Sexualizing children

[Meg2]

There is no doubt that society is sexualising children from a young age. There seems to be an obsession with instilling very strong gender stereotypes early on rather than just letting them experience the asexual stage of childhood.


I’m still at the TTC stage (am I still allowed to comment if I don’t have children), but I worry a lot about how I can protect my children from this trend. There is only so far you can go to shelter your kids, eventually they have to interact with society. When they do I don’t want them to feel like their parents are old fuddyduds who wont let them dress up like their friends do. I imaging that it will be very hard working against the marketing machine.

[MeetTheBluths]

didnt WAY back when and even still in some places (I think) Weren't girls married and having kids by the time they got thei periods? Like, Marriage and child birth was started at a very young age once?

Certainly not by choice! which is why it still happens in various (backwards) parts Of the world.

And as for having sex at younger ages - pressure, as a result of all the various points as I stated in above post.

[VicPark]

Yeah but a girl has a vagina from the get go so is putting clothes on your children in general inforcing the norm? Girls will have boobs (more or less) when they get older so in turn wil wear a bra/crop. So if you feel the need to put jocks and knickers on kids to cover those private parts, whats the harm in teaching a girl from a younge age to wear a bra/crop to cover what will eventually be a private body part?

It's premature covering up.. Highlights the sexual difference when it doesnt yet need to be. Id prefer kids be innocent kids for as long as practicable.

Undies and bikinis are different. Undies cover an existing private part. Bikinis cover something that doesn't yet exist..

[Cleigh]

There is no doubt that society is sexualising children from a young age. There seems to be an obsession with instilling very strong gender stereotypes early on rather than just letting them experience the asexual stage of childhood.


I’m still at the TTC stage (am I still allowed to comment if I don’t have children), but I worry a lot about how I can protect my children from this trend. There is only so far you can go to shelter your kids, eventually they have to interact with society. When they do I don’t want them to feel like their parents are old fuddyduds who wont let them dress up like their friends do. I imaging that it will be very hard working against the marketing machine.

All POVs are welcome I was vey much open to whatever my children want to wear, however my youngest sees what his brother wears and wants to wear the boys clothes like him lol Otherwise Im happy for them to express themselves how they feel.

Certainly not by choice! which is why it still happens in various (backwards) parts Of the world.

And as for having sex at younger ages - pressure, as a result of all the various points as I stated in above post.

Yeah but it use to be normal.... These days its different but still, normal for nowadays. Obviously a lot of people these days dont like what anyone else is doing, but Im sure people who dress their kids in budgie smugglers and two pieces frown to themselves when they see a parent dressing their LOs in shorts and a tee to go swimming.

My 4 year old told me th other day he hates being naked. That made me sad really because he is 4. What gave him the idea that being naked is.... Wrong??? I dont know why he hates it, certanilly wasnt me whogave him that impression. I tell him his penis is his own and shouldnt let others touch it but I also told him there is nothing wrong with running around the hose nudie.

[Cleigh]

It's premature covering up.. Highlights the sexual difference when it doesnt yet need to be. Id prefer kids be innocent kids for as long as practicable.

Undies and bikinis are different. Undies cover an existing private part. Bikinis cover something that doesn't yet exist..

Yeah I agree.... But I also dont LOL If I had a girl I wouldnt be putting bras on her until she needed the support. Im guessing though, she would lie to be like mummy and wear a bra so I might just buy her one. She would be immitating the main female role model in her life. Would that be so bad if she wantd it?

And again, I agree with the undies BUT As a child, their organs rent yet "seen" as sexual. IFYWIM (oo never used that before lol) So why cover something that is jsut used for peeing, when it wont be used as a sexual organ for years to come?

[MeetTheBluths]

Yeah but it use to be normal.... These days its different but still, normal for nowadays

Just because it was normal does not make it right...

Developmental psychologists know that children's brains are not fully developed until they're in their 20's. They don't have the ability to harness impulsive behaviour/gage the consequences of their actions well as such. It's always brought up in the debates about raising the driving age. One would assume it would also apply to the sexual consent age.

[Cleigh]

Just because it was normal does not make it right...

Developmental psychologists know that children's brains are not fully developed until they're in their 20's. They don't have the ability to harness impulsive behaviour/gage the consequences of their actions well as such. It's always brought up in the debates about raising the driving age. One would assume it would also apply to the sexual consent age.

Of course they arent developed but I guess just like everything else its up to the parent to teach them. I mean, no matter what the parents do, they will always be in danger from preditors but just liketaking candy from strangers, its up to the parent to teach the kids not to. So no matter how your child dresses, they need to learn (these days) what to do / what not to do.

A child of.... 10 through to 17 sort of thing. They are wanting to attrach a mate. A boyfriend or girlfriend. They see in the media that all the hot chicks or cool dude all have sexy bodies and clothes so of course thats what they want to do. As a parent though, you try teach them its whats on the inside that counts.

Yeah I dont know where Im going. Just brain farting lol

[MeetTheBluths]

Of course they arent developed but I guess just like everything else its up to the parent to teach them. I mean, no matter what the parents do, they will always be in danger from preditors but just liketaking candy from strangers, its up to the parent to teach the kids not to. So no matter how your child dresses, they need to learn (these days) what to do / what not to do.

A child of.... 10 through to 17 sort of thing. They are wanting to attrach a mate. A boyfriend or girlfriend. They see in the media that all the hot chicks or cool dude all have sexy bodies and clothes so of course thats what they want to do. As a parent though, you try teach them its whats on the inside that counts.

Yeah I dont know where Im going. Just brain farting lol

Im not telly sure whether you're disagreeing with what I say...? Or why you've quoted me. I certainly agree its a parent's job to educate and protect children... Of course I do and it's kinda my whole point. Why do we, as society, sexualise children before they're ready? It is adults that do this, parents!

[Cleigh]

Im not telly sure whether you're disagreeing with what I say...? Or why you've quoted me. I certainly agree its a parent's job to educate and protect children... Of course I do and it's kinda my whole point. Why do we, as society, sexualise children before they're ready? It is adults that do this, parents!

Like I said, just brain farts lol Not really disagreeing. Just commenting. I dont see though how, unless you are dressing them up like a hooker, putting cute things on kids sexualizing them??? Like I said before, frilly nappy covers on babies with dresses on cant be sexual unless you seem to be turned on by that? They are just gorgeous little clothes for gorgeous little people.

A teen wearing short shorts isnt sexual, its just practical if its a hot day or they (like me) get flushed and hot easily. Unless they have their butt cheeks hanging out, I dont see a problem. Same goes for girls wearing crop tops and showing their bellies. Bellies themselves arent sexual, yet people think girls look like little shanks if they are showing. Maybe its hookers that made these things sexual? You see a working girl or a stripper wearing these things so you automatually think if a young school girl dresses like it they want to look like that? If it wsnt for sexual preditors, would people have a problem with girls dressing like this? If working girls and sex industry people didnt dress like this, would people still have a problem?


But again, a teenager IS after attention. From boys and/or girls. So they dress how the media thinks you should dress.
However a child 1-7ish dont normally think this way unless influenced by their parent. They are normally jsut dressed 'cute'. A parent finds something cute so they buy it for their kid. Parents dont think of sexualizing their kids when they buy clothes for them. If they did, they have a probelm lol

[Sonja]

It's premature covering up.. Highlights the sexual difference when it doesnt yet need to be. Id prefer kids be innocent kids for as long as practicable.

Undies and bikinis are different. Undies cover an existing private part. Bikinis cover something that doesn't yet exist..

This is a tough one. DD1 knew about breasts being private from about the age of 3. Why? Because she watched me getting dressed every day and saw me put on a bra. Then when she started prep it gets talked about (kids love talking about privates, no matter how often they get asked not to precisely because it gets a response sometimes) and she no longer wanted to get changed in front of male friends or cousins her own age or even younger. She felt self conscious. I guess it's the same reason why once boys are 6 they are no longer allowed on the girls' toilets. Not because they'll do anything but because kids are generally aware of their bodies and what makes them different at around that age.

By your reasoning though because my daughter didn't actually have breasts developing, parents can't cover their chests in any sort of bathers but a rash vest (being gender neutral) until girls actually develop breasts? That just doesn't work. By your reasoning girls and boys should dress the same until puberty basically. We don't live in that society.

Look I don't like what's happening to kids one bit. I don't let my girls dress tackily, or like tramps. I even struggled letting them wear leggings that have a bit of lace on the bottom. I don't like little kids in black clothing. I think that looks aging on them too. we all have our own view on what we think is appropriate.