little girls have no need for lingerie.

I was shopping for clothes for my daughter last week, and I was flabbergasted at some of the fashions aimed at little girls - and by that I mean 6 - 12 year olds.

One of the mannaquins was wearing a skirt so short it barely covered it's butt and a T-shirt that 'tease' on the front of it. In the shoe department there were 3 different styles of knee high boots for little girls, two of which had heels on them. 

That wasn't the worst of it though. I saw something else that I thought was totally inappropriate.

Lingerie.  Yes, lingerie. Lace and satin spaghetti strapped baby-doll nighties with miniscule bikini panties to match.  For the older girls there were demi-cut padded bras with matching thongs.

Why are we sexualizing our children at such an early age?  We complain that we have rampant pedophilia, that there are sex offenders everywhere and that our kids aren't safe, then we turn around and send them out dressed like little hoochie mommas fresh off the street corner.  I hear women talking to their daughters about how 'hot' they are in whatever outfit it is that they're wearing, and I'm just flabbergasted, #1 that ANY mother would tell their pre-pubescent child that they're 'hot', and #2 that they're actually encouraging their children to wear clothes like this!

I know that we can't blame the way children dress for the pedophilia epedemic that this country is experiencing.  That would be like saying that a woman who wore a mini skirt was 'asking' to be raped.  But don't we have an obligation to protect our children from things that aren't age appropriate?  Don't we have an obligation to let them be kids, to be little girls?  To play dress up their Barbies and ride bikes, to have tea parties and play hide and go seek instead of seeing who can wear the shortest skirt, the highest boots and the most make-up at the earliest age?

We need to stop leading our kids down the sexualization path, America.  We need to let them be kids, not encourage them to lose their innocence at even earlier ages.

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Reply #1 Top
It's things like this (and actually seeing pre/early teen girls WEARING the outfits) that reinforces my belief that having daughters is God's revenge on us (guys) for being male.

I've thought my little girl has had a good head on her shoulders (it's cute at any rate ). She's decided (at 4, I know this might change) that she's going to be wearing skirts and nice shirts. And I'm not talking denim miniskirts (although, they are available for that age). No, she wants to wear full length, flowing skirts. I'm just hoping this sensible attitude keeps up once she hits puberty.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not some "women should be seen and not heard" kind of guy. If a woman wants to wear the power suit and run the office, that's fine w/ me. If a woman wants to dress sensibly and play up her femininity w/o slamming her sexuality in your face, more power to her.

I shudder everytime I see girls in that type of outfit... *shudder*

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Reply #2 Top
Little girls do to need lingerie, so do big girls. Everyone needs lingerie, it's such an essential part of our lives. In fact, I should go get some for myself right now. Wonder what would look good on me?

Misplaced humor aside, I find it rather ironic how our culture encourages sexuality at the same time it tries to keep it under wraps (so to speak). Talk about double standard and conflicting messages.
Reply #3 Top

I shudder everytime I see girls in that type of outfit... *shudder*

I do too. 

My daughter will be 13 next month, and thank god she's sensible about what she wears.  She doesn't like short skirts and belly baring shirts, and she has no desire to wear knee high boots, favoring Converse Chucks instead.

Now the little girls down the street from me....that's a different story.  One of them spent all this past summer wearing knee high boots and a little skirt.  She's 7, and that bothers me more than I can say.

Reply #4 Top
One of the first graders in the class next door to mine came to school wearing a very risque tank top yesterday that pretty much just covered what it needed to. We were "treated" to seeing the whole rest of her upper body. On top of all that, this was an OUTFIT..so the matching bottoms weren't much better. Yay for sexy Tweety Bird!

It bothers me when kids come to my class wearing halter tank tops, etc. Don't parents realize they're just setting their girls up for those things? And frankly...I don't think its much better when parents let their little boys come to school all "thug," either.

Ugh.
Reply #5 Top
Why are we sexualizing our children at such an early age? We complain that we have rampant pedophilia, that there are sex offenders everywhere and that our kids aren't safe, then we turn around and send them out dressed like little hoochie mommas fresh off the street corner.


By "everywhere" don't you think a few of those pedophiles and sex offenders just might have found there way into the fashion, advertizing, entertainment and other areas that run our pop culture? What better way to "normalize" pedophilia than make it part of the "fun" of fashion.

Listen to the way parents defend letting their kids dress that way, and the excuses the kids give for wanting to, and you'll see what I mean... but my guess is, you already do.
Reply #6 Top
Not only is this prevelent behaviour completely inappropriate for young children...what do you think will happen in 6-10 years? What will they dress like and act like? Do we really expect these girls to NOT have unplanned pregnancies? Dressing them like sluts and then expecting moral behaviour is impossible.
Just one more reason for dress codes and/or school uniforms.
Reply #7 Top

Do we really expect these girls to NOT have unplanned pregnancies? Dressing them like sluts and then expecting moral behaviour is impossible

EXACTLY!!!  How can we teach them that sexual activity should be a sacred thing when we're allowing and even encouraging them to flaunt their little bodies in risque and inappropriate clothing? 

you'll see what I mean... but my guess is, you already do.

Your guess is correct.

What better way to "normalize" pedophilia than make it part of the "fun" of fashion.

I think it's a question of the chicken vs the egg, to be honest.  Did we encourage this pedophilia by dressing our kids like this, or was it the pedophilia that encouraged our kids fashion?

Don't parents realize they're just setting their girls up for those things?

Apparently not.

 

I find it rather ironic how our culture encourages sexuality at the same time it tries to keep it under wraps

Me too.

Reply #8 Top
Heh, my friends and I used to tease the guys at Victoria Secret sometimes by walking in and asking if they had anything in children's sizes.........only now I guess it's not funny anymore.
Reply #9 Top
I think it's a question of the chicken vs the egg, to be honest. Did we encourage this pedophilia by dressing our kids like this, or was it the pedophilia that encouraged our kids fashion?


I'm saying that pedophiles and other sexual predators are among the major players and designers of pop culture.
Reply #10 Top
~Heh, my friends and I used to tease the guys at Victoria Secret sometimes by walking in and asking if they had anything in children's sizes.........only now I guess it's not funny anymore~

Funny enough, I used to work at Vickies and middle school children would come in and browse the thong table....and to think, I never wore one until I was 19...the sexualization of society is reaching new and disgusting peaks. I was telling my husband about how I couldn't believe what these middle schoolers have been wearing to school. He rebuttled with, "well, it all started with girls immulating Madonna's immage of sex in the 80s and just got worse."

Then I got to thinking...but when I was little at least Madonna was covered up (then the 90s came! haha).
Reply #11 Top
dharma: I find it disturbing, too.

I think, in addition to the media barrage, it sends the message to little girls that their value lies in their bodies and their sexual offerings.

Instead of teaching our little girls empowerment through their accomplishments and abilities, we are degrading them into believing that nothing is as important as their sexual appeal. They are learning that it is acceptable to gain what they want out of life through what amounts to watered down prostitution rather than through hard work, skill, and intelligence.

And it's just as harmful to our little boys, too, because they are getting the same message: women are not valuable as partners or friends or equals, their primary purpose is to serve as objects of lust and sex.
Reply #12 Top

Heh, my friends and I used to tease the guys at Victoria Secret sometimes by walking in and asking if they had anything in children's sizes.........only now I guess it's not funny anymore

Given the amount of people who are paranoid about pedophilia, I'd say that you guys are lucky that you didn;t get reported to the local PD.

I'm saying that pedophiles and other sexual predators are among the major players and designers of pop culture.

I think that it's insidious, but I don't think that pop culture and fashion is run by pedophiles.

Funny enough, I used to work at Vickies and middle school children would come in and browse the thong table

I used to supervise customer service at the BX at Ellsworth, and it always saddened me to see young teens (as in 13, 14) come in holding hands with their boyfriends and buy thongs and bubblegum with their allowances.

I find it disturbing, too.

Actually, i wrote this as kind of a spin off of your 'so your 7 y/o's a tramp' article.

They are learning that it is acceptable to gain what they want out of life through what amounts to watered down prostitution rather than through hard work, skill, and intelligence.

Absolutely.  I can't begin to tell you how much it saddens me to hear my daughter's peers proclaim that they don't understand why they can't get a boyfriend, because they're pretty, they're hot....this coming from 13 year olds.  They should be more concerned with grades and making the voleyball team than with boys.  it's almost as if they feel they HAVE to be attractive to the opposite sex in order to feel validated or worthy.

And it's just as harmful to our little boys, too, because they are getting the same message: women are not valuable as partners or friends or equals, their primary purpose is to serve as objects of lust and sex.

As long as girls are willing to put it all out on show, there will be boys who are willing to take what's on show and then some. 


 

 

 

 

 

Reply #13 Top
Thinking back, my mom would have pulled my hair out if I walked out of the house in some shirt that said "cheap" in glitter and matching denim micro mini....that's not even mentioning a thong!

How can some parents let this go on? Sure, I believe that it's important to instill the women of the future with ideas of equality and independence, but there's a difference between being smart and thinking about your sexuality, and just being plain skanky.
Reply #14 Top
Hear, Hear! I can't believe that they make halter tops in ALL sizes, and I mean ALL. (They have belly shirts in sizes to fit my 2 month old daughter. )

This disturbs my dh to no end. He has already said Jayna is not allowed to wear a two piece swimsuit until she is 16.
Reply #15 Top
He has already said Jayna is not allowed to wear a two piece swimsuit until she is 16.

That's a little young for it, dontcha think?

I'm still seriously thinking of installing bars on the outside of her windows and and a padlock on her door ...

Oh, yeah, and the TSA style full bag search on the way out the door.

J/k (I think). Though, the more I think about it, the more serious about it I am. Grrrr.
Reply #16 Top
That's a little young for it, dontcha think?

I'm still seriously thinking of installing bars on the outside of her windows and and a padlock on her door ...

Oh, yeah, and the TSA style full bag search on the way out the door.

J/k (I think). Though, the more I think about it, the more serious about it I am. Grrrr.


Might be time to stock up on the "rock salt" ammo for the shotgun, eh?
Reply #17 Top
How can some parents let this go on? Sure, I believe that it's important to instill the women of the future with ideas of equality and independence, but there's a difference between being smart and thinking about your sexuality, and just being plain skanky.


I think that a lot of it happens because parents feel guilty. It see it all the time - parents work full-time and feel bad about their kids being in daycare, so they buy them stuff. Video games, clothes, toys....I think that either parents feel bad so they don't say anything about their kids going out dressed like that, or they just don't see it because they're at work.

Then again, you have the parents who just don't care.....and yet again, the ones who encourage it. I think your friend taught piano to a girl who's mother encouraged her to wear mini skirts and halter tops.
Reply #18 Top
I can't believe that they make halter tops in ALL sizes, and I mean ALL. (They have belly shirts in sizes to fit my 2 month old daughter. )


I know! When I was looking at baby clothes for Jayna (before she was born) I saw all these tiny mini skirts and halter tops...for infants, for crying out loud!!
Reply #19 Top
I'm still seriously thinking of installing bars on the outside of her windows and and a padlock on her door ...

Oh, yeah, and the TSA style full bag search on the way out the door


We had thought that we'd need to do the same thing for Shea. luckily, she's not like that, and I can't help but think that the atmosphere she was raised in has something to do with it (Im not trying to toot my own horn here, I'm just saying that we've tried to guide her morally bt have also let her make her own decisions too...)
I think that your girl is going to be the same way, CM. I mean, she's got your for a dad.....
Reply #20 Top
Might be time to stock up on the "rock salt" ammo for the shotgun, eh?


Hehehehe.....Dave thought so too, but it hasn't been necessary.
Reply #21 Top
Hehehehe.....Dave thought so too, but it hasn't been necessary


Not as of yet, anyway.
He might sing a different tune later. I'm just VERY glad that I had 2 boys and no girls. Because otherwise, "someone" would have been "seriously" hurt!
Reply #22 Top
I sooo agree dharma! Another fashion trend I think is awful but passed off as cute is the short shorts, skirts, etc with a word or saying written on the ass. Even stuff like "Cutie Pie" or whatever. The comedian Carlos Mancia had it right when he said "why don't they say what they mean, "Look at my ass!". Do these parents really want everyone taking notice of their 7yr old daughter's ass?

This stuff is acceptable but breastfeeding is offensive, What the hell?!! Our society is so screwed up!!!!
Reply #23 Top

Another fashion trend I think is awful but passed off as cute is the short shorts, skirts, etc with a word or saying written on the ass. Even stuff like "Cutie Pie" or whatever. The comedian Carlos Mancia had it right when he said "why don't they say what they mean, "Look at my ass!". Do these parents really want everyone taking notice of their 7yr old daughter's ass?

I agree totally.  it's not appropriate, period.  I have 2 pairs of pants with things written on the ass of them, and they're both pajamas  (actually, I'm wearing a pair right now.  They say 'blame the dog' on the rear end of them.). 

I simply don't get it.  people bitch about pedophilia, yet they let their 7 year olds wear clothing that draws attention to their little bodies.

Reply #24 Top
By "everywhere" don't you think a few of those pedophiles and sex offenders just might have found there way into the fashion, advertizing, entertainment and other areas that run our pop culture? What better way to "normalize" pedophilia than make it part of the "fun" of fashion.


This is a good point and I've never thought about that!


I'm amazed at the way some parents let their children go outside their homes wearing almost nothing sometimes! Another place where inappropriate style of clothing is at the pool side. Have you seen some of those bathing suits for kids? The teenagers are the same way too.
Reply #25 Top
I have 2 pairs of pants with things written on the ass of them, and they're both pajamas (actually, I'm wearing a pair right now. They say 'blame the dog' on the rear end of them.).


What did the dog do at your rear?

Another example of conflicting messages: Child beauty pageants.