Some kids gravitate towards big kid stuff really early on. This tends to be especially true for girls, many of whom want to start experimenting with grown up clothes and makeup—and skin care from Sephora, of course.
Parents must decide whether or not to entertain these urges, whether to allow kids the freedom to explore and express themselves, or to protect them with boundaries. And rest assured, this will never be a decision all parents can agree on.
Just ask Florida mom Liana DeGeorge. Recently, DeGeorge bought her 7-year-old a pair of heels, which, unbeknownst to her, would ignite raucous online debate as to whether or not this was “bad parenting.”
In a video posted to her Instagram, DeGeorge shared how her daughter kept “begging” for a two inch pair of chunky heels she had tried on, despite mom telling her “let’s just wait a few more years.”
After seeing the tears in her daughter’s eye, DeGeorge admitted she “cracked” and let her have them, dubbing them “special occasion shoes” only.
The clip ends with DeGeorge’s daughter sashaying around in her kitten heels, while DeGeorge writes “let me tell you she SHINED.”
Objectively speaking, age 7 is quite a bit younger than 14-16, which is what podiatrist Romona Brooks recommends for starting young ones off in heels to avoid developing problems like lower back pain, shin splints, ankle sprains and fractures, bunions and hammertoes.
This was just one of the points that critics took against DeGorge’s decision, some saying that she was “deforming” her daughter’s feet. Many others argued that it taught her daughter how to cross boundaries.
“Moral of the story: cry if you want something,” one person wrote, while another bluntly said, “You are the mum, you should learn to say no.”
Others felt strongly that it was simply too grown up, and could attract the wrong kind of adult attention. As one person put it, “I was fine until I saw her swish walk. She’s SEVEN.”
Another joked, “Why stop there, next time give a glass of wine and a smoke.”
Still, there were plenty others who thought these comments were entirely too “dramatic,” and even remembered doing the same thing as kids.
“Why are people bugging out? It’s not like she’s wearing stilettos. I’ve been wearing those type of low block ‘heels’ since I was 6,” one person wrote.
Another added, “I had a pair of heels when I was little — it’s every little girl’s dream to be like their mama.”
Others applauded DeGeorge for helping give her kid a self esteem boost.
“I just know when she wears them she feels so confident 💕 you did good mama!!!” wrote one viewer.
For what it’s worth, Brooks does note that if a child insists on wearing heels, there are safe ways to comply, primarily by choosing a low, block-style heel with spaces for growing toes, and to only allow them on for 2-4 hours maximum, and certainly not every day. All of which DeGeorge seems to be doing.
And in an interview with Today, DeGeorge added that while she has no regrets buying her daughter the shoes, she does “say no to lots of things.”
“My daughter will say, ‘Mommy, my friends have TikTok’ and I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?! You guys are 7!”
DeGeorge also countered that while people are warning her to not let her daughter grow up too fast, “this big-girl moment is part of her childhood,” and she wants to honor that.
Finding the balance between protection and freedom is a never ending battle for parents. And while there are certain aspects of modern life that undeniably expose kids to things which threaten their innocence, this story is a reminder that for the most part, there’s also a whole lot of gray area.