Daughters aged 6-11 should they wear bikini's?

[LucyD1911]

I am not on the fence on this one. I firmly believe objectifying our girls at such a young age can only lead to more psychological issues later on in their lives, regarding negative body consciousness, possible eating disorders and feeling of inadequacy due to how they look, and what others expect them to wear and show. It is the sexualisation of children and it doesn't matter how it is justified by saying, "everyone does it" , "it's harmless really", "I like my daughter to have a great tan"; it's more damaging than we believe it is. Why would we ask our daughters to wear sexy lingerie at the beach which has been reduced in size for a girls body shape, and with a kids print to make it appear more child acceptable. It's like Ann Summers creating a baby doll nightie sticking Miss Kitty on it, and reducing the size for 8 year olds. Is that acceptable?

My dd's prefered an all in one. Going down slides in briefs isn't fun apparently - wedgie or they come down!!
Bikinis from about ten for sunbathing at their request.

I agree with you. More often than not the bikinis for children aren't tank top styles for practicality, they are little frilly stringy things.

I live in Spain and I have young boys but my husband's cousins children of a similar age just wear bottoms on the beach with or without rash vest with sleeves depending on time of day/sun. I imagine when they hit 11/12 they will transition into something a bit more grown up. It's a minefield - teenagers want to wear something cool/trendy, but when you look in shops it's hard to find something that fits that brief and isn't skimpy and overly sexy!

If I ever heard someone say "I like my daughter to have a great tan" about a child I would be absolutely horrified...

Tankinis and 2 pieces are handy for going to the toilet though.

Easier for putting on under clothes when there Is no where to change.

I always went for the short style ones with more of a crop top or vest top , top part.

My dds wear boy leg swing suits ( no wedgies)

I think there are far more impractical swimsuits for kids than there are unsuitable bikinis.

Stupid tie up bits, stupid frills , thin see through material etc

Girls swim suits don't appear to be designed for actual swimming

I think viewing clothing as 'sexualising' is dangerous. Unless its clearly sexy underwear designed for that purpose, its just fabric and we shouldn't load it with judgemental meaning.

So if your kids want to wear a sensible kids bikini go ahead. I much prefer one to a wet swimsuit sticking to me!

I would not allow my daughter to wear a string triangle bikini, no, as I feel they are too adult a style. She wears either tankinis or one pieces.

When we were on holiday in the US, all the kids wore rash vests and bottoms which seemed to make more sense.

Depends what you mean by bikini. Dd wore the crop top style as it was much easier for going to the toilet than a one piece. She now prefers tankinis which also make it easier for the toilet

I agree.

Tankini type is fine, but the stringy, mini-adult ones are horrible and not remotely practical.

Given what we know about the damage the sun can do to young skin I have mine in rash vest and shorts if we're outside.

Full costume for proper swimming.

Tankini fine if we're indoors at a leisure pool.

On hols when dd was small she used to wear either rash suits or tankini styles.
She is older now and tends to go for swimsuits, or the retro 50s style bikinis with the full briefs.

On our last holiday a few months ago lots of young girls seemed to be wearing thong bikinis, which shocked me a little tbh.

Children are not being sexualised by wearing bikinis. Anyone that associates a child in a bikini with being sexual has a problem.

Personally, I prefer my children to have more coverage, purely as on holiday it is impossible to get them out of the water long enough to reapply sun cream, so the less skin the better.

If a saw a 6-11 year old wearing a bikini, which I see regularly, I would not be shocked. If I heard a Mum saying ' I want my daughter to have a great tan' I definitely would be! I think the things are completely unrelated.

My daughters (8 and 10) both prefer bikinis for the beach/summer holidays when they are in and out of the water all day. Easier to get changed into and out of, easier for going to the toilet, and dries faster.

They wear one-pieces when they go to their swimming training, however, because it's more practical.

I don't have an issue with seeing a bikini on a younger girl. I don't see anything "sexualised" about it, in the same way that there is nothing sexual about my wearing a bikini. I just find it comfier and easier for the beach.

Bikinis from about ten for sunbathing at their request

Sunbathing at 10? If mine aren’t swimming or doing something active no way are they sunbathing, they’re in the shade or wearing a t-shirt.

I personally don’t like bikini’s full stop. They aren’t practical. Unless you want to show off your body or expose it to the sun, what’s the point? Try and swim in the things and they are falling down or up. I have had too many skin biopsies so would always wear something with coverage to keep the sun off.

One of mine does have a crop top style sports bikini- she usually wears the bottoms as they have a loop she can tie to her rash vest to stop it riding up.

We spend a lot of time on naked beaches, so it's a moot point anyway! My daughters are both under 10 and have both one pieces and two pieces.

I think that this style is really cute - this is the only sort of "bikini" I think is appropriate on very young children, also much easier to go to the loo in:

www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/girls-swimwear/bikinis-tankinis/g1071-pnk/girls-coral-pink_ivory-surf-bikini-top

After all, if they're in one pieces you miss out on the chance for belly button kisses!

I do see children in ridiculous triangle ruffled bikinis which I think looks ridic.

Bikinis are just for posing in.

One pieces for children and actual swimming, IMO.

Originally, i thought no.
However, it's a pita for them to wriggle out of a wet cossie for a wee, so we got her a bikini.
However, she's 12 now and will wear cossies or bikinis (whatever she prefers the design of).
It's up to her. Start telling girls not to wear bikinis and you're on a slippery slope to burkha wearing.

Start telling girls not to wear bikinis and you're on a slippery slope to burkha wearing.

Nonsense. Just tell girls to wear comfortable, practical clothes that they like.

More of an issue I find from years of swimming lessons are that some swimsuits become see through when wet - who thought that was a good plan??

Dd picks her own costumes one piece for lessons, two piece for every where else because it’s so much easier for going to the loo.

Start telling girls not to wear bikinis and you're on a slippery slope to burkha wearing.

I don't think most 10 year olds are actively seeking out tiny sexy bikinis with tiny triangle tops - it's their parents. I don't think we're risking an Iran/1979-style revolution for suggesting that it's a bit weird to dress pre-teens in sexy clothes.

...enough useful info for your article?
Or your need to discuss young girls in their swimwear?

My DD is tall with a long body and one piece costumes never fit her properly, I had to go up several sizes for the length and then the straps would fall down and the bum would be baggy. For that reason I always had to buy her bikinis, tankini style if I could get them. There was nothing remotely sexy about her bikini or her body from age 6 to 11, and anyone who was weird enough to think her sexy would probably have found her just as attractive in a one piece.

I’m more comfortable in a bikini (or just the bottoms if allowed). It’s nothing to do with tanning or being ‘sexy’, it’s purely for comfort.
If my dd (when in that age bracket) felt the same I would have no issue with her wearing a bikini. She’s 18 now but used to run around in just her pants (and smothered in sun cream obviously).

Stop making it something that it’s not.

I don't see any need for 6 year olds to wear anything more covering than what boys of the same age wear.

So just bottoms, or shorts.

And they can stay like that til they themselves choose to put a top on - probably when breast buds start to grow and they tend to feel a bit self conscious.

But if they prefer to wear a one piece - up to them.

I don't like seeing small children in bikini tops that are designed as a garment to cover adult breasts.

What is the point? Pretend to be adult women with adult breasts? Imply that children's nipples need covering?

I think it’s sad that people who see children in bikinis presume it’s sexualising them.

I think that in itself is more damaging... let kids wear what’s comfortable to them. Introduce the idea of eating disorders, being body conscious and inadequacies to them at that age and they will start to feel like that. Let them be kids, for as long as possible. As another poster said, imo a 6yr old should be happy in bikini bottoms and nothing more. It’s us as adults that don’t like it, and by default start putting our own insecurities onto them.

No-one has said there is anything wrong with a topless child (apart from issues re. sun damage). There's nothing wrong with a topless or naked 6 year old on the beach. There is so something wrong with putting them in a bra and thong bikini.

As PP said no six year old is comfortable in a string bikini, certainly not more comfortable than they would be naked/topless, in a tankini, one piece or rash vest. It's parents who are choosing and buying adult style bikinis for their young girls.