AIBU to let my 2 year old wear a bikini?

[Bluebirds1987]

DH and I are staying in a holiday park and today we took DDs (2yr old and 8 month old) swimming in the pool. It was full of parents with children.

DH said just now that while we were there, he overheard some women looking at me and DD1, discussing that the bikini she was wearing "sexualised" her.

Its a Little Mermaid bikini with frilly detail and sparkly bits. DD1 Picked it out herself and she absolutely loves it. DH took great joy in chipping in that it's only sexualising her if you look at it that way, before telling them that's his daughter.

I honestly never even thought about it that way, to me she's just a little 2 year old girl in a Disney outfit and if I'd heard them I'd have been fuming! I have never come across anything like this before and it's the first time she's worn it, I'd like to think I can dress her in whatever she likes and feels confident in and that it's their problem they don't think it's appropriate, not mine.

But, I'm open for debate.

Were they out of order, or should I not let my 2 year old show her bare tummy in a public place?
Photo showing the bikini in question!

At two I'd have just put mine in the bottoms.

This.It's the fact that a top is pointless unless it's for sun coverage eg rash vest

Also I totally get that her nipples don't "need" to be covered, but it would make for a very boring bikini if it was just the bottoms... You'd barely get a picture of Ariel on those so I'd have had to buy a costume with Ariel on instead

But with little boys would you reach the same conclusion and give them a bikini top too? No.

You'd either buy longer shorts, or a teeshirt type rash top etc. Its this fact that those bikini type tops are simultaneously aiming at not covering up (bare tummy...) yet covering up (top). The implication is a need to cover nipples. In a 2 year old 🙄.

It's like your husband said, it only sexualises her if people see it that way.

If it was a tiny bikini with triangle top that would be different and a bit weird, but this is just trunks and a crop top.

So it's fine, don't overthink it. Those people were ridiculous.

Personally I put my 2 year old in a full body suit to protect them from the sun.

My 6 year old boy is going to wear some swim shorts for the first time which I still feel weird about. Guess it’s more of a sign they are growing up than being sexualised.

i don’t have an issue with little girls being in bikinis but I do prefer a full body swim suit when young.

I wouldn’t have chosen it purely because of sun protection (I find it easier to cover my toddler’s skin with clothes than with sun cream but yours might be different). But I don’t think it’s sexualising her and I 100% understand why you wouldn’t go for a one piece. My son is the same age and last year I made the mistake of buying him one of those one piece sunsuits - like a swimming costume but with long arms and long legs. Nappy changes were horrendous, especially the one when he did a poo, I will never recover.

Before reading and seeing the bikini I would have said YABU, but that's because I associate bikinis with getting a sun tan rather than swimming.

You never see a bikini in the Olympics.

Also something that happened when I was on holiday aged about 9 or 10, my family had got friendly with another family, the little girl's bikini top had ridden up and her dad said, "I can see your tities".

But seeing the bikini and hearing about taking small children to the loo I have changed my mind.

That is obviously a piece of child's clothing.

Some bikinis are mini copies of adult bikinis and I don't like them but a crop top and pants I'm converted.

@Bluebirds1987

You must be quite new to MN??

These threads do the rounds as soon as the sun comes out!! (I know you were inside).

I think her tankini is cute and not at all sexualised, most normal people would.

some people think putting a crop top/bikini top on is sexualising young girls (and there are some padded bra style ones that I agree are too adult in style, but tankini tops normal biki tops us just cute. Unnecessary, but cute. Weirdly they don't seem to feel the same about one piece swimsuits which are also 'unnecessary over the chest).

ignore ignore ignore it's batshit.