to love it when you see a photo of a little girl and shes not got to the stage of sucking in her belly yet

[elisadoeslittle]

You know the photos, theres a sweet little girl proudly in her school uniform or playing in the garden or whatever and you can see shes got absolutely no awareness of sucking her belly in. Normally grinning like a loon too!

Its heart warming. I wish I had the gall to not walk around sucking in my belly day and night (except when I get into the toilet/bath and go aaaaaaaaaaaah) at being able to relax!!! It shows they are still little girls!

I was only about 8 when my mum said to me, For gods sake, hold your belly in a bit Elisa!

[Mammie81]

I know what you mean. The pressure to not look stick thin in every photo because your mate is going to plaster it over FB hasnt set in yet! However I do sometimes forget to hold my tummy in, catch a glimpse of myself in a shop window and think WOW thats some tum. Then I realise its me Im looking at.

[itisnearlysummer]

I used to hold my tummy in permanently to the point where it was uncomfortable to not do so.

Nowadays I have too much of a post baby tummy to be able to do it convincingly so I don't bother.

Although when I do catch a glimpse of myself, I feel a bit

I love those pictures too. My DD is still at that age and it's great. Especially when she proudly shows us her tum after eating with a "look how big it is mummy!"

[HairyGrotter]

I use spanx for that

[festi]

have never heard of young girls sucking in thier bellies how old would you expect them to do that? I used to do that at about 16 or something and I dont even bother now.

But seriously have never heard of a child doing it.

[cantspel]

I have never sucked my belly in in my life and didn't know people do and yes i do have a belly that could do with being sucked somewhere.

I only have boys but they have never had any need to suck in anything. Surely children should be natually thin and without beer or baby bellies?

[festi]

I was also just thinking cant spel, would anyone expect a boy to suck in thier belly? surely if a child has a fat belly they need to lose weight and not suck it in or if it protrudes like some kids do particularly toddlers, then that is how it should naturaly be.

[allhailtheaubergine]

I don't think they suck them in as they get older, I think they just lose them. My daughter used to be a gorgeous little beach ball in her swimming costume, now she's a lanky 5yo. Certainly no awareness of looking fat or slim, just growing taller and stretching out.

[Morloth]

People walk around sucking in their bellies?

Weird.

[itisnearlysummer]

My DD is very skinny, but when she's eaten a big meal, she has a noticable rounded tummy. When children get older it disappears as their muscles get stronger and can hold all their internal organs in.

festi I assumed that the OP was just observing that young girls don't hold their tummies in and that it's really nice to see, before the whole, I'm not thin enough crisis sets in. I don't think she was suggesting that they do.

[controlpantsandgladrags]

I used to suck my belly in all the time, but then I got out of the habit whilst pregnant and have never resumed which is silly given the size of it.

I love the face that 3yo DD is completely unaware and not at all bothered about what she looks like. She dresses herself in clothes which clash horrifically and won't let me near her with a hair accessory. I think it's wonderful and I'll be so sad when it changes.

[festi]

I know that op wasnt suggesting they should, but I have never heard of it I was asking at what age they would do this as I have never known it?

[ShoutyHamster]

Brilliant username:

WowThat'sSomeTum

or just

SomeTum

Yanboo OP!

[Insomnia11]

Surely children should be natually thin and without beer or baby bellies?

It's very natural for a healthy child to have a rounded belly after they have eaten until they are 3 at least.

[madamarcati]

Older girls don't suck their bellies in, they just have stronger abs that act as a corset!

[madamarcati]

Lolo poncey my DD,now 6 has a sixpack.She's been doing gymnastics since she was 3 and never had a sticky out tummy!

[TheBigJessie]

My mother always used to tell me to hold my stomach in (from around nine years old), and that I would have problems in pregnancy and childbirth when I was older if I didn't. (No idea if this is true.)

Never have been able to remember, though, either then, or now!

[MardyBra]

My belly is still huge even when I attempt to suck it in.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

I have never sucked my tummy in in my whole life. I am happily oblivious.

[jellybeans208]

Never known an adult tell a child to suck their belly in and didnt know that girls did this. I have never known anyone to as far as I am aware.

[Caz10]

I suck mine in, under the false hope that I am actually exercising the muscles when I do so, so one day it will hold itself in!

[TurkeyBurgerThing]

Aaaaw! My little boy (21 MO) gets a huuuuge belly after he's eaten. I LOVE it.

[Feminine]

Its also known as a toddler tummy.

Totally normal.

[elisadoeslittle]

I wasnt suggesting they SHOULD hold their tummies in! Far from it! Just that they havent got to the stage where they feel pressurised to be slim and its sweet to see.

All my friends hold in their tummies all day. We have often discussed why we bloody bother seeing as it doesnt eliminate a muffin top!

[Morloth]

Well there you go, you learn something new everyday, it has never occurred to me to do this nor have I ever discussed it with anyone before.

Doesn't it hurt to keep the muscles tight all the time? Don't you get distracted?