Padded bras for seven-year-olds, dolls dressed in high heels and pole dancing kits for kids.

From every angle, our little girls are bombarded by messages about looks and sexuality they are too young to understand.

Even primary school girls feel pressured to conform to a thin, ‘sexy’ ideal, leading to self-destructive behaviour, ranging from eating disorders and self-harm to anxiety and low self-esteem.

But while girls are fast-tracked though childhood, parents are being drowned out by the internet, retailers, the media and peer pressure.

And even though a furious debate is still raging about why it’s happening and who’s to blame, so far there has been no practical help for parents on how to fight back against the Lolita Effect.

Now parenting author Tanith Carey, the mum of two young girls, has written the first hands-on guide: “Where’s My Little Girl Gone?” to help parents protect their daughters from growing up too soon.

Tanith says: “Although there’s a lot of discussion of the huge scale of the problem, so far there’s been nothing written to guide parents on what to do if those damaging messages start to get through.

“That’s why I felt it was time was a first hands-on guide, packed with tips from experts and educators to help mums and dads finally fight back so our girls can grow into the healthy, confident women they deserve to be.”

We've got review copies for mums that are genuinely interested in the topic. So if you'd like to review the book, please get in touch on feedback@mumslikeyou.com

Book Credit: Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How to protect your daughter from growing up too soon, by Tanith Carey is published by Lion Hudson, price 7.99. Please go to www.tanithcarey.com for more information.