of two daughters — Prisha (5) and Manya (15) - and even though she loves to post pictures of her kids, she’s careful about the way she dresses them.
She says, “It is very important for a mother to keep a check on how much their kids are exposed to social media and fashion. I have a fashion and fitness background, and sometimes my daughters feel like dressing up in the same sportswear I use in my shoots but I try to explain to them how to dress according to their age and not blindly mimic adults. I don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on my kids, and encourage them to wear makeup or try adult-like fashions.”
While social media is a constant part of modern lives, relationships and social interactions, most children today are glued to their phones or video games and every adult either wants to be an influencer or have their child in the spotlight. Celebrity kids are no different, and their parents want them to inherit the legacy they’ve created through social media, feels Vibhuti Arora, founder, House of Beauty Cosmetics. She says, “Being a prominent socialite, I too am guilty of twining with my child on more than a few occasions. I do this for my personal pleasure. I don’t think it makes children look like adults. For me and my child, it is just a fun.”
Twinning with kids is fun and fashionable but overdoing it is unnecessary, feels Purva Bhatia, a mommy blogger at Blue Sky Dreamers. She decided to start an Instagram account and a blog as a mommy after the birth of her daughter Prisha. She says, “Every month, we did a theme-based photoshoot with my toddler to celebrate the monthly milestone. That, however, stopped once she started crawling and more importantly began expressing her desire to not get clicked. I admit, being an Instagrammer, one constantly thinks of clicking distinct pictures. But it disturbs me to see fellow bloggers dressing their kids up like adults and hashtagging it ‘swag’! What’s worse are the kid’s fashion weeks. The idea of putting makeup on kids and dressing them up for a fashion week or a contest is ridiculous.”
Kids dressed to look like grownups, in terms of style, makeup and outfits is a definite no-no. Deeksha Mishra, a marketing professional and social media enthusiast, says, “As long as runway shows for kids are done in a playful and innocent manner, it is cool. But I find it unacceptable as a parent, when kids are made to ape adults. Also, I find this constant minute by minute account of milestones, activities and engagements a little unbearable.”