Over the weekend, we were enjoying some leisure time on the beach. As we were leaving that afternoon, DD and myself were walking very slowly (she was most irritated that I refused to carry her) and this afforded me the time to eavesdrop, a favorite past-time of mine, of course.
I happened to be eavesdropping on a conversation amongst some little girls passing me by. My best guess is that they were 7, maybe 8 at the most. They were talking about their BODIES. Each of them was adorable and perfect, and like all women, each had a totally different build, tone, etc. One of the girls who I found to be the most muscular and frankly one of the healthiest looking, was really leading the conversation and lamenting over her size and the best times of day to eat and the ideal foods to eat to keep her weight at a minimum. As they got a bit further from me, the conversation turned to the style of swimsuit that is the most flattering for their figures.
THEIR FIGURES?
They are babies.
I was dumbfounded.
DUMBFOUNDED I tell you.
And horrified. And sad.
I wanted to pull them over immediately and interrupt this conversation and ask them why they weren’t counting their change for the ice cream man. I mean – these are little kids.
And then of course, I had to look down at my sweet DD who still lives and dies for the joy of a Popsicle at the end of a meal – and just hope that she won’t be having this conversation so early in life with her friends. Shouldn’t they be talking about puppies and unicorns still at 7? I mean, come on.
Then a KT BFF sent me a link to this article in US News & World Report titled “Too Sexy Too Soon”:
The author not only shares the same shock and horror I felt over the weekend but examines more closely the sexualization of childhood – and how this applies to both boys and girls. As my DD is inching closer and closer to three, she’s just more aware. She’ll see something on TV and respond to it – I can’t keep her sheltered in the world of Noggin, apparently. Her most recent discovery is “Sponge Bob Squarepants” and I can’t stand it – I try to really limit it because there is no education in it and I really don’t think she can understand that show just yet. But my point is this – how long can I keep her from Hannah Montana? And those horrible Bratz dolls? And half-shirts? And learning about blow jobs?
It’s scary, kittens.
Kids need to be kids.
My stomach is still churning over hearing that conversation between the little girls en route to an afternoon on the beach.
KT- It is scary!!! The other day I chatted with a mom I really respect about raising daughters in a world constantly bomarding them with sex and things they’re just not ready for. She said her SECOND grader idolizes Brit and Lindsay and is distraught she’s the only one in her class without a myspace page and cell phone! I mean, when we were in second grade, weren’t we still reading Beverly Cleary books? So then I came home and hugged my sweet baby girl tight and told myself to enjoy it while it lasts. I’m afraid it won’t be long and I’ll be talking to my DD about why even famous girls should always wear underpants when stepping out of cars!
KT
As a father I share your horror and sadness at the loss of childhood that is rapidly becoming common place in our modern world.
I dont think you can stop the insidiousness of it, just fight the good fight and teach the kids the “right” way….
good luck
It takes a special set of skills and some good luck to raise a smart, sensible girl in this day in age KT!