I'm just not a dance mom

Is that not the sweetest ballerina you've ever seen?

This year, Eva is taking her first dance class.  It's a combination class that includes ballet, tap, and tumbling.  She really enjoys it and it is a good outlet for her.  The above picture was taken at their Christmas performance, which was imperfectly precious!  

But here's the thing, about a month ago, I took her to dance and then went to the lobby to wait.  There were no seats at the time, so I found myself standing next to a cork-board.  My eyes found a flier about the spring dance competitions.  Now, Eva's little class doesn't do the competition stuff, but a lot of the little girls that I see running around in the building on Tuesday nights do.  These girls are in the 8-12 yr old age range (from various classes).  So I started to read the note to parents that included what each girl would need for competitions.  

And y'all it made me SAD.  I realize my feelings/opinions are not shared by all, but this is what struck me while reading the list that included what shade of lipstick, eye shadow, and fingernail polish each girl would have to have, as well as promises to teach the parents the appropriate way to make a bun, so that every girl would look the same.  See, I'm fighting really hard in this American culture to help my little girl not feel like she has to look a certain way in order to be beautiful.  She needs to know that at 6, she is beautiful because God made her.  She needs to hear that and own it now, so that when she is 16 she can still hear the voice of Truth inside her that lets her know that her beauty and worth are not at all related to what some dumb boy or mean-spirited girl might think of her.  And someone telling her that she has to wear a certain shade of lipstick at the age of 7 or 8 or even at the age of 15 in order for her to be acceptable for the "stage" just bothers me.  

Can little girls not just be little girls?  Do they have to wear outfits that show their tummies?  Do they really need red lipstick?  Would it really be that bad if one little girl wants her hair shorter and it doesn't go into a perfect bun?  

I feel that my job as Eva's mom is to protect her.  And allowing her to get on a stage dressed like an NFL cheerleader is not protecting her.  

Please don't read this and hear me say that dance class is bad.  I certainly don't think that.  And if Eva wants to continue on in ballet, we will certainly do our best to help make that happen.  But my guard is up.  I'm not walking into this whole thing with blind trust in the dance teachers to pick appropriate outfits, dance moves, etc. for my girl.  

So mamas of little girls, I beg you to do the same.  Protect your girls.  They are treasures.  Don't let them grow up too quickly.  Encourage them to be little girls.  They have their whole lives ahead of them to wear makeup.  And the day will come soon enough when they don't feel pretty enough, don't let it start now.  

When is soccer season again?  :)