What would you do if you catch your son stealing your makeup?

Seeing your child stealing can be a cause for worry, but if you catch your son stealing your makeup, it can be even more confusing.

An understandable response would be to wonder if your son might be exploring his sexuality. It is a natural part of his development, you might tell yourself. But when a young boy tries applying cosmetics, it is not always directly linked to gender or sexual preference.

Take, for instance, the experience of one mom who noticed that her newly bought lipstick had gone missing and discovered that the culprit was her 15-year-old son.

The mom of two first suspected that the one responsible was her daughter or her sister who had been living with them. Later on, she discovered that it was her son.

The mother confronted her son, and he confessed, to her surprise, that it was a trend among young boys to experiment with cosmetics.

Image source: File photo

How to communicate when you catch your child stealing

Before anything else, one important issue that should be dealt with right away is how to handle catching your child stealing. This behaviour should never be tolerated.

Here are some reminders for parents:

• “Use it as a teachable moment,” advises Dr. Ruth Peters, a clinical psychologist in an article for TODAY.
• Make sure they understand that it’s their actions alone that upset you. 
• Acknowledge that your still-developing child can be impulsive at times.
• Offer realistic alternatives that encourage positive behaviour, like doing chores for money in order to get something similar to what they stole.
• Remind them that just because they’ve stolen something, it does not make them a bad kid.
• Be understanding but firm. Make it clear that stealing is unacceptable behaviour. There is no excuse for it.

Beauty Boy influencers: Is this latest beauty trend here to stay?

Why can’t boys use beauty products to boost their confidence? Some teen and preteen boys are battling insecurities, too, such as acne and other skin problems. Yet today, applying makeup is a practice considered to be made for girls only. And boys are often discouraged from being too “feminine.” 

While it’s true that there is a taboo surrounding makeup, today’s children are growing up in a more expressive generation with less rigid stereotypes. No longer is women’s fashion for the ladies, for example. 

The global rise of Korean and Japanese pop culture has paved the way for more androgynous trends when it comes to both fashion and beauty.

Image source: BIGBANG’s Youtube page

Instagram beauty boys, specifically, are raking in millions of followers.  Sometimes, they are teens like 18-year-old James Charles, whose over 2 million followers await his next beauty look. Other times, they are professional makeup artists like Manny Gutierrez, who has over 4 million followers.

Image source: James Charles’ Instagram

Image source: Manny MUA’s Instagram

These influencers may be straight or gay. Their sexual orientation doesn’t matter much to their followers. The main driving force of their accounts is their art. To them, using makeup is a form of self-expression.

The male cosmetic beauty industry is also burgeoning. Popular designer Tom Ford, best known for his work with Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, has come out with his own makeup line for men. 

Popular beauty brand Clinique has formulated a type of bronzer, specifically made for men. 

If you do find your son experimenting with makeup, don’t panic. Talk to your child calmly with love and reassure them that you will always be there to guide and support them, however they choose to express their most authentic selves.

sources: TODAY.com, HuffPost, InStyle

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