Why do we sexualize our young children? There is no reason for a 2nd grader to wear a bikini or high-heeled boots.
Parenting

Why Is Your Kid Dressed Like a Floozy?

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Why do we sexualize our young children? There is no reason for a 2nd grader to wear a bikini or high-heeled boots.

By Brandi Puga of Big Fit Fam

Picking my children up from school, I am constantly in shock by the clothing that mothers feel is appropriate attire around children.

However, I am even more flabbergasted by what I see children wearing. A girl from my daughter’s 2nd grade class wearing thigh high boots, shorts that are more akin to daisy dukes, high heels that would make me nervous to walk in, backless tops without a camisole underneath, my daughter’s best friend in red lipstick. WTF IS GOING ON WITH OUR CHILDREN!!!!

When did it become OK for our little girls to dress like adults? For them to be tiny fashionistas and, let’s face it, a pedophile’s dream come true? Why don’t we want our children to act and look like CHILDREN?

Every mother wants her daughter to look cute, and we take a selfish turn every now and then and just want to show off how beautiful our little girls are. I understand that. I’ve done it. But it can be done without heels and makeup, without shorts that are smaller than my underwear.  I know, I know, mothers are dealing with a lot pressure from their little ones who, in this age of technology, see pop and movie stars at every twist and turn and desperately want to emulate their glamour and style. Um, you’re the mom. Buck up and say NO. You get to choose whether or not your kid looks like a tiny Mariah Carey. I choose NO, and I absolutely judge your parenting if you say YES.

That being said, stores these days are making it difficult for us not to push tiny, scantily clad divas out the door to the school bus. Shopping for shorts for my daughter was like shopping for The Dukes of Hazards’ sister! Shelves were lined with barely more than crotch-length shorts, and anything that was even remotely long enough for my standards was ccovered in holes all the way to the top of the thigh. I had to go to a thrift store to find shorts my husband wouldn’t have a heart attack about. And I’m not a nun—I’m fine with mid-thigh, reaches-the-fingertips clothing.

There was also only a selection of 2 full piece bathing suits and only a few tankini styles. If you didn’t like the patterns on any of those, you would have to dress your child for Baywatch. Once again, why are we sexualizing our children? Bikinis are for adults or obnoxious teenagers who are showing off their bodies. They are old enough and, hopefully, wise enough to do so without putting themselves in inappropriate or dangerous situations. Our children are not old or wise enough, and even if they were, they are freaking CHILDREN! So knock it off with bathing suits that barely cover their nips!

I am not 100% innocent here. My daughter has received some pretty trendy clothing as hand-me-downs from friends, and if she has managed to attack the bag before I got the chance to weed out the clothing I deem inappropriate, well, let’s say my parenting skills have faltered. She has a couple shirts that, while not revealing, are a little too “teenager.” However, I do the laundry, so if I happen to see shorts or a shirt that slipped past my radar, I can easily toss them in the trash and claim that I never saw them.  Is that sneaky and dishonest?  You betcha, but I will continue to do it to ensure that my daughter gets to be, and look, like a child. And let’s face it, we moms fight enough battles. If I can avoid one by telling a little white lie regarding what happened to a pair of too short shorts? I’m all for it.

To those of you who have your panties, or short shorts, in a twist, saying that revealing clothing is a show of confidence and thus I am teaching my daughter that her body is imperfect, suck an egg. Confidence and modesty go hand in hand more than immodesty and courage. I want my daughter to have enough confidence to wear whatever she wants, but enough self worth to not desire showing off her goods to every man and woman within a 1 mile radius. I want her to know that when she is old enough, she can look incredibly sexy without showing off her hooha every time she bends over. But I digress; we are talking about children still, who don’t EVER need to look SEXY!!!

Our children do not stay young for long.  These days our daughters are going through puberty at a younger and younger age. They are developing at a rate that is terrifying and unheard of historically.  Do we really need to hasten this process along by teaching them to dress and show off their bodies when they should be learning how to play well with others and dodge pretend superhero blasts? Let your kids be and look like kids. They will have the rest of their lives to be sexual beings and show off what God gave them. When they get to that point, I bet you will wish you had your little girl back and lament that you ever taught her modesty wasn’t important.

This post was originally published on Big Fit Fam. 

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About the Author

Brandi is a mother of 5 and workout enthusiast. She spends her time cooking and attempting to keep up with housework, but generally failing. She also works part time as a bartender and blogger. You can check out her blog at www.bigfitfam.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.