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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why parents let their children go out dressed inappropriately

311 replies

Twoplus3 · 10/04/2015 17:36

Now I know the weather is warning up, and you expect to see chidkren in shorts, t shirts, skirts etc etc but why oh why do parents allow children, I'm talking Young children age 8-9-10 go out dressed in belly tops and shorts that are that short they are exposing some of their bum? It really grates me as surely young girls should not be going round dressed like this, it's inapropriate imo and I wouldn't dream of letting my own daughter walk round in such a state.

OP posts:
exLtEveDallasNoBollocks · 10/04/2015 19:59

Ooh Parsnips, we did that too - I actually showed DD how to do it last summer when she wanted to keep her shoulders covered but get her belly out. It's a pretty cool trick.

wigglesrock · 10/04/2015 20:03

ButteredParsnips - my seven year old thinks that's the coolest thing ever - my mum taught her Smile

glenthebattleostrich · 10/04/2015 20:07

My 5 year old was running about in her pants in the front garden the other day, totally topless. The neighbours saw and everything. And she had a Gregg's sausage roll and fruit shoot ON THE SAME DAY

I live in a naice area too

TheFairyCaravan · 10/04/2015 20:07

We did that too Parsnips. My mother only cared if she thought the t-shirt was a good one and might stretch, having our bellies out was fine!

Hulababy · 10/04/2015 20:12

Re boys - isn't it still the fashin for the to wear their trousers half way down their thighs, thus displaying boxers and bottom?

DreamingOfAFullNightsSleep · 10/04/2015 20:16

Now really I have all this to come as my dd is 4.5 and my dts 3. But I can't stop her wearing open toed sandals, strappy dresses, anything with sequins and whatever she finds in her wardrobe which she likes. She will give either a reasoned or an impassioned (or both!) argument that as to why. She chooses clothes she loves which she is comfortable in and practical reasons as to why not to wear them go by the wayside (eg she cycles a lot and the dress is too long- "I'll make sure I sit on it mummy. It's too pretty to take off") She's definitely going to do her own thing and this year we have a pair of very short shorts in the hand-me-down collection Grin

5madthings · 10/04/2015 20:18

Look at football shorts of the 70-80s short! The fashion in recent years had been longer styles but you still get short shorts. We were looking at pics of dp as a boy (37) and he had little short shortS.

I did the t shirt trick as well.

And yes it seems to be fashion for boys to show pants, my boys often do but only cos they have such skinny waists abd no bum so everything falls down.

But again why are there value judgements on girls clothes... Yet you do not get the same for boys.

Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake · 10/04/2015 20:29

Belly tops sounds like belly flops

AvaCrowder · 10/04/2015 20:29

Great thread.

Surely crop tops are little girls' clothes. I haven't seen a woman wearing one.

Passmethecrisps · 10/04/2015 20:37

Frankly the only time my stomach (hate the word belly for some reason) could really be seen without causing dry heaving was when I was a youngster.

Passmethecrisps · 10/04/2015 20:39

I think jelly sandles are inappropriate foot wear. Really, I do. I used to whine on and on every summer holiday to get a pair until my parebts relented then they caused hellish blisters.

Wouldn't let them near my DD's feet.
Should any of the rest of you wish to indulge in such footwear then fire right on. I would just imagine you have sturdier feet than mine

Passmethecrisps · 10/04/2015 20:39

Bloody hell. Sandals. Sandals.

oldspeckledtam · 10/04/2015 21:00

I don't like crop tops and won't let my 9 year old wear them. She likes them a lot so we compromised- she wears the ones that come with a vest underneath. She also lives in wears shorts but again, not with her bum hanging out. It's not about sexualisation, I like her to wear stuff that fits! She also has to fit with my tastes at this age. I'm happy to buy her stuff she likes, as long as I like it too. And I don't expect her to wear stuff that I like if she hates it. We shop together and our main arguments are about shoes! I'm not giving in on heels. I reckon she has more shoes than me....

My ds doesn't care what he wears, but isn't allowed to be topless unless we're at the beach. I don't like it in men and he's so fair I can't be doing with repeatedly applying sunblock.

MadgeFinn · 10/04/2015 21:18

Surely crop tops are little girls' clothes. I haven't seen a woman wearing one.
Beyoncé wears them all the time on stage, as do loads of others. Isn't it female celebs who a lot of young girls aspire to be.

Smooshface · 10/04/2015 22:13

I found my old crop tops in the loft. I wore them when I was about 14, I don't think I was trying to look 'sexy', just 'fashionable'. With pinstripe trousers and a long sleeved crop jumper. mmm 90s

I think if they come in their size they are probably fine to wear them. The 90s are back, embrace it. I think they should enjoy getting their bellies out before they get too body conscious and paranoid to do so. Yay bellies!

Smooshface · 10/04/2015 22:20

oh and my 5 year old DD's bum is always hanging out, don't ask me why but no clothes that fit her in the leg ever keep her bum covered, she has short legs and clearly the wrong shaped bum for this world. Dresses and long tops are just easier...

AvaCrowder · 10/04/2015 23:13

Surely crop tops are little girls' clothes. I haven't seen a woman wearing one.
Beyoncé wears them all the time on stage, as do loads of others. Isn't it female celebs who a lot of young girls aspire to be.

Most girls aspire to be like their mums or sisters, aunties or cousins really. Or we would all be Madonna now.

cricketballs · 11/04/2015 02:44

Haven't read the whole thread, but my thoughts are that most DC this week have been wearing last summer's clothing mine have; rather than a choice, maybe they have outgrown the shorts

Fifis25StottieCakes · 11/04/2015 02:51

i used to have a rara skirt and loop/knot not my tshirt into a bra top, pinch my mams blue mascara, eye liner and pastel pink lipstick and dance to making your mind up and mel and kim when my dad wasn't looking, mam knew as she seen me dash out the door, that was in the 80's so it's not a new thing, we used to have a ball at the youth club, wearing black lace gloves and neon leg warmers. I think i was worse than my dd's

Fifis25StottieCakes · 11/04/2015 02:55

and in the 90's my school gym shorts were a nightmare, never wore such short tight shorts in my life but i had to or get detention, they were worse than the denim shorts. My dd's wear exercise leggings for PE, much more modest

sashh · 11/04/2015 05:21

I'm sorry but that's terrible! If my daughter came down dressed in a pair of shorts that didn't fit properly and didn't cover her bum then they'd go straight in the bin and she'd be asked to go back upstairs to change.

And when she's 14 and comes down in a smock you will think she looks lovely, you won't know she has hot pants underneath and will be getting changed on the bus.

Coyoacan · 11/04/2015 05:31

hahaha
I'm over sixty but in my young day boys and girls all went around without any top on in warm summer days, mind you it made puberty doubly painful.

fackinell · 11/04/2015 06:10

My Dsis, DPs and I were having a similar chat about this but with regards to the Sia 'Chandelier' music video. They thought the skin coloured leotard was inappropriate for a 12yr old child (it did make her look naked from a distance, I'll admit.) I was the only one that thought that for a dancer it was appropriate wear and that paedophiles (their concern) could find a shitty nappy or a onesie just as alluring, such is the twisted mindset. I was less about the items of clothing and in awe of the huge talent of this kid.

MrsBanana · 11/04/2015 08:16

I have never heard the term 'belly top'. Did the OP invent it?

wigglesrock · 11/04/2015 09:18

They were always belly tops when I was growing up, Madonna wore belly tops Smile , my dds call them belly tops. To me a cropped top is a short vest.