Kendall Jenner, now 17, has grown up before America's eyes on her family's reality TV show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." At left, she attended the opening of a retail store at age 11. 
At 20, Miley Cyrus has been working in show business for more than a decade. The singer/actress has gone from being a fresh-faced preteen to a platinum blond vixen who scandalized the MTV VMAs in 2013 with her "twerking." 
Selena Gomez's appearance hasn't changed dramatically since she starred on the Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place" in 2007, but her work sure has. Now 21, Gomez has stretched herself with more mature content, such as the risqué movie "Spring Breakers" and her suggestive new single, "Come and Get It." 
Alyssa Milano, who starred as a pre-teen on the '80s series "Who's The Boss?," thinks talent is one factor that helps a child star safely transition into more adult roles. 
Seven years ago, Jaden Smith was a baby-faced child star appearing with his dad Will in 2006's "The Pursuit of Happyness." Although he's once again starring with his father in this summer's "After Earth," teenaged Jaden isn't a kid anymore. 
Along with her older brother Jaden, 12-year-old Willow Smith has blossomed since she first appeared alongside dad Will in his 2007 film, "I Am Legend." The actress and singer showed a more mature look this spring at the May 2013 premiere of "After Earth." 
Vanessa Hudgens came to fame as a Disney Channel star in 2006 but soon stepped away from her wholesome "High School Musical" roots. This year, the 24-year-old is appearing in more adult projects, such as "Spring Breakers" and "Machete Kills." 
It's still hard to believe that Rudy Huxtable is now 34 years old. Keshia Knight Pulliam, the actress who played Rudy on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992, grew up on TV but acted sporadically since then. This year, she took a dive into reality TV with ABC's competitive diving show, "Splash." 
Macaulay Culkin turned a scream and an exaggerated expression into a blockbuster movie franchise when he starred in 1990's "Home Alone" at the age of 10. He went on to co-star with in 1991's "My Girl," but has in later years not been a huge fan of being on camera. In April, he ripped into paparazzi in the UK for trying to take his photo. 
Along with Knight Pulliam, Raven-Symone is one of the most recognizable child stars, thanks to her work on the long-running "Cosby Show" and her subsequent career on the Disney Channel. The actress has been in the business since the age of 3, and most recently appeared on ABC Family's "State of Georgia." 
"Mad Men" fans have watched Kiernan Shipka grow up as Sally, the daughter of protagonist Don Draper. Having starred on the series since she was 7, Shipka's gone from being a little ballerina with a lisp to a teen girl with enviable poise over the series' six seasons. 
One minute, Abigail Breslin was a 10-year-old "Little Miss Sunshine," and the next thing we know, she's flashing her bra in 2011's "New Year's Eve." The now 17-year-old is grownup enough to take on the older sister role, as she will in the November release, "Ender's Game." 
Along with Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron was just a teen when he became famous with Disney's "High School Musical." Now 25, Efron caters to audiences well past high school, such as his turn in Lee Daniels' 2012 film, "The Paperboy." 
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been in the entertainment industry since they were literally in diapers -- the pair took turns playing the youngest daughter of the Tanner clan, Michelle, on "Full House" from 1987 to 1995. They went on to star in their own movies, but these days the twins are better known for their fashion lines, Elizabeth and James and The Row. 
Best known for his role as Renee Zellweger's cute-beyond-words son in 1996's "Jerry Maguire," Jonathan Lipnicki is now old enough to play Zellweger's love interest. According to IMDb, the 22-year-old has a dramatic film arriving this year starring Christopher Mintz-Plasse called "Tag." 
Chloë Grace Moretz was a "Kick-Ass" actress even as a kid, starring in movies like "The Amityville Horror" at age 8. Now 16, Moretz has ditched the Shirley Temple curls but not her action moves -- the star will appear in the sequel to 2010's "Kick-Ass" this August. 
Dakota Fanning has appeared in so many movies and TV shows since her career's launch around age 6 that we could put together her baby book. Now 19, Fanning is not only an acclaimed actress, but also a high school graduate. 
Daniel Radcliffe's development has been watched by millions as he came of age in the "Harry Potter" movie franchise, which launched when he was 12. By 2007, Radcliffe was ready to show how grown-up he'd become and starred in "Equus" in London -- a stage production that required some nudity. 
Along with her "Harry Potter" series co-star Radcliffe, Emma Watson's racking up proof that she's not little Hermione anymore. The 23-year-old actress plays a thief in this summer's "Bling Ring," and an ax-carrying marauder in Seth Rogen's comedy, "This Is The End." 
Angus T. Jones wasn't yet 10 when "Two and a Half Men" first premiered on CBS in September 2003. A decade later, the now adult actor is ready to break away from the sitcom -- one that he's publicly said he finds distasteful -- and won't be a regular star on the 11th season this fall. 
Justin Bieber is only 19, and, according to his mentor Usher, is still in the midst of growing up. But between the tattoos, the ab workouts and those reckless driving accusations, Biebs is not the same "Baby" singer we met in 2009. 
Amanda Bynes began working at 10, and by the time she was 14 had starring roles on two Nickelodeon shows. Yet around age 24, Bynes ceased her steady work schedule and claimed she was "retired." Lately, that "retirement" has translated into troubling run-ins with the law. 
Lindsay Lohan showed acting prowess at 12 when she played a set of identical twins in the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap." Lohan went on to star in movies like "Freaky Friday" (2003) and "Mean Girls" (2004), but her tumultuous private life soon interfered with her career. 
Anna Chlumsky became a star at age 11 thanks to her role in 1991's "My Girl." After sporadic appearances on TV, the now 32-year-old, who's expecting her first child this year, has landed a hit comedy with HBO's "Veep." 
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- Some media sites are counting down until reality star Kendall Jenner turns 18
- Women across country say the Jenner countdown is inappropriate and gross
- Some say it's fair game for a family always seeking the national spotlight
- There were similar countdowns for the Olsen twins and Justin Bieber
Editor's note: Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. She's a mom of two girls and lives in Manhattan. Read her other columns and follow her reports at CNN Parents and on Twitter.
(CNN) -- There are stories you just wish weren't true, and for me, a mom of two young girls, this is one of them: media outlets counting the days until Kendall Jenner, one of the youngest members of the Kardashian clan, turns 18.
The celebrity site TMZ posted a photo last week -- a very revealing one, at that -- of Jenner in short shorts and a bikini, with this headline: "Kendall Jenner 53 Days."
Hmmm -- 53 days until what? A new TV gig? A new modeling contract? Until she announces college plans?
Oh no, my friends. Below the headline and the supremely sexy photo was this: "Until she turns 18. Not that we're counting."
It wasn't just TMZ. Another celeb site, HollywoodLife, tweeted the same photo and added this: "To all those wondering, Kendall Jenner turns 18 in 52 days."
I wasn't wondering -- were you? And here's the thing: Something just doesn't feel quite right about the whole concept of a countdown for a young woman about to turn the age when she's legally viewed as an adult -- even a young woman like Jenner, who has spent much of her life on reality TV.
No matter how much Jenner and her attention-seeking family pursue the national spotlight, and no matter how much Kardashian critics might question my spending time on this at all -- this story, let me be clear, is not about Kendall Jenner. It is about a child.
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After all, while no one is specifically indicating to what everyone is counting down, one can assume it's not that Jenner will soon be able to vote for the first time.
"Maybe they are counting down the days until she is legally responsible for her decisions," said Dorothy Liu, a mom of a 10-year-old girl, on my personal Facebook page.
If only that were the case!
Too hot for tweens: Why some parents dread back-to-school shopping
"There is a countdown clock waiting for a girl to turn 18 so they can (ogle) her more inappropriately then they already do," Jodi Ferich said on CNN's Facebook page. "I think its a valid question about the appropriateness of waiting for a young lady to age so you can objectify her as a sex object."
"I believe it's not fair game to count down to her being 18," said a reader via e-mail in response to a request for comments on CNN's Facebook page, adding that it can be looked at as "perverted, disgusting and just plain wrong."
"Anyone who is watching this countdown waiting for this child to turn 18 needs a mental evaluation. 18 is still a CHILD in every way," said Krista Dawn Savoury, also on CNN's Facebook page.
"Is nothing off limits?" said Sharon Rowley, a blogger and mom of six. "Yes, I know her family has 'sold out.' "
Opinion: For strong daughters, stop with the sex stereotypes
It is that last point -- how her family has embraced the media in every way possible -- that led many others to believe counting down until Jenner turns 18 seems entirely appropriate.
"Jenner is part of the Kardashian clan and they live for the camera," said Joni Hudson-Reynolds, a blogger, via e-mail. "They court the spotlight and when you make the choice to live this way, you live with the consequences, and know the consequences will be taped."
Jodi Jill, a celebrity columnist in Los Angeles, questions "why all the eyebrow raising."
"This would be different if the ladies didn't want this kind of attention, but they do," Jill said. "That's not to say this doesn't go too far, but if it was inappropriate like everyone is screaming about, the Jenner clan would have already stopped it. One call from a concerned mom (better known as Kris Jenner) would have pulled it down."
Sadly, this is not the first time there's been a public countdown until a celeb turns the legal age. Years before Mary-Kate and Ashley Oslen turned 18, a number of Internet sites popped up, counting down the years, months and days until the big day.
And it's not just a sexualization-of-girls thing. There was also a countdown until Justin Bieber reached the big one-eight, although one might argue this ogling until teens are "jailbait no more" seems to happen more for young women than young men.
We know our kids grown up faster than ever, and we see that evidence just about everywhere we look, from the clothing options for our tweens and teens to the way their role models (or former role models) present themselves (think Miley Cyrus!) to the concerns about the photos they're sending each other online.
Adult-inspired lingerie marketed for young girls
That said, can't we expect or demand that, as Sharon Rowley said, certain things should be completely off limits?
Beth Engelman, a mom of one and co-host of the blog Mommy on a Shoestring, said, "I don't care for that family but ... still shame on TMZ for perpetuating the sexualization of this child."
Like Engelman, I don't quite get why there is such a fascination with this family. So why is this story news?
Because it seems, at least to me, completely outrageous to count down until a young woman turns 18, almost implying that once her 18th birthday approaches, she is fair game for sexual exploitation and objectification.
As one reader said, "To be glorifying it is just wrong and teaches the wrong idea to people who don't have common sense."
Or morals.
Or respect for women.
Follow Kelly Wallace on Twitter and like CNN Living on Facebook.
