Help - about to go on BBC radio Birmingham - your thoughts on "Are children being sexualised too young?" urgently required please!

We dont need to buy this stuff though do we. Vote with your feet. If it doesnt sell they will stock something different. Someones buying this stuff. Its not me though.

Hooter topic for me as well.

I'd really like to set up some kind of badge scheme or something, equivalent to the throwing red paint at porn shops that feminists used to do. However, as I know I'd get arrested for throwing paint in M&S kiddie dept, something less damaging and criminal, like stickers saying "Buy this if you actively want your child to look like a child-prostitute" or "paedophile-friendly clothes". Something uncontroversial, like that.

How did you get on Justine ??

the clothes are a problem. my dd (2.5) ends up in charity shop/French bought clothes all the time because I refuse to buy anything with "babe", "princess" etc on it. Dressing up clothes are one thing; everyday stuff is another.
I work a lot with primary school children involved in musical events and I am constantly shocked at what appears to be appropriate for young children to wear to church/concerts. but when you talk to the children they are in fact quite a bit less street wise than we were at that age, because their lives are much more home focussed and cossetted. They are giving out signals that IMO they don't properly understand, and provoking reactions that they couldn't cope with.

But at least girls get beautiful best outfits - Ds was recently in a concert (I know, I know he's 2.5 - but boy can he knock out a tune).

All the little girls had princess frocks on. Ds had to make do with a pair of red cord dungarees and his best stripey T shirt. All the other boys had their best cargo pants on!

I saw a girl at the park with a poncho on - couldn't go on the monkey bars because she couldn't lift her arms. Totally useless.

On a lighter note my friend is Australian and was a deputy head of a school. He wrote a note about a school adventure trip saying that "Thongs would not be acceptable for this trip". He meant flip flops. Result - lots of kids trying to abseil in flip flops - but at least they had big pants on!

Isn't it for this reason that clothes from places like Boden are so popular, they are nice proper little girls clothes. I like La Redoute for the same reason - the French don't seem to be the same at 'encouraging' sexualised clothes, yet their adults are some of the best dressed (and sexily too imho) people around.

Just my rantings there.......

Thanks for the good link, unicorn.
It doesn't give any answers though, does it ?
All the research is unfortunately at the early stages.
When will we know for sure ? - prob when its too late !!

At ds1's primary school the Head had to send letters home to all parents reminding them that thongs, mini-skirts, crop-tops and thigh-length boots were NOT suitable for school. It still didn't stop them.

oneidea on puberty

I get a bit upset when I see toddlers in straight skirts who can't climb the ladder to the slide. Or whose mothers tell them that they are not allowed to run on the grass in their new pink suede boots.

To me clothes should be practical not restrictive. And that does not involve looking pretty so that mummy can show off to her friends. Boys tend to get off very lightly in this respect.

I also think that Blue Peter presenters should not be showing bum cleavage on the telly. It is not nice and it is not pretty.

Why does puberty start earlier, I remember reading a while back about sexually precocious girls but which comes first awareness and sexual consciousness leading to early puberty or early puberty leading to earlier sexual behaviour.

I agree with everyone else. I want to buy pretty clothes for my daughter, especially as mentally she is younger too due to her special needs but the stuff available in most shops is so unsuitable.

i dont think it does happen with boys either but the market gets them in another way, with batman, power rangers etc etc tops

DH has just got over the shock of discovering one of DD's Bratz dolls (she got it for her birthday from a friend, not us,I hasten to add)has a thong on.
What he was doing looking up a Bratz skirt is a conversation I must have with him....

My local comprehensive school has stepped in precisly for this reason, and introduced a uniform.

I like the uniform! Black trousers, grey pique t shirt, and a black jersey top.

Heels are allowed, but we are talking about 14/15/16 year olds, so I do think that is ok.

Ithink heels on little girls are vile. Ditto underwear made to look like lingere[sp!], tops with inappropriate writing in, and words on the bum of trousers, and preciousness about keeping clothes clean. I only have a boy, no girl (yet) but boys clothes are designed to make them look as old as possible too. Shirts, big boots, low slung skater trousers etc

and I think those Bratz dolls should be bloody banned, they are a major symptom of a big problem!!!

(HOOTER!!!!!!)

even the bloody wellie boots for girls in Woolie have heels on them. Wellie boots with heels?Apparently its so that you know they are girls wellies....they are bright pink ffs.

We are in a right mess, aren't we ?
Like others, I'm glad I don't have daughters.

3 of my nieces friends have strted thir periods. Aged 9. How did this happen ?
15 years ago, it was about 14. Now its 9 ???!!!

As unicorn says, no parent needs to buy these things.
But, I assume that parents feel under pressure.
You wouldn't want your child to be bullied for 'non conforming', would you ?

I think that whatever the marketing men/women push on the marketplace, it's ultimately up to parents to step in and say a big fat "no". Yet every day I see little girls with their ears pierced, high heeled boots on, boys with dyed spiked hair etc - and you think, well they didn't buy them or pay for that - the parents did!

I've taught in primary schools and have been quite surprised at the undergarments some little girls have been bought by their parents. Five year olds coming up to me and saying, "do you like my thong and bra?", is uncomfortable.

I think it is awful. Remember when little girls wore lovely long dresses? Now it is boob tubes and mini skirts. OF COURSE a little girl wants to look like a pop star - to them it is dressing up, pretend. But it is up to the parents to realise that there is a world of difference between a dressing up box and letting your little one out dressed like a - and I am sorry for this but it is true - mini whore.

No child should go out in a skirt that shows their pants (sometimes a bloody THONG for gods sake!) and a tshirt that says Bitch, or I'm too sexy for this shirt or has the playboy logo on it!

I want to slap the parents. These things are for sale because people buy them. If nobody bought them then they would be off the shelves double quick. So ultimatly, it is the fault of the parents who buy them, that these monstrosities are on kids backs these days.

It does take something away from childhood if a 5yr old is more concerned with make up, skimpy clothes and VPL, than kicking a ball around or playing with a doll.

The children are acting in all innocence but the adults need to take control and for crying out loud get some sense of what is appropriate!!

It's not just Asda either, Argos had to withdraw thongs for 9 yr olds a while back (yuk!).. and how about the playboy bunny that's on pencil cases etc - is that innocent?

The Marketing/advertising industry call it KGOY (kids getting older younger)and just claim they are meeting demands.

Puberty is starting younger - which gives the impression children are growing up quicker, nevertheless children are just that - not mini adults.

Last point - young children may use the term 'sexy' and repeat things they may have heard- but they don't understand what they are talking about - how on earth can they?

What is sexual/provocative, is in the eyes of the beholder.. so it is the adult who is in the wrong.

Children don't have to be bought these items - so parents/carers are responsible for what they allow their young children to wear.

Children have been "marketed" to for many years, but I think this has gone into overdrive in the last 15 years or so, with more and more emphasis on children having/doing "grown up" things.

A couple of years ago, I saw an episode of SMTV live (childrens Saturday TV show) and was genuinely shocked to see cast members of "Bad Girls" (prison drama) on there - the programme was being very actively marketed to this child audience. It is not a show for young children, but clearly it has a fan base among them which was being exploited.