Sephora Kids Out of Control
Gentle parenting may have more consequences than benefits.
Many people go to the mall to replenish their cosmetics, whether that is to purchase low-end products or high-end ones, many of which influencers on social media claim they cannot live without. However, buying what is seen on the Internet may be more difficult than ever nowadays. After a surge of influenced children began raiding makeup stores, people started asking if parenting styles are responsible for their children’s actions? The primary focus of these children’s purchases are brands that revolve around skincare and luxury, which are not at all products that are necessary for a 10-year-old’s routine. Instead, they should cherish their childhood. What will it take to “de-influence” children who are glued to and getting influenced by their electronic devices?
Recently, there have been several reports from users on apps, such as TikTok and Instagram, complaining about how children are making up most of the customers at stores like Sephora and Ulta. This concerns viewers, who reminisce on their experiences being kids. Memories of playing with toys and going outside come to mind, but this new generation seems to be growing up way too fast, mentally at least.
This is not the only issue though. These children are also reported to display vulgar manners and physical behavior towards other customers and employees when they are not successful in retrieving a specific product.
Should these kids be held accountable for their untamed actions? It should also be considered that parents are a major contributor to their children’s behavior. Certain parenting styles may work better than others, but an interest in “gentle parenting” has increased. Gentle parenting is a parenting style that is based on empathy, understanding, and respect.
“The idea is to be more like a coach for your kid rather than a punisher,” pediatrician Karen Estrella, MD claimed.
The main goal of using gentle parenting to raise children is to develop independence, confidence, and happiness, so their future will hopefully be bright and successful. It is heavily emphasized that parents should have an encouraging, yet firm tone when communicating with their children. However, parents can be more lenient when their kids are misbehaving.
"There's the potential for parents to be too permissive and not set appropriate boundaries and expectations for behavior. Additional potential problems include indulging a child’s emotions and behavior without guiding and teaching," psychologist and the Parent Footprint podcast host Dan Peters, PhD said.
The technique of gentle parenting has also become considerably widespread, especially on TikTok, where #gentleparenting has about 2.8 billion views. It is often seen that millennials prefer this parenting style over others, with 3 in 4 parents practicing gentle parenting. It is more likely that their children make up the majority of Generation Alpha or Gen Alpha.
As a result of gentle parenting being used on mainly Gen Alpha children, the consequences of negative actions may not be apparent to the child, and not properly established by the parent. Perhaps this can explain the phenomenon seen at makeup stores.
"It's not the fact that they're little girls in Sephora because makeup is subjective, there's no age limit to it,” Sephora employee Sequoia Cothran told Fox News Digital. “It's more about what these girls are reaching for when they're in these stores. It's also the way that they're treating the workers within it. You see these kind of mean girl antics from these 10-year-olds."
The products these children are reaching for include popular brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe, which are primarily skincare, and Rare Beauty, which is Selena Gomez’s makeup line. These high-end products are costly, yet some parents continue to enable their children to purchase them. Concerning the skincare products children are somehow accessing, they are not ideal for people their age, especially considering their ingredients.
The use of retinol, exfoliating acids, and multistep regimens are considered to be "way too harsh for their normal healthy skin,” dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy said.
"Social media filters have created unrealistic expectations of perfect poreless skin fueling sales of makeup to kids. Add to that a fear of aging modeled by influencers, parents and friends, and the desire for anti-aging skincare is born,” Jeffy added.
Ultimately, parents must teach their children proper manners, so they speak to strangers politely and do not resort to throwing a fit when left unsatisfied. Generation Alpha children have been conditioned to rely on electronic devices at way younger ages compared to previous generations of people, so instead of blaming them, hold the parents accountable. Remember who the authority figure is and provide appropriate guidance for the young people. It is okay to say no sometimes.