Is Dubai particularly prone to teenage peer pressure?
Andrea: I think there’s more pressure on everyone here, not just for daughters. I always feel quite fat here but when I go back to New Zealand I feel slim. I read somewhere that Lebanon has the greatest number of breast implants and facelifts in the world. Dolly: But the pressure doesn’t spread to the kids in Lebanon – they’re still allowed to be kids. In this country we’re pushed to be number one, to be better than others. We work hard, we earn a lot more than we would elsewhere, and we spend more, too. Andrea: There’s a lot of competitive parenting. There’s no time to chill out. Dolly: I think the climate plays a part. It’s too hot to go for a walk, so you try and give them different activities. In Lebanon when I was young, all the kids from my neighbourhood would hang around and play together and we were perfectly happy. Is the age guidance on movies still relevant today? Andrea: It doesn’t matter because kids can get into any movie they like. My 14 year old can easily walk into an
