Linda and I were in Target this afternoon and were appalled to see children’s shirts with slogans like “Cuter than you” and “Isn’t it cute that you think I’m listening”. These go along with jewelry that proudly proclaims the wearer is a “bitch” and similar.
Here’s what I don’t get, though: who the heck buys this kind of thing for their children?
There’s a mean spiritedness in these slogans and many modern items of clothing that just escapes me.
What am I missing that I blanch when I think of my daughter wearing a shirt that insults the people who see it? Am I the only one who yearns for an earlier day when the slogans on shirts were about celebrities or political statements, not gratuitous insults?
Or how about the shirt that says “Saw it, Wanted It, Had a Fit, Got it”? How about the “I’m with loser” t-shirts?
It’s not just Target, of course. K-mart, Wal-Mart, Sears and just about every clothing outlet, cheap to expensive, is littered with clothes that are just plain weird and disturbing. Underwear for little girls (we’re talking five or six year olds) that says “sexy” or similar. What the hell?
It reminds me of the uproar a while back when formerly staid preppie clothing store, now crass sex merchants Abercrombie and Fitch started selling thongs for pre-teen girls. I don’t know that anyone would even have much to say today, but all those years ago it was outrageous and the company even ended up issuing an apology.
Maybe I’m just a prude after all, but there’s no way in heck my children would ever wear clothing that insults anyone, either themselves or someone else, and I am also vehemently against any clothing that sexualizes children either.
Am I wrong here? Too uptight? Or do you have reservations about modern clothing, jewelry and related too?
I agree with your statements. It is just as bad here in Aus, though I have not heard of pre-teen thongs. It’s not just the slogans on the shirts/clothes that are bad, but the style of clothes coming out. In Aus, this past summer, it was micro skirts (or so it seemed) that were all the rage for pre-teens, and boob tubes.
There is just something wrong about a kid wearing that and trying to keep their modesty while playing in a hungry jacks (burger king) play ground.
Totally agree. What’s up with shorts that force people to look at the butt so they can read the message? And padded bras for developing breasts? What’s up? I don’t get it, and my daughters for sure won’t be wearing clothes that make them look like Britney Spears or the latest trashy icon.
Apparently parents do buy these. Have you seen the 5-year-olds at the mall dressed up in their best Britney Spears imitation? And then there are the groups that complain about Store X selling this kind of stuff–when if people would just quit buying it, stores would quit selling it. I think many (most?) parents just don’t want to take the responsibilty for making “adult” decisions.
Dave, I’m with you. I wouldn’t stand for my children wearing apparel that degrades others and themselves.
Keep it clean, and keep it respectable. After all, I hope my children believe in themselves, and have enough confidence to know that they are miracles and of so much value, that wearing ill-respecting apparel or showing too much skin is counter-productive and helps gain the wrong type of attention.
I personally belief that it’s a lack of parent-attachment, and a move towards peer-to-peer attachment and influence that makes the popularity of these ill-respecting apparel so popular.
Just my CDN10cents – IMHO.
Making sex (or anything with sexual connotations) into a big bad deal only increases its appeal to children. After all, they are curious and growing and testing their limits…as children do.
I’m not big on thongs for pre-teens, either. But I don’t put the blame for the ‘wrong kind of attention’ on the targets of it. I put the blame where it belongs…on those it originates from.
It is *never* the fault of the person being stared at. It is *always* the fault of the person staring. Always. Healthy, morally sound adults do not leer at children…regardless of what they wear. It is the unhealthy and morally deviant pedophiles that leer at children…regardless of what they wear.
Also, I don’t understand how a shirt with the word ‘bitch’ on it is insulting. It’s a word. If it happens to offend someone who sees/hears it, they have the option of being a mature individual and averting their eyes or ignoring the conversation.
It seems to me the main reason these clothing slogans bother anyone is because they are marketed towards young girls. Violent, stupid clothing slogans are marketed towards young boys as well. Why is there so little outrage about that? Because little boys are allowed, heck, even ‘supposed’ to be rude/inappropriate. They will be boys, after all.
But not our ‘sweet’ little girls. No. They must be shielded from life, protected and shamed out of their human natures/curiosities/inappropriateness. Taught from practically birth that if something bad happens to them/someone takes advantage of them, THEY are to blame, not those that hurt them. Because our ‘sweet’ little girls are to be ‘sweet’ and ‘innocent’ and ‘pure’ not for thier own good, not for their own sake, but for the sake of our prejudices/insecurities/cultural comfort levels…even unto their own detriment.
Is it any wonder so many molested/raped girls suffer in silence when they are raised to think they did something to ‘attract the wrong attention’? That any talk/inquiry of sex makes them culpable? Reprehensible.
While I do not endorse marketing to children in any form, much less the asinine manifestations of certain clothing manufacturers, I also do not condone sexist response to it.
Little boys and little girls are both just little people. Equally human, equally flawed, and equally deserving of compassionate, respectful parenting that allows BOTH sexes to grow and learn without shaming, and without placing the responsibility of abuse on them.
Don’t like the clothing? Don’t buy it. But please, don’t tell your kids it’s because they are ‘bad’, and wearing said clothing would ‘get them into trouble’. THEY are not bad, THEY are not causing the trouble. The people who would take advantage of them are. Put the blame where it belongs!
Thanks for your long note, Claire, but I don’t think I ever said that I’d view the children who wear these clothes as “bad” people: if anyone’s to blame its the parents who buy this stuff for their kids, not thinking about the message or the implications.
And in terms of boys versus girls, you don’t see my son wearing “I’m with stupid” t-shirts either. I’m an equal opportunity complainer in this regard. 🙂
when i was a kid at school there was a name we gave these girls, and their parents were mostly “white trash”
most of the ones i knew about at my school were sleeping with multiple partners by the time they were 14-16.
they were promiscous from the age of 12 and they used that to gain favours with students and teachers
i call it irresponsible parenting
I totally agree that this world has come to a very scary place. 6 months ago my stepdaughter came to live with my husband and me. When we took her shopping for school clothes, the things she specifically requested were “gogo boots” and “pimp sneakers”… What the…? As it turns out, when we discussed where the boots got the name “gogo boots” and the sneakers “pimp sneakers”, she was appalled, although appalling to us was that she knew just what we were talking about. She decided on her own (not that she had a choice) that she didn’t want either.
These days parents are so concerned with issues that weren’t really issues when we were kids. They obsess over an occasional swat on the bottom damaging their child for life; they are concerned about violence in movies and it causing a detachment of emotions in their children; they are so worried about their children not having meat, or having soy vs. milk, etc. Yet, what the concern should be is this: This generation of children idolize rappers that make it P.C. to claim they are “gangsters”, or in fact are. They sing about hos, drugs, pimps, guns, drugs, etc. Even the female non-rappers sing mainly about sex. They look at strippers and think, “I want to be like her when I grow up”, “when I grow up, the first thing I will have cosmetically altered is…”. Parents are so busy working that they don’t catch all the little details like the music that’s on the radio that the child is listening to in his room (no v-chip for the radio yet), like the fact that most young children have seen “Jerry Springer” (probably on the televisions in their rooms), and knowing what their children are doing. What the kids really need these days are parents who are strong role models and who are AROUND. It is a sad state we are in when parents think that dressing their 5 year old girl in a shirt that says “SEXY” across it is cute. What is wrong with people? UGH!
Excerpt from my blog today (blog against sexism day)
http://bombadee.blogspot.com/2006/03/blog-against-sexism.html
“In a world were little girls get to start asking âDo I look fat in this?â? at age 3, we can also give them tiny little belly shirts to wear. I have started to buy Ellaâs shirts in a size 4T even though she is actually a 2T. I would rather roll up the sleeves than have her little belly hang out in March in Northern IL. In fact even if we lived in FL it would be the same. Ella loves to dress up as Cinderella with her little crown and wand (heavy sigh and eye roll from me) but I think that is totally different from buying little hip huggers so her G-string underwear featuring cherries and the words “eye candy” and “wink wink” can poke out of her little jeans. There is a vast difference between letting my daughter feel pretty shuffling around in her sparkly plastic princess shoes and actually buying her little heels for daily wear to shorten up her little hams strings so she can comfortably walk in the size 5 Manolos when sheâs 7.”
I read the g-string underwear featuring cherries and the words “eye candy” and “wink wink” are being sold at Target.
Kids see these things differently than we do. When my daughter was in her early teens she bought a t-shirt that said “I make good boys bad”. To me it implied sex or some type of unacceptable behavior. To her it just meant she was cool.
It never ceases to amaze me that parents let their kids wear this kind of clothing, and then wonder why their teens have such attitude problems, rebel so much, and are involved with less than appropriate behavior.
I totally agree with you, Dave! Yuck, yuck, yuck!
I was definitely also going to mention the pants with words on the butts — NO WAY!! My nine year old precious girl will NOT be wearing any of those!
While shopping with her Target Christmas cards, she wanted a shirt that said something about ‘You can have my brother’ — I wouldn’t let her get it. I explained to her that saying it once, as a joke, while everyone is in a good mood, NOT in the middle of a fight, might be funny — but to continually ‘say’ it on your shirt would just be mean.
The other thing that drives me crazy is the little girl’s shoes — they are HIGH HEELS! They make them wedges, so people ‘think’ (I suppose) they aren’t high heels, but come on, people! I see three year olds in high-heeled wedge sandals! Didn’t they just learn to walk?
I too am appalled at the style of clothes coming out for children and teens. If you are appalled by the clothing at Target, wait to your hear about Pimpfants.
I so agree with you Dave! It’s incredibly frustrating to go clothes shopping for my 10year old girl. She’s just beautiful in her own right, and doesn’t need sexy clothing, makeup or fashionable accessories in order to be pretty. The problem is, she doesn KNOW this. No matter how many times I tell her how lovely she is, or compliment her when she’s wearing some pretty dress, she wants to dress like a Bratz doll! Have you seen these? Many of the girls in my daughter’s class dress just like these dolls. It’s incredibly frustrating! At the school’s fourth grade holloween party, three girls in the class were dressed as bratz… to me they just looked like little hookers! I can’t believe that parents would allow their children to dress like this ever.
I also have to respectfully disagree with Claire’s post. I do agree that if an adult man looks with lust at a young child that he is demented and at fault. But how can you say that a parent who allows their child to dress like a piece of sexual meat, and even encourages it isn’t at fault as well? Why would you want your little daughter to grow up thinking that her body is her only valuable asset, or that she needs to dress provacitavely in order to be popular or successful? I’m frightened for my little girl, and pray continually that she’ll grow to be strong and feel comfortable and beautiful with her body, regardless of it’s size and shape. I’m horrified when I see a questionair in a teen magazine that asks young girls “what is the worst part of your body” or “what would you like to change about your body”! Why can’t they encourage girls to be proud of their individual shapes…why aren’t the models in those magazines regular girls with regular bodies (including pudgy tummys, or short girls, or girls with small breasts). Growl… this all just makes my job as a mom, trying to encourage my little girl so very much harder.
Thus far, my daughter is extremely understanding and does not want to dress overly provacative. However, when that new line of Mary Kate & Ashley clothing comes out with the short skirts, and little string tank tops with belly’s showing…she’s VERY tempted.
I know I’m late, but I just thought I’d share what I saw at Target, and threw a fit about.
Little, baby booty shorts. Sized 6 mts to 4T. With a message on the butt.
Not just any message, but this one:
“JAILBAIT”.
Baby booty shorts with JAILBAIT on the rear end. I quite loudly proclaimed that if I saw anyone with their tiny child dressed in booty shorts with “jailbait” on the butt, I would promptly be calling CPS. I got applauded.
It certainly is the fault of the people who buy the clothing, but also it is the fact that major clothing distributors have such a high demand for slutty clothing for little kids. Why? Because they KNOW they do RESEARCH that it WILL BE bought. And believe me, a pedophile may be attracted to all children despite what they wear, but if a little girl is wearing a slutty t-shirt and ripped skirts with no panties they are far more likely to get raped/molested/have a damn good time than the little girl who is dressed in a long thick skirt and wearing a sweater. You make pedophiles out to be sadistic creatures who prey on any thing that comes along. There is a balance just as there is in adult sexuality. Just because a guy likes to look at naked 20 year olds he isnt likely to rush about raping every single 20 year old he sees. Get a life, get a grip, get perspective on something that isnt force fed to you from the day you were born.
hi, I just ran across this site. I have been trying to find some resources online to help me to back up or “reinforce” what I have been trying to preach to my stepdaughter, Kaitlyn who just turned 13. My stepdaughter is a beautiful, talented, outgoing little girl who is now offically entered the teen scene at age 13 and is going into the 8th grade. Buying clothes and shopping with her was so much fun and a cinch. We had a lot of the same taste in clothes. However, I am a 28 year old stepmother and her father and I have 3 younger and impressionable children together, a boy 9 years old and a set of 7 1/2 year old boy/girl fraternal twins. Kaitlyn has always had an eye for fashion but in the last 2 years it has started becoming an issue. I expect Kaitlyn to want to dress a little older, after all she isn’t the same age as her 7 year old little sister, however, I am sick and tired of walking into a department store with her and the first thing she runs to is anything that is short, skimpy, and covered in freakin sequins! Kaitlyn is an average height and lean teenage girl. She is still small enough that she wears a size 16 regular in the children’s clothing section. She keeps gravitating into the juniors section and expects her father and I to be ok with her taste in clothes. Kaitlyn likes hip huggers and is adament that she can’t stand pants of any kind that are close to covering her belly button. She tells me that she likes to wear them to where they are riding literally on her pelvic bones because it’s more comfortable. I tell her that I am not interested including everyone else in having to look at the crack of her ass when she bends over nor am I or anyone else interested in seeing her gut sticking out when she lifts her arms over her head. She likes what they call “baby doll” shirts which are shirts that are manufactured to fit snuggly to the body and accent the chest area and never seem to be long enough to cover a girl’s navel. Kaitlyn also likes things like “happy Bunny” clothing and merchandise which is some of the most degrading crap that I have ever seen. The stuff is rude and insulting. I am not interested in her wearing happy Bunny merchandise that says things like “Hi Loser”, or “you’re so ugly” or “you make me throw up”. Also, and I am just venting here but my mother-in-law recently took my stepdaughter out of town for a girls day out shopping trip and when she brought her home my stepdaughter says “mom, wanna see what grams got me???” so, I said “well, sure” and my 13 year old stepdaughter pulls out a padded bra with two pairs of lycra booty panties and a coordinating pink and black pink panther spaghetti strap tank top and booty shorts pajama set. Needless to say, I was disgusted. I admit, my stepdaughter isn’t endowed whatsoever when it comes to her chest size, she’s so small that she’s not even fully into a size A cup. But, that’s the way God made her and frankly, I don’t believe that my daughter should be wearing padded or push up bras to draw attention to her breasts. Bras like that are made for one thing and one thing only and that’s to give a WOMAN the appearance of larger and fuller breasts with cleavage. What the hell does my 13 year old little girl need with any of that??? I told my daughter that she could keep the stuff because her grandmother purchased it for her but only on condition that she was not allowed to wear the padded bra out of the house and nor did I care to see her in the pajamas and that she could wear them to bed however, she was not to trapse around our home in them or ever wear them outside or wear them while at anyone else’s house. I feel that I and mainly my husband need to firmly set some bounderies when it comes to what dear 57 year old grandma buys for our kids. I just our daughter to be raised with values such as modesty and respect for herself as well as others. I know that my mother-in-law wants to be a “cool grandma” however, I want her to be harmonious with my husband and I in the message that we are sending our children. I want my children to know that modesty is cool too and that you don’t have to bare your breasts and your crotch to get attention instead I want them to learn that modesty has it’s own allure superior to the negative attention that you get from dressing provocatively. Let’s make our kids dress like kids and when they’re all adults and are old enough to fully understand the natural ramifications and repercussions of dressing provocatively then it can be their own educated and informed choice. Feedback would be appreciated! Thanks.
OK – Some people are going to think I’m nuts, but so be it. I actually believe that this multi-pronged assault on our children’s fashion objectivity is well thought-out and well orchestrated to make our children less aware of sexual borders and more of a target for older men. Look at who has started all of these fashion trends – Disney and others in the media. I can remember thinking about how all of the Disney characters were and are dressed in such skimpy outfits (think of Jasmine and Ariel in their belly-baring outfits with their oh-so-familiar “hip-huggers” and tiny tops). Notice that these characters are often more well-endowed than kids their ages would truly be. I don’t think our current state is an accident. I think it has been create by psuedo (or not so pseudo) pedophiles with lots of money and power to make creative artistic decisions that will direct our children’s fashion and sexual thought processes. I have never been a conspiracy-theorist type, but look at the history and evidence and it’s hard to deny. This attack isn’t on our teenagers, it starts the moment they can watch TV – if not before. — Nuf-said
I have a 13 year old stepdaughter and my mother in law undermines everything I believe in. I told my mother in law I do not wanting my stepdaughter to wear makeup or skimpy clothes and as soon as I leave she goes and puts them on. She also buys things for her and not other children that live in the household that are not her bio. We have issues with clothes that are too small and she won’t part with because she thinks that if she likes them then she should be allowed to wear them. dad doesn’t want to get involved. Any comments or advice appreciated
Parents, grandparents and friends buy this stuff – that is what is fueling the marketing. As parents it is our obligation to say no if children will not understand the consequences, to explain why to both our kids and our erring family and friends, and to contact our local retailer to explain our displeasure. The world is complicated and words and images mean different things to different people. Kids don’t get that and it is our responsibility to help them figure it out, even if we don’t win the popularity contest. Especially because it is unfair to put kids into a position of being a target when they have no idea what is being construed from what they wear. Lots of teachable moments here!
omg-i know what your talking about my little girl elizabeth when to the mall with somw freind ther mom for a party.I told her no and my little freinds girls name is brookie and her mom finaly talked me into leting her come to the mall but i had work so i culdent caome and jenny’s mom gose oh! it’s o.k.so she gose to the mall and calles me later with an un-none number she gose -mommy-
yes i replied she gose can i get a phone. i hade one of thouse feeling (i knew that was going to come out) i ask her no one at the age of 8-9 has a phone.she gose but every one els haas one!!!! i hate it when my kid’s go -but anyone eles has it-just then i seid something to her like yoyr not them and who’s phone arwe you ising and she gose cassie’s then i yell cassie has a phone whatb the ccrap! she say so dose kasidy,jenny.lauran,& sarah. what the crap do thouse girls have phones,well asnyways she gose can i spend the night over at jenny’s i seid yes do u want me to jrop off cloth and it was a long pus eon thne phone she gose i cant be seen with u
…….well what about every-ones eles mother…there r not with us,so then i seis yes u spend the night and seid bye i love u.and she say byr mother…so she comes home the next day in new cloth she boyught at the mall and she has jeans that are ripped,why buy jean thT ARE AREADY RIPEPED.her shirt is black and pink it say WHAT, IM SORRY I WASENT LISENING. i dident say any thind but i was looking at her shirl tow little bump comeing out of her shirt i didnt say anything once a gain.. she gose in the bathroom looking in the miro with not noticing that im looking throu the open part of the door that she dident close. she opens a lizzie mcGure book and she sit there for i wile take her shirt off… what do i see a padded bra a tan verry smal padded bra…she’s FLATCHESTED for criing out loud….. then start to take tolit papper anad puts it inside her bre stifffing it.then look at the mirrow and put her shirt back on then takes her pant;s off looking at her butt.a THONG holy shit! she is wearing a rhong 4 criing oujt loud!!!
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i was talking to my oldest freinds mom she say her littlest one just staarted wearing a bra. she hasa one pink one well….let go to there veiw of the storry chey(my duater’s freind) didnt know her sister just started wearing a bra whent throu the landry folder her cloth find this little pink bra thinking its her wears it to skool and after skool talk to hwer sister saying oww my bra is like to small tack her shirt of fin her room while her siter is watcing and gose dose it look bad, little sister respaonds that is my bra!!! get it off!!! get itk off!!! cheys respond u dont ware bras!!! you r flatt chested sunny(little sister) says no im not.chey-yesw u r sunny-no! chey-yes it gosr back and fourth then sunny ask waht is flattchested it when u have no boob’s ye si do!! it i gose back and fourth chey-prove it! sunny- i will —–puls up her shirt with nothing but her nipples.(((mom was watching kinda of lafing in the coener))) sunny- if u have boobies prove it chey- ok i will take off her shirt and has the small bra onece again and takw es it off and when the mom says i was inpreeses how bid and 12 year old brest could be…..
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i when to my dater skool all these black girl t eather flatt chested or there boob are huge !!!
some had brest bigger that alot of woman
My 11 year old stepdaughter wears a g-string in the house. It is so revealing and embarrasing. HOW do I approach the subject with her mother ??
I think that slutty childrens clothing is sick and wrong. I look around at five year olds at the beach wearing bikinis, and I think, “Their parents actually let them wear that kind of stuff?!?!?!” WTF!!!!!!!! It’s messed up!!!!!!!!! My sister didn’t start wearing thongs until she was 15, and I see girls at school wearing thongs and they’re 11 and 12 year olds!!!!!! What the hell is wrong with parents letting their children walk around looking like SLUTTS!!!!!!!!! If I were a parent, I know that I definetly wouldn’t want my kids wearing that kind of stuff. Shirts that say “I’m with stupid,” and ” your boyfriend was in my bed last night!” are offensive!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that maufacturers are wrong for making little kids clothing that makes them look like a hooker walking down the street!!!!!!!! I know that if I could, I would sue some of the clothing maufacturers for their offensive clothing that they produce.
With deepest respect, my heart breaks for all of the little children who’s parents let them wear slutty clothing. 🙁
Shantelle Beasley age 14 sandpoint idaho
As a teenage female myself, I have a lot to say about this subject. “Tim”, I don’t think that it’s very appropiate for you to discuss the sex life of teenage girls, espescially when you don’t know anything about it. As for the slogans that appear on shirts, with all due respect, I think that that argument is nothing short of silly. I have for one never seen any children’s clothing with obscene words on it and the ones that say “Cuter than you”, and other such slogans, are just for fun and I agree with Claire and think that this is just another attack on female equality. And as for the pre-teen thongs, they are pperfectly fine. They are not intented for public view and there is nothing sordid or sexual about them because you wear them for comfort and to avoid panty-lines.
I am appalled at the clothing in the stores for little girls. My daughter is only 4 so I can still find appropriate clothing for her, but I really have to look. I refuse to buy her any clothes with “cutie” or “angel” written across her bottom. Don’t get me started about the inappropriate underwear they have for these little ones. It is disgusting!!! There are so many pedaphiles out there watching our children on a daily basis, why would you want to dress your child in a way that really makes them noticable?
As far as the bikinis for kids…. I know why they are out there… and I use them for my girls…. two words…. POTTY TIME! IT makes going to the bathroom soooo much easier!
It’s a sad sad world when we have to worry if our children’s clothing is modest enough. We should not be being bombarded with midriff tops and shortie shorts and hip hugger jeans for children. Kids clothes should be simple, durable and fun- modesty shouldn’t even be an issue. There should not be immodest children’s clothes. Ugh.
As for the bikini’s for girls, tankinis are great. You get the comfort and ease of a 2 piece with the modesty of a one piece.
Also- something to think about. Climate. In places like Florida (where I live) I don’t think outfits like tank tops and shorts are about showing skin but about keeping cool. I grew up wearing little sun dresses and tank top and shorts outfits. The difference is- they were little girl sun dresses and little girl tank tops and shorts. They were not there to be sexy they were there to be cool and comfortable to play in.
To the teen girl that said thongs are about comfort and panty lines- What on earth is a preteen going to be wearing that they have to worry about panty lines? I mean seriously- something has to be either tight, stretchy, drapey or really thin to make panty lines an issue. If a pre-teen is wearing something where panty lines are an issue then the solution is not a thong it’s a different outfit.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I couldn’t agree more. I am actually about to start a business called Kids Are Not Punch Lines because I don’t understand why poignant and wise slogans can’t go on tee-shirts are opposed to those that are vulgar and bratty.
Dear parent, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it! NO ONE is forcing you. I, however think they’re funny in a way and if the child likes it, it’s their choice. People shouldn’t criticize other people, specifically people they don’t know, for their actions because you don’t know the designer of those shirts and maybe 90% of children love those shirts.
Actually, Ariel, I’m with you until you say “if the child likes it, it’s their choice”. I don’t agree. I think that as a parent, it’s my responsibility to act as a decency and appropriateness filter. Children live in the moment and I could easily see a child wearing, for example, a “grateful dead” shirt to a family member’s funeral. Unless it was a hippie ceremony, that’d be pretty wildly inappropriate. As children get older they gain more say over their wardrobe, but honestly, a glimpse at public school playgrounds in schools that don’t have dress codes I think pretty quickly demonstrates why parents should probably be involved in their children’s dress decisions.
This is a great post. I’ll buy my daughter slogan shirts if they say something positive, but I run from the ones that seem negative in any way.
I don’t buy from department stores. I make, or buy organic online, from Hanna’s dream, or Lapsaky. Its more expensive, but its not made in China.
Its also easy to make things. Amazingly easy, and how many pairs of pants do kids need anyways? 3-5 will work for a week until they are teens, then maybe a few more, but even 16 year olds don’t need a huge amount of clothing.
Ariel? I think we should stop buying from stores. I’d love to put those bastards right out of business. Let’s do it 🙂
I don’t know what is wrong with parents these days… every so often I feel the need to loudly proclaim “Oh My God, did you see that 8 year old? Her parents dressed her LIKE A STRIPPER” in hopes that the parents over-hear me.
As a grandparent, parent, children’s books writer, and storyteller I am concerned at what our children are being exposed to these days. I take responsibility for what I buy my grandchildren, what I let them see on tv and on the computer, and what I share during my presentations and in my books!
Clearly some of you are bored. You don’t like it don’t buy it! It’s really that easy. You can’t control the decisions of other people and there are far bigger issues to go on a rant about. Issues that may really negatively impact the lives of your children. Just take care of yours and pray that God takes care of those who don’t have fabulous parents like yourselves and while I may not be the greatest student some of you may want to fill your boredom with an english class.
Crystal – 18 years
See something offensive in a store like target?
Quietly knock several items on the floor. If you
can step on them with soiled shoes thats a bonus.
Send a message to the retailer and render items
unfit for sale in the same “oops” moment.
Y’know, I don’t like that they sell this stuff, but I certainly don’t endorse your suggested tactics, Kent. Causing the company to have to pay for damaged goods seems like a bad strategy. Walking up to the manager and complaining, writing a letter to corporate, those are tactics I can endorse. But willfully destroying their stock? No, not how I choose to communicate with their buyers…
Like it or not, these lines of clothing are here to stay. It’s what the kids WANT to wear. The best we can do is try to filter out what we as parents deem inappropriate. (spelling was never my thing so bare with me) But in the long run our opnions do not matter.
As long as the retailers can sell it, it’s going to be on the racks.
I heard someone make the mention that parents who buy thier children these clothes are white trash, well I hate to bust thier bubble but I live in a very wealthy town and its quite the christian town too and my 11 year old daughter is the ONLY virgin in her class and its damn near a competition which parents can dress thier daughters up the trashiest!
It does not matter which class of wealth the children are being brought up in. From lower class to upper class, chilren are dressing up like little hookers. It’s the style, and these days little girls will not get noticed by the boys if they dress modest. It’s sad, but its true.
I do my best to teach my daughter that she doesn’t have to dress like everyone else and to be her own person (though I have thrown out several of her outfits I didn’t want her being caught dead in…lol She thinks she lost them.) and that she doesn’t need to show off her body to get attention. We parents that care can only complain, but that’s about all we can do.