Children wearing tails?

[ShepherdMoons]

Dd's friend at drama club has recently started wearing a tail.She sometimes wears ears.It looks quite cute but I also find it a bit odd (they are 11).Dd hasn't asked to wear a tail (yet) but wondering if this might be her next question.I appreciate there's a bit of a trend for this at the moment and seems relatively harmless but I do find it odd.AIBU?

I think I read about this. It's astonishing that parents are happy with their children being remotely involved in anything relating to this. It's extremely worrying.

I mean, when I was a young teen I got really into vampires.

My father bought me a copy of Dracula, recommended a few songs by The Cure to satisfy my teenage angst, and allowed me to wear more "goth" clothes when I asked.

He didn't rush out to buy me a pair of vampire fangs and let me go out in public wearing them with a cape, covered in fake blood. He did not encourage me to become nocturnal or demand to be called Countess Von Giddy.

If these children are so interested in animals, get them involved in animal care somehow. For making costumes, get them involved with theatre groups. I just can't fathom the "Oh it's all fine, it's harmless and they're happy!" laid back approach. Pre-teens/teens doing their own thing is normal and absolutely a crucial part in developing their own identity. Why would any parent want that identity to be a furry?!

Come on. As a child it’s completely innocent. They don’t see it as a sexual thing. Older teens and adults sure, but not kids

The naivety on this thread is so bloody worrying

What the actual hell

There was a thing on TV years ago - Eurotrash- where the presenter poked fun at a bunch of people who stuffed a tail up their bum, put on ' bridles' and scampered round the woods starkers with ears on. Felt really sorry for then tbh. Young girls and older creepy blokes. Always the same.

Not sure letting at 13yr old play alone in the woods is a good idea, and certainly not dressed up as an animal. A dog walker could easily have a heart attack with shock.

I think you should do a bit more research. A huge chunk of the adult furry world is kink/fetish-orientated and there is plenty of (intentional on the part of the adults) online and RL crossover between the two worlds. Also a very strong narrative of 'choose your glitter/rainbow family', and that one's 'birth' parents are invalidating.

I'd honestly be very careful.

ETA - sorry I can see that lots of posters have already said similar.

I saw some in ikea as well!!! And there was a subservient with them.

is this a tik tok thing? This has to be a tik tok thing

I get what you’re saying. I do but at the end of the day it’s just a thing these kids do. They will grow out of it. Adults walking by in furry stuff are gonna get a funny look. Kids doing it are gonna get a oookay

I’d agree with that if it wasn’t for the internet rabbit hole when you search for stuff on it

My DS went through a phase of wearing a tail when he was about 5 I think. He's 17 now and no longer wears the tail!

That's not what being a furry is tho? And schools should be not allowing this.

But I'd put this on the list of things that never happened.

💯 this

I would say that the sexualisation of children/ dramatic conclusions people are jumping to on this thread is also "bloody worrying".

Do you really think this child is wearing cat ears due to some kind of sexual fetish?

Come on.

They're doing it because they think it's fun.

The information we have from OP is that an 11 year old is wearing cat ears/ tail to drama club. So what? What do you think is the actual risk here?

Just because furries exist in a sexual fetish way, doesn't mean that a child wearing a cat outfit means anything like that.

My 12yo and her 12yo BF dressed up to see the Coraline film. DD was Coraline and her friend was the cat. Personally, I'm pleased they aren't growing up too fast.

Those older teens were children a couple of years ago.

Seriously, how do propose to keep the groups apart? Because the internet won't do it that's for sure.

She hasn't outright said it but I think my daughter identifies as a sloth judging by the state of her bedroom lol. I can't get over the poster who said someone had a litter tray at uni lol imagine nipping to the kitchen to make a brew and there's a grown ass adult squatting in the hallway doing a shit lol.

100%

You hear about schools and uni’s having a litter tray for the cat identifiers. I call bullshit on this. No one has ever proved it

I get your concerns. I do. But it's a massive leap to look at a kid wearing cat ears at drama club (which is all we actually know from OP!) to 'this child has a developing sexual fetish which could put them in danger and is a safeguarding risk'.

There are a few steps in between those two.

Most kids like to dress up as animals, it's not unusual.

Yes there is a developing trend, yes there might be some concerns around that for teenagers, that's why you just keep a watchful eye.

You can't label every kid who likes pretending to be a cat as a safeguarding risk.

Can you explain more about anime please? My DC enjoy studio Ghibli films - I wasn't aware of a link with grooming?

I'm not saying the children are developing a fetish. I'm saying that they are both the beard for, and the target of, adult fetishists.

It's honestly not a co-incidence that children have suddenly started doing this. Teenagers who've been groomed are grooming children - and that grooming doesn't have to be in person, it happens online and just through the ether, like lots of things.

Anime is linked with grooming in the same sense as lollipops and kittens are linked with kidnapping children back in the old days.

It's not harmful in and of itself, it's just a thing that kids like that people will use to get at them.