7yo dd was told at swimming pool to wear the top part of her bikini

[vacaloca]

I sent the kids to a holiday club today where they have a pool. They were wearing the bottom part of a bikini and the 7yo (very skinny as well) was told to wear the top part of her bikini tomorrow. I think that's just weird and I'm feeling a bit upset about it. AIBU?

[Oakmaiden]

Well, each to their own, I suppose, but I personally think putting a young child in a bikini is not so very different from putting them in a bra...

[Crazybit]

So what if girls wear bikinis? Makes life easier for them to go to the loo imo.
OP-Not sure really, would ask them why she needed it..?

[exoticfruits]

They are covering themselves-in case of complaints-you can't be too careful these days-sad but that is what it comes to.

[StrawberryGateau]

I remember going swimming in a public pool older than that in just bottoms, personally I have no issue. I can see why though they'd feel the need to ask this to cover their own back, which is sad. I'd allow in on a beach nowadays but not a public pool.

[worraliberty]

It's probably more to do with the fact it's a holiday club and the staff have to 'cover their backs' incase of unfounded accusations and all that crap.

I suppose it would be the same in school. I'm sure the teachers wouldn't allow your daughter to do PE in just a pair of shorts and plimsoles.

[lovecat]

YANBU, but unfortunately people see girls as sexual beings even as young as 7 these days - or else take it upon themselves to 'protect' them from other people who might see them as sexual. Weird and sad.

DD wears tankini-type combos and only wears the pants, purely because it's easier for her to go to the loo rather than have to wrestle off and on a wet swimsuit. Boys aren't expected to cover their chests, a 7 year old girl shouldn't have anything more than a boy to cover, so why should they?

To the posters who say an all in one is more 'appropriate' (cannot bear that word), why? What's wrong with a child just wearing pants to swim? So much easier all round!

[Oakmaiden]

I do agree with the OP though, that at 7 there should be no NEED to "cover up" unless the child herself is bothered.

I just think bikinis are a fairly adult type of attire. And I would judge if I saw a small child in one (although I accept that Tankinis are a bit different).

[festi]

I dont get the accusation thing, accused of what exactly? I dont see the difference than a baby in a swim nappy, no top, than a 7 year old in just swimming bottoms.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I've just come back from holiday in Greece where there were loads of little girls running around in bikini bottoms and little boys running around in trunks.
It was mainly the British that seemed to cover their little girls upper chest area , be it with swimming costumes or tankini type things. Why?
She's a little girl, UANBU.
Anyone that thinks there could be anything sexual about this are BU.

[Kladdkaka]

I must've been in Sweden too long as this makes me cross. Females should only have to cover their top halves if males do. :o

[Eglu]

Agree that tankinis are perfectly reasonable and I can see the practicalties. But bikini tops do not stay in place properly on little girls, purely because they don't have anything to put in them.

[ILoveDolly]

Look bikini haters - I was one of you until my 5 yr old dd was given a Boden one as a present and it is completely girlish and non-sexual - in fact her swimsuit is worse in that respect because it has a weird plunge neckline. I actually prefer the bikini now, pointless as it is.

I'm sure it's just a blanket rule. On a skinny 7 yo probably OK to have no top on but some of the 8/9 yo's now are rather, ahem, well developed. Best to just stick to a no exceptions thing.

[lovemysleep]

just realised that quite a few of you are appalled at the bikini??? I really do not understand what the problem is?

I can understand high heels, tops with inappropriate slogans, overly glitzy clothes/too old clothes, make-up, etc (all of which my DD doesn't have).

The designs for kids bikinis seem to be cute, and very simple too.

It's such a shame that so many people want to see something that's just a child being innocent, as something other than that...

Here comes my flaming....bring it on ladies!!!

[Ephiny]

I don't see the problem personally, she's only a little girl and presumably has no more than a boy would in that department. Still if you have the other half of the bikini, it shouldn't be too much trouble for you to make sure she has it tomorrow, so I'd just go along with it, doesn't seem worth making a big fuss over.

I agree it's probably easier to have a blanket rule than the staff have to make judgements about who does and who doesn't have anything to cover up! Though I read somewhere once about a woman who'd had a double mastectomy (and no reconstructive surgery so no breasts of any description) being banned from swimming topless, does seem a bit silly when you think about it.

[LordOfTheFlies]

MY DD has always worn a one-piece for swimming lessons(tidier and more streamlined) and a tankini for the beach. Much easier to go to the loo than struggling to slide the shoulder straps off (she has a racer back) and make sure they don't twist.
Her tankini was very decent

[spudulika]

Agree with OP.

And Kladdkaka.

We are so fucking neurotic about nudity and pedophilia in the UK.

[meditrina]

I wonder if the posters who are anti-bikini were also on the "overheard peeing through the cossie at the public pool" thread? Now there's an issue which wouldn't have arisen with a two piece!

[exoticfruits]

People really can't have it both ways! There is always suspicion of men who want to work with DCs (I don't know why-but there is). There are women who won't let their 7yr old go into the men's changing room on their own and yet men are supposed to pretend that they don't know any of this. They need to be very careful and mind their backs-there will be men helping at a holiday club.
While women are worried about nursery workers taking 3 yr old girls to the toilet and insist on their perfectly capable boys getting changed in the ladies it is totally unfair to get up in arms because a girl is asked to put all of her costume on.

[Oakmaiden]

I think that is the thing, Eglu - bikini tops are designed to cover adult breasts. Thus I feel it is an inappropriate thing for a small child to wear.

However - a small child running around wearing nothing at all would not bother me in the slightest. But the same child in a bikini would.

[spudulika]

"but i wore both parts of it... cos, why wouldn't you??"


Well - because a 7 year old has nothing to put IN the top bit does she? Her chest is no different to a little boy, and we're not asking them to cover their nips up.

[BunnyWunny]

If you are happy for a 7 yo to only wear the bottoms, why is it wrong for her to war a bikini? I don't get it!

[ILoveDolly]

My daughters bikini top wouldn't cover 'adult breasts' - It is as flat as she!

[festi]

a bikini is a bikini boden or bloody primark, honestly being boden does not make it any more accepatable to those who do not like the notion of a small girl in a bikini.

[LynetteScavo]

Hmm...bikinis are nothing like bras, IMO, but then if you have the top with you at the pool, then put it on. No big deal. I've always wore tops and never ran around topless. It's not a new thing.

Just to scare you all

[Sirzy]

Very good point exotic.