To think that bikinis on toddlers are vile and wrong..

[worzsel]

And to wonder why my Daugher has to wear anything on her top half atall ? I've spend hours this morning trying to find a nice pair of swimming shorts for her and have seen rails and rails of bikinis that are just scaled down versions of adult ones, little triangle tops and everything ! I am struggling to understand why anyone would dress their toddler like a mini adult, it's very saddening.

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I didn't grow up in the UK, I grew up in Italy, and I can't remember ever wearing the top part of the bikini until I had a bit of breast, nor that it was popular for pre-teenagers to wear it. I also think there might be slightly less self - consciousness bodywise in different countries, but I don't want to make generalizations. I don't find anything sexual in the bikini top, it's just useless, as there's nothing to cover. And personally, I didn't feel the need to act or look older than I was.

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Yeah - which is an argument for little girls to wear the tops isn't it ?

Or perhaps people think little girls should not be seen in swinwaer at all - ever - maybe floor length dresses would be best ???

I really don't get this !

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I really can't think of pervs when I choose my children's outfit. I refuse to do it.

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well, why don't you put it on boys as well, as for the first 10 years of their life they look exactly the same.

Sorry didn't mean to aim that at you Kerrymum - others early in the thread are saying that bikinis sexualise young girls because their nips don't need covering, and to suggest they should be covered is sexualising them.

My feeling is that they are better covered - as this is not only the norm in our society but also as cod says, the pervs will look at the topless ones before the ones in bikini tops !

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I agree Kerrymum -
I personally would dress my little girl in a one piece swim suit.

franca you are so missing the point !

It is socially aceptable for adult men to be topless, it is NOT socialy acceptable for an adult woman ! (in general !) - girls and boys are adults in training - it's simple - girls wear tops - boys don't !

I really don't factor the sexualisation bit in. Cod think it's cute, I thinlk it's useless and a wast of my time, cause I can immagine dd taking it on and off and on and off and on and off, etc

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Here maybe. I spent fantastic holidays going topless, how liberating. No, a 7 year old girl is not a woman, she is a child, she is flat, she doesn't have boobs, she doesn't need to cover herself.

All my girls had little bikinis when they were little.. Absolutely NOTHING sexual about it. I agree that there are clothes that can be provocative and are totally inappropriate for little children, but a little pink flowered two piece with frills is hardly that... maybe it depends on the style.

Kerry, I'm afraid that ANY child at ANY time can be a prey to being ogled by these people. That's why it's unhelpful to focus on one person, one place, one style of clothing or lack of clothing. A general awareness and vigilance is all that we can do. I have been told by specialists that I've come into contact with professionally that clothes, or lack of them, don't actually make THAT much difference to these people. I don't think it's worth focussing on.

I so agree and cant see at all what the fuss is about.

I am not keen on really short skirts or things like that but would probably only try to tell my kids gently. Little girls have always wanted to dress like their mums and put on high heels. I dont think bikins are anything like that by the way.

HG is right people who want to oggle children will do it whatever you do there is very ltitle you can do with your own child. What is more important to focus on imo is teenage girls modelling and the vogue for younger and younger models.

We also need to up the way we think of kids in society and put more emphasis on programmes to help peadophiles. Bikins are a real side issue adn Cod is right here.

And you don't think a paedophile would get a kick out of topless toddler in a swim nappy? If you live your life (or rather, make your child live their life) in fear of what an imagined paedophile might be thinking then that really seems sad (in the true sense of the word).