I might have missed the memo, but when did Halloween turn into a holiday focused on girls showing off their, um, feminine charms? I’m astonished that there are more and more costume shops that pop up in my area each year, and when you go in all the costumes for girls over about eight seem to suggest that they’re college co-eds hoping to get laid that night.
I mean, really, have you gone into one of these stores and looked?
Check out these two, for example:
I might be a bit prudish, or protective of my daughter, but when she’s 12yo, she really doesn’t have to strut her stuff or wear a skirt that’s so short that it leaves nothing to the imagination of the boys she meets.
I actually think that this is yet another step in the dramatic early sexualization of girls in modern Western society and it’s a trend that I really despise. I don’t want to see little girls or even tweens or young teens dressing like they’re nineteen and ready for whatever life (e.g. boys/men) bring their way.
It’s hard enough to navigate these waters as a Dad, but it seems to me that as long as these are the primary choices that our girls have and that they recognize that costume shopping is a fundamentally social activity (my daughter went with a gal pal of hers, for example) AND that we as parents don’t say “no” or at least tone the costumes down with leggings, underlayers, etc., then we’re complicit in this process.
And I might be showing a slightly conservative streak, but I have to say that I see a strong correlation between younger and younger girls dressing in a sexy, eye-appealing and attention-drawing manner and both teenage sex and teen pregnancies. Not good.
So how are YOU handling your girls costumes this Halloween, folks?
My girls always had an idea of what they wanted to be and we would go to the thrift store to see what we could come up with to make their ideas fly. Never used the store bought costumes, they are cheap and flimsy anyhow.
I’m totally with you on this – the trend is disturbing. My girls always get homemade or thrift store choices, and we’ve got plenty of ‘dress-up’ clothes to make something cool.
These ‘sexy’ costumes will never enter my house, and I don’t see how any dad would want their little princesses to be seen in them.
This trend is just one reason I’m thankful I have boys! A friend of mine had to insist that her 5-yr-old wear a turtleneck under her cheerleader costume — b/c she couldn’t even find a cheerleader costume FOR A 5 YR OLD that didn’t show belly.
As a woman, I think it’s absolutely disgusting. The idea that our girls get the message that “sexy” is the one thing they’re supposed to be, so, so early,just makes me sick.
Last year we had a 12-13 year old girl come trick-or-treating. I couldn’t quite work out what her costume was so I asked. She was a pimp. I had no response.
It is disgusting! Truly a downgrading of mentality. I went so far as to not let my girl have Bratz dolls. Let’s see here, they sell the Crack Brat, the Alchy Brat, and the Skank Brat. What a wonderful concept…Not! “Why not? Look at them Honey, they are trying to act like adults, they are not adults, and they have enough makeup on to be a circus clown.” And NO! You are not prudish, you’re intelligent! Keep up the good/hard work, Dad! Good post!
I really liked this post a lot up until that last bit:
“I see a strong correlation between younger and younger girls dressing in a sexy, eye-appealing and attention-drawing manner and both teenage sex and teen pregnancies.”
Girls used to be married off very young. In a lot of countries in the world today, this still takes place unfortunately. Actually, women in America are waiting longer now to get married than they ever have before. Women are more independent and are more informed than ever about sex, pregnancy issues, contraception and STD’s. So, I don’t really think more teens are having sex. They have always been having sex. Despite the imagery, I think they are making more informed decisions about when to have sex and how to do it safely.
I hope I don’t have any girls. Raising young women seems very challenging. I’m glad you didn’t let your little girl get a revealing outfit. when I was 10 my mom dressed my up as the Femme Bot from the Austin Powers and I asked “Mom, are you sure it’s ok for me to wear this?” We won a costume contest with it but to this day I still can’t believe I wore that.
I completely agree! It is so much easier finding a costume or even clothes, for my son. She’s 7 for pete sakes! She doesn’t have cleavage! So far, I’ve gotten away with Disney Princess costumes and angels but not this year…she wanted to be Hannah Montana or one of the girls from High School Musical! We compromised…she’s a fully covered up witch. Why is it so hard for clothes makers to understand that most of us don’t want our kids to look like mini street walkers. People started this nonsence with us even at 2. Now I’m sorry, but who here thinks it good form to give a 2 year old Daisy Dukes? I mean, get real. I threw them away after they left. I could not imagine giving them to someone else.
well my girls have lots of problems every year looking for outfits because they are to reveling and ‘sexy’ but this year i have found a great website called cool halloween costumes and my little girl of 7 wants to be a cheerleader from high school musical and this website has all the answers it is just great i admit it does have a few reveling outfits but for young girls the costumes are princesses and cheerleader and for once they dont show the belly!so have a look for yourself.
i really like the fist one the cheerleader i would buy my daughter that one because she love cheerleading shes 8 years old
Well,my daughter’s 10 and shes gone crazy over mini shorts and strapless tops! I’ll tell her no then she’ll go over to her dad and make a sad face and trick him into buying whatever she wants! Her friends do the same thing. Last year her and her group of friends all went trick or treating as Barbie dolls and theyre guy friends were kens!My daughter and her friends do wear junior clothes and people think theyre 13! This year theyre planning on going as dallas cowboy cheerleaders and the boys are going to be dallas cowboy football players! but the parents all have agreed that they cant have the uniform but can were tank tops with dallascowboys on the front
i like them both
what size r those
I am fourteen and already subjected to drugs and alcohol. My town has ten year old girls walking around, drunk, in bikini tops and short shorts. We live in an age of the gross. de-evolved into “fearless” stupidity.
I’m thirteen and I completely agree. Halloween is an excuse for women and girls to dress up like easy sluts. I am so disappointed that parents actually let their young girls dress up in these types of costumes. I’ve really struggled this year for halloween because I can’t find a costume that is suitable and covers everything. I don’t need to look suggestive or ‘sexy’ because I’m only thirteen. Personally, I don’t think ANYONE should dress up in these things. You could call me stupid or something, but that’s just my opinion. Nobody should look so suggestive.
I 100 percent agree with with you. Finding Halloween costumes can be very frustrating and what scares me is that my little girl actually wanted a costume like that. She is only 8. I don’t know where she got the idea that being skanky is cool. It really disturbs me where our generation is going. I think more schools should have uniforms and talk about this stuff. It is really wrong.
Hey my name is Tatyana and I am eleven years old I like the costumes I don’t know what the other people are talking about but I like it
I am actually a kid ( 12 ) and I was looking for Halloween costumes on the internet and everything pretty much said sexy. I wanted something not short skirts and all that and stuff that shows your belly, etc. There was only about 12 I found that I could ‘t wear so I just decided to make my own. I don’t like it when you go somewhere for Halloween shoping and all you find is stuff for like 21 year olds or something when its sized for kids, teens and even toddlers.
im soon to be 20 and i dnt think itz reallly not anything wrong i fill that if the parent has taught there girls to have respect for themself then you should trust your child now i do think that you should watch what your child to buy but all girld young and older will some day dress how they want with or with out there parents and yes i dress how i want and been buyin my own things for the pass 10 years….. my mom was watchin what i buy but she gave me that chance and now i still buy and dress how i want but i also have respect for myself
I think its absoloutly ridicuous, because sometimes i see sexy outfits with a picture of an adult on the front but its in my size and im only 13, but you get bullied if you wear covered up outfits.
My boyfriend wants me to wear the sexy stuff, and i dont know what to say to him as my mum would be furious if i wore something like that so im always really embarresed and upsebecause my boyfriend has a row with me.i hate halloween.
My 10yo daughter picked a ‘zombie bride’ costume last year and this year she found a ‘monster bride’ costume. I’m not sure I’m too excited about the trend. lol