The GEM Debate: Is THIS The New Graduation GIft? : Good Enough Mother

Be sure to check out Good Enough Mother on CNN-HLN tonight on this controversial topic.

If this is the new graduation present, my kids better stay in school forever. Check out this piece out of Houston Texas, where an 18-year-old girl asked for breast implants as a high school graduation gift. And her parents agreed!

Really? REALLY? I’m having a bit of a struggle just wrapping my head around this one. Why? Two reasons I can think of off the top of my head.

PLASTIC SURGERY IS STILL SURGERY: I know we talk about it, it’s ubiquitous in our society but there are still risks associated with surgery. It seems
THE MESSAGE IT SENDS: I heard the girl’s parents say she was 18 and having a full bust would give her the confidence she needs to go to college, but that makes me wonder about the place from which confidence comes. I didn’t get mine in a B-cup and I’m going to break my butt to make sure my daughter doesn’t get hers from there either. So far, so good.

As you know, I spent many years working in television. One of the news directors I worked for gave me excellent advice when I was fielding a nasty letter about my hair. He told me, “Rene, be yourself. If you change for some, you’ll piss off the ones who liked you before. Try this.. be true to you.” Great advice.

Now, I know some of you are going to say, “Yes but you’re a 40-something woman; it’s different for a young woman.” Really? How so? Because before the pervasive nature of plastic surgery, women who were small busted (of which I was one) either stuffed our bras with tissue or stuffed our heads with knowledge, learning early on that those who accepted us for who we were inside and out were more important than those focusing on the superficial.

Okay that’s my take. Should parents be spending money on plastic surgery for their graduates? Does this in fact send the wrong message? What say you? Go!