| I remember when I was a little girl, oh about 11 years | | | | and 4 grandchildren - with one more on the way. Even |
| old, I had a really good friend named Chris. From the | | | | though I dressed up sexy with lots of make-up, jewelry |
| 3rd grade on, we went to school together and I used | | | | and skimpy dresses, I knew that it was all in fun and it |
| to spend practically every other weekend at her | | | | did not cause me to have bad judgment or immoral |
| house. My family was poor and my mom didn't really | | | | ways when I got older. When my daughter was a little |
| dress up much, but Chris' mom did! She had the | | | | girl, I used to let her dress up in my clothes, but I didn't |
| feather boas, the high heel slides with the feather puffs | | | | have any fancy or sexy dresses for her to play with. I |
| and tassels, along with the most glamorous dresses. | | | | almost wish I had, because I would have loved for her |
| Boy did her mom have some sexy dresses! But that | | | | to experience the joy that I did growing up. |
| was the fun of it all. Chris' mom would dress up on | | | | This brings me back to the subject of this article. The |
| Friday and Saturday nights and go out on the town, | | | | question is: "Are Bratz Girls a Negative Influence on |
| leaving me and my friend Chris (along with her two | | | | Little Girls?" My answer would have to be "No." I feel |
| younger brothers) home, with instructions that we | | | | that if you give a little girl the freedom to pretend and |
| were not to go outside or leave the house for any | | | | live in the world of make-believe, and just enjoy being |
| reason whatsoever. After her brothers went to bed, | | | | a little girl, she will grow up happy, healthy and filled with |
| Chris and I would go into her mom's room and play | | | | the good morals that her parents instilled in her. The |
| dress-up. We would try to dress up as sexy and as | | | | key here is parents need to instill morals in their children |
| glamorous as we possibly could. We would put on | | | | and let them know that characters like Bratz Girls are |
| make-up, jewelry, fishnet stockings, heels, boas, | | | | only make believe; and that girls their age really don't |
| sequined, silk, taffeta or other fancy dresses, put up | | | | dress that way or wear make-up unless they are |
| our hair and just have a ball! Those were some of the | | | | "playing" dress-up. Did you know that playing dress-up |
| happiest times in my life. | | | | is a natural part of a young girl's life? You can basically |
| Now I am all grown up, with grown children of my own | | | | consider it to be a rite of passage. |