Cindy Crawford’s daughter modelled in an ad for Versace Kids. Click here for a refresher. Now Cindy says she’s pulling back on the business. Here’s her explanation:

“At this point, she’s too young to pursue a career. There aren’t even a handful of jobs for a 10-year-old girl.” (source)

Quite right.

I tried not to be cynical about her rationale. I tried not to snort that the real reason is because of a lack of opportunity. I want to believe that this was just an excuse to not have to say that she doesn’t want her daughter participating in a business that encourages one ideal and priorities what someone looks like. I would like to think that she gave her child a taste for it, had second thoughts, and would rather support her in other interests, allow her to have some perspective, before considering the options later on. So I will. This is the buffet choice I’ll make on this story.

Because, ultimately, most parents, aside from the Lohans and the like, do want the best for their children, right?

I saw a dear friend yesterday who is raising a wonderful 14 year old girl. When I say wonderful I mean she’s sensitive and smart and complicated and sometimes isn’t liked by the other girls and sometimes is really popular and has issues with her body and hates gym class and reads The Hunger Games and loves Daniel Radcliffe and all the other horrible but exhilarating experiences associated with high school and now has a boyfriend. Her first boyfriend. So, you know, he comes over after school. They’ve found themselves alone on occasion. And the best part is, she’s still able to share it with her mother. And together they set the boundaries, boundaries they could both live with. Sort of.

Ultimately mom makes the decision. And my friend, she said something to me that made me think of my own ma and all the conflict we had as I was growing up, even well past my 20s. She told me last night, very candidly, that:

“Of course I don’t want my daughter to hate me. But if she has to hate me, if she does hate me, because of a decision I’m making for her own well being...I can live with that.” Too many parents are afraid of living with that.

It goes back to Duana’s article: sometimes you have to deny your children their dreams. So that they actually have a chance of achieving other ones later on. Click here to revisit that post.

Attached - Cindy and her husband Rande on Valentine’s Day earlier this week.