Pleeeeeeease mum.....

I have an eight year old daughter, who has been entranced with fairies since she was about two. She went through a brief longing for Bratz, but I refused to cave in, because I find them repulsive.

So I was rather delighted to discover this short article on why fairies matter.

It is a touch ironic that I have been so-anti Bratz with my daughter. As a child, I was desperate for a Barbie, like some of my particularly cool friends had. But my mother was steadfast - no Barbies in our house.

(I did, however, manage to sneak a Skipper into the house, resplendent in a red velvet coat - just like the one pictured here.)

I vowed that if I ever had a daughter, then, dammit, she'd be able to have a Barbie if that's what she wanted - and she has. But with the revolting Bratz, I have been as steadfast as my own mother was.

Anyway, my daughter has now nearly grown out of dolls (except for the smiley, cuddly Groovy Girls, which even my mother likes), and has moved on to a new love - pets. We now own a rabbit, a thoroughly delightful pet, who needs looking after and attention, and is thankfully bling-free. And fairies are still welcome in our house, at any time.