In a tiered skirt, hot pink T, shiny clamshell handbag and sparkly kitten heels, she’s a fashionista. And she’s 3 years old.</p><p>Suri Cruise, daughter of celebrity couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, is constantly photographed in the trendiest designer garb. </p><p>But last week, as she and her mother walked around Boston, one couldn’t help but notice the heels. </p><p>They weren’t the plastic fakes a lot of little girls wear when they play dress up. They were toddler-sized high heels. Sure, she also carried a cute little stuffed elephant — Queen Celeste from the Babar series — still, the heels were distracting.</p><p>The paparazzi snapped away. Eventually, she swapped the grown-up shoes for some light pink sneakers. But the mommy blogs and gossip sites were already abuzz. Was this just innocent little-girl dress up? Is it appropriate for a toddler to rock heels on the town?</p><p>Ghadeer Morris says it was all in good fun. As a Kansas City mother of two children, Joshua, 3, and Gabriella, 1, she says her daughter will have similar outfits one day. </p><p>“I think all little girls deserve a pair of sequined pumps and a glittery tutu,” says Ghadeer, 30. “You’re only 3 once.”</p><p>Daphne Cox disagrees. She has two daughters, Allison, 11 and Simone, 9.</p><p>“It’s ridiculous,” says Daphne, 41. “She should be out there in gear that allows her to explore life from a kid’s point of view, climbing trees, digging in dirt. You only get to be a kid for a brief period of time, and then life kicks in. We as parents should spoil them in the sense that we allow them to be kids until the very last possible minute.</p><p>“Kids need something to look forward to. By introducing them to these adult things early, what’s left for them to look forward to other than wrinkles?”</p><p>This is true. Children do seem to develop earlier. Crushes, kisses, clothes — it all comes so much sooner these days. Dakota Fanning was the face of Marc Jacobs’ women’s line when she was only 12. </p><p>“One of the main issues we have as Americans is that we rush to everything,” Daphne says. “Our children aren’t children anymore. They don’t get the benefits of their youth.”</p><p> So it is up to parents to step in and turn off the television, talk about sex, take away the makeup and not buy certain clothes. </p><p>Ghadeer agrees there is a fine line between dress-up and growing up too fast. </p><p>“It doesn’t seem fashionable to let children grow up innocent and content to be young and full of blissful ignorance anymore. We want to hurry them along to the next stage of life, and that isn’t fair. </p><p>“But a little time in a fairy costume or wearing some ‘just like mommy pumps’ is totally different than the mini-miss pageants going on. Letting a child use their imagination and play dress up is a healthy experience for most little girls.”</p><p>So maybe Suri Cruise really is just a 3-year-old playing dress up. Maybe it’s the adults who are seeing something more. The line is blurry, so I’m not sure.</p><p>Still, one thing is clear. It can’t be easy to have a childhood with cameras constantly in your face. </p><p>“The public is bored, so that’s the next best thing, hype life up,” Ghadeer says of the pictures. “If we’re really that worried about Suri growing up too fast, maybe the paparazzi should stop following her around.”</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> Log on to <strong>mom2mom kc.com </strong>to read what Kansas City moms think of Suri’s heels.</p><p></div>