Bikini for a 5 year old

[Charlavail]

Yes or no

Bikini brings to mind a skimpy stringy garment. There's nothing wrong with a child wearing a tankini or a 2 piece swimsuit though.

Depends on style but I'm not against them in principle.

They're a lot more practical than swim suits when it comes to going to the loo etc.

Yes. My 3 year old wears bikinis swimming.

So much easier for when she needs the loo.

The chest / bodies of 5 Yr old girls are no different to those of 5yr old boys. Rash vests not withstanding, why do girls have to cover their nipples?

All the little girls in Sardinia just wear bottoms, as did I when I was a child, as did my DD's. No-one in bikini's or rash vests (or hats for that matter). I don't know why we (the British), are so weird when it comes to swimwear/suncare in the UK. The rest of Europe (inc. the rest of Northern Europe on holiday) seems to cope fine, and in hotter and higher UV.

I hate bikinis on small children but that’s a personal choice. Practically they are better for toileting but I would be more bothered about sun burn etc. better to cover them more at that age.

Tankini would be okay - practical and sporty, no different to a vest and shorts.

A bikini? Hell no. What kind of weirdo would dress a 5 yr old in a sexualized item of clothing?

I don't see a problem unless its a thong and string top! Crop top / vest top and knicker type ones I have no issue with. Far easier then swim suits for the toilet etc.

They don't HAVE to cover the nipples but many parents might prefer it and many little girls will like a nice matching set

What kind of weirdo looks at a 5 year old in a crop top and pants and thinks that's in any way sexualised?!

Because they notice that their mum / gran / big sister all cover their tops but their brother / dad / grandad don't?

On a beach day, the optimum is bottoms that can be easily pulled down for the loo, then either a UV rash vest or an oversized white cotton tshirt.

In the pool a full swimsuit works better as if they are jumping in, nothing will fall off.

A triangle style bikini is a sexualized piece of clothing though!

A two piece with a crop top/vest top is what I would call a tankini, by a bikini.

^ not a bikini

Exactly, my 6 year old wore bikinis like this on holiday recently, I had no idea it was such a controversial thing.

Exactly, my 6 year old wore bikinis like this on holiday recently, I had no idea it was such a controversial thing.

Bikini, or two piece tankiini. Because anyone putting their child in an adult style bikini is already projecting that onto their kids themselves.

I'm willing to bet you mean a tankini-type. That's completely normal and appropriate.

Why are you even thinking about it?

I don't see anything wrong with bikinis for 3-4 year olds and in many ways they are more practical.

I certainly wouldn't give a 3 year old a skimpy bikini held together with bits of string, or one with triangles at the top, but a crop-top type one is fine.

Mum, Gran etc are fully developed adults and society deems they should cover their secondary sexual organs. Not sure the same goes for 5 year old.

No she had a tankini too, the bikini tops were much shorter, obviously not triangle style though I’ve never seen any like that for younger children.

This is the bikini for clarification

@Octomore a tankini has a full length top - like a tank top hence the name. Anything else is just a bikini. Nearly always for dc these are in the form of a sports style crop top. I'd not put a triangle type one on a child because it looks ridiculous, wouldn't stay put and would be uncomfortable not because I think it looks sexual. Neither do I think adults in bikinis are sexualising themselves unless it's a full on thong at see through or something- it's just swim wear!

I recently bought something similar for my 6 year old. It's not sexualised in the slightest. It's not great for skin protection but no worse than a normal swimsuit.

MN is weird about these things. See also babies MUST be in babygros until a year old.

Yes we do, but we dont go to public places. Myself and family members have large built in pools, so don't see reason why not. Its easier to go to loo than the palaver of taking whole suit down

I obviously meant ‘why do you ask?’. Your OP was lazily written, seemed like a journalist. Seems you added actual context now.