Leah Hardy in the DM about the sexualisation of children

[MmeLindt]

with comments from Justine

"Growing numbers of mothers like me are appalled at what is happening to the way our children, and particularly our little girls, are being pushed into ever more adult, ever sexier styles of clothes.

We worry how our growing daughters will learn to regard themselves, and how some adults will look at them. And most of all, we worry about how fast and how much their childhoods are shrinking."

Ah XP, you can't use films to decide what is appropriate and clothes though, only those who have seen the film would possibly see that connection. FTR i am a grease mega fan and didn't see that.

People can and clearly do have their own agendas and ideas of suitable.

That jacket for example is harmless, whereas a top with a pic of a cat on it saying i love pussy is not!

lol @ Aitch's business strategy

probably correct

the biker jacket is naffola, that's the problem there.

I can't find the M&S Lurex Jumper in question BTW, can anyone else?

I think Noah Cyrus looks hilarious. Her look isn't remotley sexual, it's pure comedy.

My DD dresses up as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella just about every day of her life. I worry far more about her thinking a prince is going to come and rescue her for the happy ever after, than I do about her premature love of a dab of lipstick.

LOL at those Daily Mail comments... I knew it would be all the mothers' fault.

I prefer the idea that families can choose their own clothing. But then I don't believe there's a paedophile round every corner.

here are the evil next shoes but to me these are just dance shoes. Strictly Come Dancing is hugely popular - and wholesome! - and these are surely just what dancers wear?

The shoes are ok, DD got similar ones for my brother's wedding last year. She calls them her high heels and is allowed to wear them to parties.

Ok, I admit defeat on the biker jacket. It was my sheer horror of the naffness and plasticness of it that made me link to it, I guess.

Those shoes are pretty restricting, though, aren't they? I wouldn't like my daughter to wear them, if I had a daughter. Except for dressing up games I suppose.

Nothing you can't run through mud in without falling over, is my motto.

Not seeing it either MP

I did see what i pressumed to be the 'adult height heel' shoes in next. Not exactly stilletos are they!

i do like the silver ones that suri cruise wears, but they're far too subtle for dd1 who prefers her 'clipping clopping shoes' to be made out of pink plastic, thank you very much.

i suppose it's just the commodification of what we've always done, clomping around in our mothers' shoes. but in a way that's why i'm happier with pink plastic, as i'd never be tempted to let dd out of the house in them.

Clearly they wouldn't be great for every day but how many children do wear that type of thing day in day out?

Aitch my DD prefers pink plastic also though she will also graciously accept purple in a push

I don't see anything wrong with that Biker Jacket. My 4 year old daughter wouldn't look in the least bit slutty or prematurely sexualised in that.

Truth is, if you dress like a slut yourself, your daughter is going to want to dress like a slut.

Most good things are taught by example
How to be a good dad
Men doing their fair share of housework
Being kind and considerate
Treating each other, including the opposite members of sex, with respect

It's really rather imperious that Mumsnet should seek to dictate how people dress their children. As though they are the final arbiters of good taste and common decency.

oh but we are.

i think it's a fair enough campaign, tbh. a lot of my dds' most slutbaggy clothes come from their slutbaggy child-free aunties, who go into a shop and think 'how CUTE, this sequinned hoodie is just like mine' whereas i'd rather they could only choose between one stripey tee and another as per boden.

Well TBH the use of the word 'slut' is not to be encourage IMO

I dress like Sue Pollard. My two girl children dress like (a) a greedy bridesmaid and (b) a slightly filthy boy street urchin. All are valid options.

anyway, it's not the four year olds who have the problem. i was at a party with a bunch of eight year olds at new year, oh my GOD but they were beautiful, all willowy and lush. their mothers were all complaining that it's hard to dress them without them looking older, unless they stuck to french stuff and boden etc, but that they were too skint. at eight, in ballet pumps and leggings, they just looked so much older than i did in my a-line polyester skirt, tights, and clarks clodhoppers.

I do see a problem in that teenage girls don't have any options except = pole dancer.

I'm not convinced as yet that the way to tackle that is to prevent them from dressing in anything with a snifff of the pole dancer until they are 16. I want more persuasion really.

What we need are more goths...

Good point Aitch, the "model figure" is basically a willowy 8 year old. It's all I can do not to stare and weep at the perfect young girls in the changing rooms at the swimming baths as I gallumph around like a thing searching for a mudhole.

yup, they were terrifyingly beautiful. and such lovely children, as well.

Aitch at slutbaggy. But not everyone feels the same as you, esp not child-free aunties.

I think it makes Mumsnet look more and more like Guardian-reading Boden-buying nutjobs.

MP {grin] at Goths and mudhole.

arf at goths. i've always said to dh that i would prefer ours to be goths than fashion heads. he is horrified, but goths are always so sweet ime.

i can't afford stuff from boden, btw, but i do love a nice hand me down. any offers?

Agree, Aitch, especially about child free Aunties.

We had a Xmas party at the school and you should have seen the pre-teen girls. Not sluttish but graceful and gorgeous, very librarian chic. Or sparkly sequined slouchy tops over black leggings and ballerinas.

It must be the French influence. The oldest DDs in our school look more like Carla Bruni than Miley Cyrus.

I never see goths any more

they used to be much more fun than hoodies