Anonymous wrote:I hate seeing bikini tops on little girls with no breasts. My girls worn just the bikini bottoms until around six or seven. Definitely by ten. Girls are grown now and no worse for my choices of bathing costumes for them.

Well, I'm sure they would like to wear no tops like the boys their age, but alas, that's not allowed either. Pick your poison.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You never thought of your daughter possibly being prematurely sexualized by wearing a bikini at a young age?
-OP

No, I didn’t.

+1. Actually covering non-existent breasts in a young child is what is sexualizing.

+2
If this is where your mind goes to, you are going to have lots of things to work out, op.

I highly doubt OP is worried about sexualizing her young daughter, *herself*. Since it isn’t obvious to this stream of posters… she’s worried about creeps at the pool, beach, wherever, sexualizing her daughter.
And she should be.

Any age!

Anonymous wrote:Fine:







Not fine:

Agree with this.

First two piece was when she graduated from swim diapers - we needed to be able to get her out of the suit quickly for bathroom emergencies. Now (5) she has a few two pieces but gravitates toward her one piece suits.

There are two pieces and there are two pieces, though. I've definitely seen some for little kids with ruching meant to simulate curves or cuts that don't make any sense on a prepubescent body. Those give me the ick. Seeing a bit of toddler/preschooler tummy at the beach or pool doesn't really mean anything though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You never thought of your daughter possibly being prematurely sexualized by wearing a bikini at a young age?
-OP

No, I didn’t.

+1. Actually covering non-existent breasts in a young child is what is sexualizing.

In France, kids just run around naked or girls are commonly only wearing bottoms at the beach. No one thinks they’re sexualized.

I actually think that is less sexualizing than putting a little girl in a cheeky bottom and triangle top bikini

Oh, for sure!

Anonymous wrote:You never thought of your daughter possibly being prematurely sexualized by wearing a bikini at a young age?
-OP

prematurely sexualized???

what does that even mean?

how can it be prematurely? it is nature

Anonymous wrote:I would let her wear a Speedo two-piece under a rash guard. Not sure of your family’s skin cancer risk, but a lot of people shouldn’t be showing as much skin as they do at the pool. My kids are on the lighter side of average, so I insist on long sleeves. They argue, and I counter with a family history of skin cancer. YMMV.

Even if you don’t have a risk for skin cancer the sun makes skin leathery with sun spots all over. Nasty.

I like two pieces because it’s easier to go to the bathroom. Just swimsuit bottoms and rash guard with short sleeves. Shoulders are vulnerable to skin damage so a Tshirt type of rash guard works well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You never thought of your daughter possibly being prematurely sexualized by wearing a bikini at a young age?
-OP

No, I didn’t.

+1. Actually covering non-existent breasts in a young child is what is sexualizing.

In France, kids just run around naked or girls are commonly only wearing bottoms at the beach. No one thinks they’re sexualized.

I actually think that is less sexualizing than putting a little girl in a cheeky bottom and triangle top bikini

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest: I do think it is weird and a poor choice for a parent to put a young child in a bikini, especially when they have no opinion on the matter. But if at some point my older child/teen asked for two piece, I’d be fine with it.

It’s weird you think a child’s belly should not be showing.

Bikinis become popular during the “sexual revolution” as a way for women to express their new liberation and sex appeal. Just like little girls in makeup and sequined gowns for beauty pageants is weird too.

I would let her wear a Speedo two-piece under a rash guard. Not sure of your family’s skin cancer risk, but a lot of people shouldn’t be showing as much skin as they do at the pool. My kids are on the lighter side of average, so I insist on long sleeves. They argue, and I counter with a family history of skin cancer. YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You never thought of your daughter possibly being prematurely sexualized by wearing a bikini at a young age?
-OP

No, I didn’t.

+1. Actually covering non-existent breasts in a young child is what is sexualizing.

In France, kids just run around naked or girls are commonly only wearing bottoms at the beach. No one thinks they’re sexualized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty modest person and I'm old-fashioned in this regard. My 10 year old is lobbying hard for her first two-piece. Opinions?

I grew up in California in the 1970s. My first bikini (6th grade) was my last bikini. I'm a quick learner. They are inconvenient for swimming and risk falling off at the worst time.

If you do it now before she's actively trying to look hawt, she may go back to one pieces like I did.

Most of the 2 pieces I see on the under and over teen crowd are more tankini or similar, and less string bikini. I wish I’d worn more bikinis when they would have looked amazing on me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be honest: I do think it is weird and a poor choice for a parent to put a young child in a bikini, especially when they have no opinion on the matter. But if at some point my older child/teen asked for two piece, I’d be fine with it.

It’s weird you think a child’s belly should not be showing.

DP, but I feel like if little bellies were normalized more, it would help those of us later in life to feel less worried about our less than skinny, perfect ab ones. Everyone has a body.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty modest person and I'm old-fashioned in this regard. My 10 year old is lobbying hard for her first two-piece. Opinions?

I grew up in California in the 1970s. My first bikini (6th grade) was my last bikini. I'm a quick learner. They are inconvenient for swimming and risk falling off at the worst time.

If you do it now before she's actively trying to look hawt, she may go back to one pieces like I did.