PA
I have commented in previous posts, on my satisfaction and relief that we live in such rural surroundings meaning my impressionable daughter is not subject to the influences that kids in the city may have.
More likely to by playing with tractors or milking cows than saving to buy Barbie a new outfit, children here are growing up at a pace which is far more acceptable in my opinion.
But despite our television free home and our attempts to keep her mind devoid of the influences of marketing and advertising, it's impossible to avoid it completely.
Having been invited to a friend's 40th birthday party, we were told it would be fine for Finje to come along as there would be a number of other children there. I had succumbed to pressure from my husband to allow Finje to stay up beyond her normal bedtime. It was a Friday night and she should be allowed to party occasionally too.
The balmy evening temperature meant the children could play in the garden and they were all getting along handsomely. As the evening wore on they disappeared off to the television room where I assumed they would be watching something age appropriate.
There were however a number of older children in the group and unbeknown to me, this evening was the grand finale of Germany's Next Top Model.
Not good.
At 9pm, a good two hours past her bedtime, I went to retrieve my girl from the TV room. As I clocked the programme, I baulked but figured she hadn't been watching that long, and the evening had been one of exceptions anyway.
She left the viewing room uncomplaining, which should have been a warning but I was too relieved at her compliance to notice.
On the short stroll home together we chatted. I told her how proud I was that she had not given any resistance when told it was time to go home.
"I didn't want to watch that ugly woman in that ugly dress anymore"
Heidi Klum? Surely not!
Tired though she was, I couldn't let this go and launched into a speech about calling people ugly. I didn't have her full concentration as she was obviously trying to recall a name. Her face lit up as she remembered.
"Lady Gaga....she wears ugly clothes and screams a lot!"
A little reminder to trust our children to make up their own minds.
They can be pretty accurate.