What age for bikini - Page 2

[AdinaL]

We got DD a two piece (tankini, but still showed significant tummy) when she was about 4.5.  And it was PURELY practical.  She frequently found that immediately after getting into the pool, she needed to pee. LOL  And peeling the wet suit off her, and then trying to put it back on, was difficult and uncomfortable, and she needed help.  So we got her this one because she can just pull down the bottoms and while still sticky, a lot easier than trying to shimmy a wet suit back up her body.

She still has one, though after her recent growth spurts, she likely needs a new one.

[Imakcerka]

Bikini's are just easier to deal with when they're little.  However it all depends on how you both feel about it.  Sometimes the one pieces look boring to little people I'd look for something that comes with a fun skirt or extra sparkles or something.  Only time I ever got my oldest in a one piece it was because it came with a frilly skirt. 

[Mosaic]

I'll come out and admit it: I hate kiddo bikinis.

I just don't like them at all. They're super-popular, so I know the issue is just mine. FWIW, I also don't like many dance costumes and I REALLY dislike makeup on kids. I don't think it's a sexualization thing so much as an emphasis on physical appearance and being "cute" that makes me uncomfortable. But to be honest, my feelings on this are so visceral, I couldn't really tell you clearly where they come from.

[meemee]

you know something... until my dd wanted it I hadnt realised how big makeup/bikini and other things were to me in my head. i looked at it as sexualising - typically like 'little miss sunshine'.... till i had a child who challenged all that.

why do we look at all of it as sexualizing? isnt that what we adults do to our kids to put them on those shows?

how about kids who want to - to copy mommy and others around her.

why should they not use makeup?

why not bikinis?

why not blouses with their midriff showing?

and you know who asked me these questions - my own child at 5.  and i thought hey that IS right. so i went and got her lighter make up to use in public (i explained to her how i didnt want people commenting on her)...

result even before the month was out - she was done with make up and midriff showing. for a month she religiously put on makeup every single time she went out - lip gloss, rouge and eyeshadow.

now she does it once in a blue while. 

[The4OfUs]

Eh, my kids would love to drive (and do lots of other "grownup stuff"), but that's something they also have to wait to do until they're older and more mature.  Copying mom/other people around them is not a compelling reason for me to agree to my kids doing anything....plus, I don't wear makeup or bikinis, so she wouldn't be getting the idea from me. ;)   Actually now that I think about it I had a bikini top once that I'd wear on super hot days when I went to a local park to hang out and read.  

Clothing is becoming more an issue about the inequity between the genders and what that's saying about what's valuable about each, to me. 

[mamazee]

My kids have always had two-piece suits, although I don't know if any have fit the definiton of "bikini." They are tankini or sporty things. But two piece and showing skin. I find it more practical for potty breaks, and my kids are tall so they fit better.

[meemee]

Originally Posted by The4OfUs 

Clothing is becoming more an issue about the inequity between the genders and what that's saying about what's valuable about each, to me. 

in the adult world - yes. in the child's world - NO. they just want to try it out. i see no harm in that.

and yeah neither do i wear a bikini or use makeup or even have tattoos. but yes they are around. if you gave my 2 year old a marker she'd draw all over herself as tattoos. why is that wrong? why is her wanting makeup wrong?

and yes i have the problem with tankinis too. dd is tall and they turn into bikinis for her too.

and yes she did want to drive too at 2 but realised she couldnt. at 5 she refuses because she understood how dangerous a car could be. now at almost 10 she wished she lived on a farm so she could learn how to drive since she can reach the pedals.

[revolting]

Originally Posted by Boot 

Something like this I would be fine with -http://www.amazon.com/Hartstrings-Girls-Little-Ruffled-Bikini/dp/B007KIZ6UO/ref=sr_1_30?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1340208341&sr=1-30&keywords=child+swimsuit

But not this -http://www.amazon.com/Hurley-Banded-Halter-Bottom-Swimwear/dp/B0058XE05U/ref=sr_1_52?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1340208616&sr=1-52&keywords=child+swimsuit

It's very subjective of course. 

This.  I like two pieces for toilet use, and we've pretty much always had my daughter in a two piece for that reason.

[homeschoolingmama]

We don't do bikini's here.  From a young age I have been teaching my children about modesty and respecting their bodies.  (This applies to us.  I don't judge other parents decisions at all)  I don't worry about predators but I do worry about their views about themselves.  I can't even shop anymore for my 9 and 8yo's because I can't find anything to cover their butts!  I was walking around a store looking for Christmas dresses and just couldn't find any.  I asked someone and they pointed at what I thought was a shirt!  I will be making their skirts and sundresses this year. 

[Anastasiya]

No bikinis here, either. I don't mind two pieces but my idea of a two piece is a tankini and rash guard shorts. I prefer they are more modest in their attire, both swimming and living daily life.

I never had a problem as a kid going pee in a one piece, and one pieces were all I wore. Doesn't anyone know the secret of pulling the crotch panel off to the side and peeing that way? You don't have to take the whole suit off. LOL!

[Lissli]

Originally Posted by homeschoolingmama 

We don't do bikini's here.  From a young age I have been teaching my children about modesty and respecting their bodies.  (This applies to us.  I don't judge other parents decisions at all)  I don't worry about predators but I do worry about their views about themselves.  I can't even shop anymore for my 9 and 8yo's because I can't find anything to cover their butts!  I was walking around a store looking for Christmas dresses and just couldn't find any.  I asked someone and they pointed at what I thought was a shirt!  I will be making their skirts and sundresses this year. 

 Ditto, thankfully my dd cannot stand bikini's she said that it does not make sense to her why people would want to look like they are wearing undergarments; she is five.

[hildare]

Originally Posted by The4OfUs 

Eh, my kids would love to drive (and do lots of other "grownup stuff"), but that's something they also have to wait to do until they're older and more mature.  Copying mom/other people around them is not a compelling reason for me to agree to my kids doing anything....plus, I don't wear makeup or bikinis, so she wouldn't be getting the idea from me. ;)   Actually now that I think about it I had a bikini top once that I'd wear on super hot days when I went to a local park to hang out and read.  

Clothing is becoming more an issue about the inequity between the genders and what that's saying about what's valuable about each, to me. 

a big huge about this.

i totally agree with you and with op's dh.  tankinis don't = bikini imo.  i will not ever put my kid in a bikini.  dd wears rashguard shirt and shorts, just like ds. 

[parsley]

I've been thinking about this thread for the past 2 days as it's super hot and we've been at pools.  My DD always wears a rash guard short sleeve shirt and bottoms (I always wear a one piece or tankini).  I never even let her wear regular tank top swim suits outside for the risk of sun damage.  But, I've been trying to decide if once I get over the sun exposure issue I'd be ok with a bikini.  I've now seen about 100 kids in bikinis over the past two days.  They all look to my eyes like adult style bikinis in kids sizes.  I've yet to see one that really looked kid-appropriate (other than a tankini). 

I'm bothered by the way that young girls are encouraged to act older and more mature.  And, I also fear that the bikini starts to look "sexy" pretty early.  I saw a group of 10ish year old kids and there was a girl in a bikini in the center of a circle of boys and her mannerisms looked more flirtatious than like a girl playing with her friends.  I saw two boys picking at her shoulder strap and her giggling.  The other girls were on the sidelines.   Maybe I'm overgeneralizing but it sure looked to me that the girl and the boys all were thinking in terms of sexy.  And, when we think about mass media and how women are portrayed doesn't it seem likely that boys are familiar with the idea of girls showing skin are sexy and should be treated as such?  

I also feel like "fancy" clothes and impractical swimwear teach girls to be more passive.  I have big problems with the idea of my kids wearing clothes that are not meant for activity but rather for display and that's what those bikinis look like to me.  How can a kid really play and run when their clothes are being held on by strings or tiny straps?  DD and I have also had this conversation about how "fancy" dresses make it harder to climb or run or bring along the toys she wants. 

So a resounding NEVER from me!

[BubbleMa]

No bikinis here.  I don't want my girls to get used to the idea of showing so much skin.  I want them to be comfortable with their bodies, but also realize that they aren't for everyone to see.  It's hard to say to them, "It was okay to wear a bikini when you were 5, but now that you're 13 it's not."  kwim?  So I just don't allow them at all.  Plus, they're so annoying and uncomfortable.  The top is always riding up, the bottom is always sagging down.  So you're constantly fussing with it, and I'd rather them be comfortable.

[JudiAU]

Swimsuits should be functional in the same way in that a raincoat should be functional. They should be easy on and off, perform well for swimming, and dry quickly. I also believe they should provide the maximum sun protection possible. My kids wear long sleeve swim shirts and some sort of bottom.

I don't like bikins on kids because they do none of the above, ever kid is tugging on them, I also find many to be sexualized. Sporty two pieces I can understand and/or tankinis. I see bathings suits all the time that I think are weird and kind of nasty for the age.

I've had the best luck with Land's End because they truly seem to fit and I like the mix and match options.

[poppylove]

No bikinis for us either. For most of the reasons that have been mentioned. 

[meemee]

Originally Posted by parsley 

  How can a kid really play and run when their clothes are being held on by strings or tiny straps?  

see but in the realm of bikini lines it isnt just that. dd has bikinis that are like granny panties or boy shorts and a sports bra. she can run and play and do whatever she wants in them comfortably.

i am sure triangles and strings exist for kids (i am kinda oblivious to them) but it doesnt have to be all that. i dont think of bikinis as being the extreme. 

[TiredX2]

I also feel like "fancy" clothes and impractical swimwear teach girls to be more passive.  I have big problems with the idea of my kids wearing clothes that are not meant for activity but rather for display and that's what those bikinis look like to me.  How can a kid really play and run when their clothes are being held on by strings or tiny straps?  DD and I have also had this conversation about how "fancy" dresses make it harder to climb or run or bring along the toys she wants. 

Honestly, boys swim trunks bother me way more from this perspective than girls swim suits.  I'll see a kid that doesn't weigh more than 40 lbs with shorts down past his knees just dragging in the water.  DS has always been thin, so in the past we just found shorts cut on the "shorter" (still full length, just not under the knees like so many) in a size smaller than he would wear in pants lenght.  Now, jammers are easy to find and I like that option:

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by meemee 
 i dont think of bikinis as being the extreme. 

I don't either, and I don't get how "bikini" became the word for a swimsuit that has crossed someone's line for appropriate, while all acceptable 2 piece swim suits are non-bikinis.   It doesn't even make sense.

Here is a link to a bikini that isn't going anywhere. Made by Speedo for lifeguards:

http://www.nextag.com/Speedo-Lifeguard-Endurance-2-563302027/prices-html?nxtg=41e0a1c052a-E5A2572DE6F348B9

As far as modesty, that is of course a different issue for every family. Our rules are obviously quite different than our neighbors, who are Muslims and wear the veil. But having spent a lot of time at pools, modesty is not defined by the number of pieces that make up the suit. It's not that simple.

[AdinaL]

I am interested in the line of thought that if they want or wear bikinis at this age they will become more passive (someone said that - don't remember who) or that they will think less of themselves, or it will start a trend in how they dress.

Now - for example - me, circa 1979:

  

I loved that suit.  It was hot pink, and had gold rivety things on the top, and a ruffle.  I really and truly loved that suit - obviously since I still remember it, and I knew where to find it in the old picture albums. LOL

I don't feel that having this suit influenced my self perception, my passivity level, my self esteem or how I dress now.  In fact now, I would be less likely to wear a bikini due to comfort reasons. I might do one of the sport ones, but not halter necks.

I understand all the reasons for not doing it - and I agree with a lot of them.  Sun protection, too adult, impractical for wee ones, uncomfortable, want more modesty, skeeves you out...all valid reasons.  But I think that projecting what the kid will do or be like due to a swim suit when they are a toddler is a bit of stretch.  For the record I own neither hot pink clothing nor bikinis at this point in the game. LOL And most totally no gold rivety things in my clothing. LOL