Earlier this summer I transitioned my 5-year-old daughter, Evelyn, from a one-piece swimsuit to a tankini to make her pool-time potty trips easier. She quickly outgrew it, so I went hunting for a new one. But when I couldn’t find a tankini in her size, I ended up buying her a bikini that covered her chest and top of her tummy. I thought she looked sweet and sporty. But my husband saw her exposed belly and took a surprisingly old-school stance: He vetoed the suit on the spot. Bikinis are a hot topic for most parents, and my husband’s strong reaction got me thinking about where I stand on the issue. Like many parents, I want my daughter to feel totally confident in her skin and like she’s free to wear whatever makes her feel comfortable. At the same time, I have an immediate and visceral negative reaction to little girl swimsuits that have triangle tops and spaghetti straps, or look like something a Victoria’s Secret model might wear. More from CafeMom: Outraged Mom Gets This Totally Inappropriate Swimsuit for Kids Removed From Stores I ended up returning the suit and finding a tankini in another size, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what message we were sending Evelyn about her body by not letting her wear the bikini. My daughter isn’t a sexual person yet, so why do some two-pieces seem “sexy " to me? Am I actually kind of anti-bikini? Is there truly anything wrong with a little girl wearing a bikini? I asked other moms how they feel about the great bikini debate, and it turns out I’m far from the only mom trying to make sense of how to raise a confident girl in a world where even buying a swimsuit can feel complicated. Here, real moms share their strong opinions on why swimsuits — especially bikinis — matter. “Starting at around age 11 or 12, my oldest two wanted legit bikinis. I honored that. I feel like there’s such a short part of life where we feel totally free in our bodies, and telling them no would be sending some kind of message I didn’t want to send.” — Sarah T., Waseca, Minnesota More from CafeMom: Here’s What These Funny Moms Get Wrong About Sexy Swimsuit Struggles More from CafeMom: 20 Fabulous Swimsuits for Moms With Tummies
title: “10 Moms Confess How They Really Feel About Little Girls Wearing Bikinis” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-17” author: “Kristie Noonan”
Earlier this summer I transitioned my 5-year-old daughter, Evelyn, from a one-piece swimsuit to a tankini to make her pool-time potty trips easier. She quickly outgrew it, so I went hunting for a new one. But when I couldn’t find a tankini in her size, I ended up buying her a bikini that covered her chest and top of her tummy. I thought she looked sweet and sporty. But my husband saw her exposed belly and took a surprisingly old-school stance: He vetoed the suit on the spot. Bikinis are a hot topic for most parents, and my husband’s strong reaction got me thinking about where I stand on the issue. Like many parents, I want my daughter to feel totally confident in her skin and like she’s free to wear whatever makes her feel comfortable. At the same time, I have an immediate and visceral negative reaction to little girl swimsuits that have triangle tops and spaghetti straps, or look like something a Victoria’s Secret model might wear. More from CafeMom: Outraged Mom Gets This Totally Inappropriate Swimsuit for Kids Removed From Stores I ended up returning the suit and finding a tankini in another size, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what message we were sending Evelyn about her body by not letting her wear the bikini. My daughter isn’t a sexual person yet, so why do some two-pieces seem “sexy " to me? Am I actually kind of anti-bikini? Is there truly anything wrong with a little girl wearing a bikini? I asked other moms how they feel about the great bikini debate, and it turns out I’m far from the only mom trying to make sense of how to raise a confident girl in a world where even buying a swimsuit can feel complicated. Here, real moms share their strong opinions on why swimsuits — especially bikinis — matter. “Starting at around age 11 or 12, my oldest two wanted legit bikinis. I honored that. I feel like there’s such a short part of life where we feel totally free in our bodies, and telling them no would be sending some kind of message I didn’t want to send.” — Sarah T., Waseca, Minnesota More from CafeMom: Here’s What These Funny Moms Get Wrong About Sexy Swimsuit Struggles More from CafeMom: 20 Fabulous Swimsuits for Moms With Tummies
