Mom Goes Viral for Adorable Moment She Tells Her Daughter, 5, That Anyone Can Wear Makeup — 'Even Boys' (Exclusive)

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Jen Jean-Pierre Maull tells PEOPLE that she hopes her viral moment inspires similar conversations between parents and their kids
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Jen Jean-Pierre Maull tells PEOPLE about teaching her daughter an important lesson in an Ulta
"Anybody can wear makeup, okay? Even boys," she says in the TikTok clip
The Florida mom says that she hopes the viral moment inspires similar conversations between parents and their kids
Jen Jean-Pierre Maull had no idea that a simple trip to Ulta would result in a major parenting moment.
In a TikTok video posted on Aug. 8, the 43-year-old mom was shopping at the beauty retailer when her daughter, Teagan Ripley Maull, points to a display poster featuring celebrity makeup artist Ariel Tejada.
The 5-year-old expressed confusion over Tejada wearing makeup. "He's got makeup on because he wants to wear makeup," Jen replies in the clip.
She further explains, "Anybody can wear makeup, okay? Even boys."
"I didn't expect to have this conversation in Ulta," Jen captioned the post. The surprising teaching moment quickly went viral, garnering 1.9 million views and counting.
Commenters praised the Florida mom for how she handled the situation. "Good job Mom ✨," one wrote.
Another shared, "Yes! I parent the same way, there's a teaching opportunity everywhere."
The video also grabbed the attention of some famous men in the beauty industry, including Patrick Ta, Jeffree Star and Manuel Gutierrez Jr., aka Manny MUA, among others.
Jen tells PEOPLE that she's had other similar conversations with her daughter.
"She'd made a comment about a poster of a woman with a red mark on her face — not in a mean way, just curious," she shares. "I explained that faces and skin all look different, that some people have birthmarks or skin conditions, and that we are all beautiful — and makeup is never a requirement for beauty."
While she was shopping for Morphe beauty sponges in Ulta, Jen says she overheard her daughter laughing.
"I just reacted like I always would with anyone by asking, 'Why is it funny?', wait for their explanation and then speak. It's almost second nature for me to explain situations in a way that might help someone find kindness or empathy."
"It was not until she mentioned it again in the car that I really stopped to fully understand the breadth of what happened," she adds.
Jen says that the mother and daughter continued their conversation later.
"She asked me why she has never seen a boy wearing makeup before (I use boy because those are her words) seeing the picture," she says. "I remarked that it was a great question and that we don't always see everything folks do and that is okay but we should always be kind to others and understand that it's not a boy or girl thing only."
The discussion then took a hilarious turn when Teagan accused her mom of lying to her.
"I asked, 'How and when?' She said, 'You said anyone can wear makeup, but you told me I can't,'" Jen recalls. "I definitely laughed at that one and had to then explain the age appropriateness and that it's for very special occasions like dance recitals, etc."
Jen also says that multiple commenters questioned where her daughter would get the idea that boys don't wear makeup.
"That's not something she's ever been taught at home or in school, but it's something society teaches," she clarifies. "From the moment kids are born, they're surrounded by gender roles and 'norms': pink for girls, blue for boys. You rarely see boys on the packaging for pretend makeup toys, just like you rarely see girls on the packaging for monster trucks or dinosaur sets. These messages are everywhere, so they pick them up without us even realizing it."
While she says that she didn't plan to have a conversation with Teagan about gender roles that day, she's glad her daughter feels comfortable enough to express her feelings and curiosities.
"I encourage her to tell me when something hurts her feelings, makes her happy, or even just confuses her," says Jen. "That openness is something I live for, and I feel honored to be her safe space."
As a beauty enthusiast and mom, making others feel accepted and welcomed is of the utmost importance to her. "Maybe it's because, growing up, I didn't always feel that way myself and those feelings stick with you," she reflects.
She hopes that her viral moment "might spark more parents to have these conversations with their kids."
"That, to me, is the most important thing," Jen adds. "I'm a big believer in the power of a parent's tone — our voice, our words, and the way we communicate shapes so much of how our children process the world."
Read the original article on People
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