Story Archive

Vicarious Living

Kids no longer have to wait until high school to attend the senior prom: more and more, pre-schoolers are getting their own, complete with formal wear and limo rides. And it’s not just parents who missed out on their own proms doing it: even schools are hosting them. “It’s adorable. Girls dancing with girls, boys running around,” says Lisbeth Morales, who acknowledges that in high school, “I did not go to prom, no.” Not everyone thinks it’s healthy. “Some of the pictures that I saw were low-cut gowns, you know, getting their hair done, putting makeup on,” said Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a child psychologist. “One of the biggest consequences is that you are missing out on the innocence of childhood; of just playing around, and not having to think about what people think of you — about what your hair looks like, or if this dress makes you look fat.” (RC/WCBS New York) ...A better question: Does this prom make my parenting look pathetic?