WHY is it that when you're young you want to be old and when you're old you want to be young?
Last week I went to visit my friend and her 13-year-old daughter.
In the time since I'd last seen them my pal's daughter has blossomed into a young woman.
Gone were the cute animal t-shirts and ditsy cardigans. My little mate had transformed in
to a perfectly made-up young madam resplendent in heavy kohl eyeliner and fiery lipstick.
Her mum assures me she's got a new fiery temperament to match.
Like most 13-year-olds she can't wait to be older. She would already pass for 15 but that's not old enough - she wants to be an adult. At least when it suits.
Seeing her reminded me how we wish our lives away and, often those of our kids. We're always pushing our kids to the next level. When they crawl we want them to walk. When they walk we want them to talk. And so it goes until before we know it, they're 13 and borrowing our clothes and lippy.
At some time in our 20s there's a tipping point where the balance shifts and we stop wanting to be older than we are.
This is a time when we're supposed to be happy with who we are and how we look.
I'm not sure at what point the defining moment occurs (I think I missed it) but I reckon rewind time starts as we hit our late 20s when the first fine lines and first grey hairs show.
There's nothing like a grey hair for a wake-up call.
By the time we hit 30 the panic about ageing is in full swing.
Oil of Olay commissioned research released this week which show 28 is the golden age.
Everything changes after that apparently.
Worries over broken veins and age spots emerged as major qualms for 28-year-olds and it's all downhill from there. I'm not sure 28-year-old model and actress Kelly Brook would agree but I bet she can afford good skin cream and Botox anyway.
The poll of 4,000 women also revealed that 84 per cent of women are so concerned about showing the signs of ageing that they would spend as much money as necessary to keep their skin looking young.
Every year the average woman spends £483 on preserving her youthful looks.
As the credit crunch bites expect that figure to drop along with our jowels.
Turning back the clock has got to be affordable. Any extra stress simply takes its toll on our faces and it's counter productive.
After seeing my friend's daughter I only hope she can hold back time.
Children grow up so quickly and there's plenty of time for growing old when we get to 28.
I quite miss the little girl who wore her hair in bunches and would only wear pink.
I suspect that when she's old enough to have a little girl of her own she'll understand. It's only since I became a mum that I've really noticed how quickly they grow up.
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