Why do little girls like to try on older females clothes?

Question

I was pretty much wondering why little girls like to play dress up in like their moms or older sisters clothes even when there's no way they will fit them? What's the fascination with it? Is it like playing grown up or just looking pretty?

My 11 year old niece threw a huge fit when I refused to allow her to try on my prom dress or play in my wedding dress which in reality there's no way in h**l they'd fit her and even after I explained this repeatidly she sat there screaming and crying at me. I'm very tiny and my niece is basically about 5 inches taller than me and weighs more than 20lbs more than I do so I didn't want her ripping my dresses ...

Was that really that wrong to deny her that? I even offered her other dresses to wear...

Answer 1

They like to feel older. Just like everywoman has her little fantasy little girls do and mostly its i wanna grow up to be a mommy (which is why they have dolls) and wear high heeled shoes llike my mommy. To them the clothes are what make you an adult.  

It is kind of mean to say your to fat to fit in my clothes but if you somthing like i really don't want you to try on somthing thats this important to me or i don't want anybody but me to wear that because of the impotance. the fact that you offered her another dress is saying you were trying to be nice. It shouldn't offend her.

Answer 2

Because they see older females as role models and they enjoy trying on other people's clothes.

I know I do!

Answer 3

I've never met a little girl who DIDN'T like to dress up in grown-up clothing.    They love to pretend they are "big girls," and get an idea what they will look like when they are old enough to wear "big girl" clothes.

But that said, I think that your niece has a maturity problem.   Dress-up is generally a game enjoyed by kids age about 3 to 8 or 9.   Eleven is pretty old to be wanting to do this kind of thing, and it's VERY old to be throwing screaming/crying tantrums.    

If you had stated that your little seven-year-old niece wanted to try on your prom dress, I would have said "Go ahead and let her."  (not the wedding dress, though....too special a souvenir).  But someday, you may have a little girl that wants to try on the prom dress, and I'd let her do it.

Answer 4

well all little girls love to dress up and so do boys part of growing up .

Answer 5

i looved dress-up when i was a little girl, but dress-up ended for me by the time i was probably 7 or 8 years old.  and tantrums are something that should be nipped in the bud before the child can even talk.

my mother used to give me her old dressy clothes to play dress up in, but it was well understood that i was not to go into her closet and try on her wedding dress or anything sentimental.

your niece is old enough to be told no.

Answer 6

Hello because its fun for them!

Answer 7

its a girl thing i cannt believe you didnt do it when you were younger.  but i agree prom and wedding dresses are a no-no

Answer 8

It's called dress-up and all girls do it. It's a gene thing and has been going on since the Ice Age as my daughter put it.