Princess Epidemic

[jencsh]

Okay so I was sitting in the break room at 10:30 this morning trying to stomach my lunch. I hate eating regular food that early, I know half an hour isn't that different but besides the point, I picked up this magazine and started reading this article about the early sexualization of young girls. About how girls now a days are getting more and more grown up at a younger and younger age. How body image has become an issue not only for teen girls but for girls as young as second grade, how can this be? The images that we force upon our daughters are the same as which were forced upon us, aren't they? We had Barbie, that unrealistic perky boobed, blonde bimbo, who did and had everything.

Though as I continued to read on, there was a study by some foundation, founded by Gena Davis, that says that the current epidemic is because of our girls obssesion with the disney princesses. As I read that sentence I sort of laughed then, the more I thought about it the more I relized they are probably right. There isn't with the exception of Fiona from Shrek, a Princesses in the Disney arsonal over the size zero. They are just as unrealistic as Barbie. How are we suppose to raise our daughters to believe that image isn't everything when the idols they see are posed to be perfection in everyway. Let's be honest your going to let them watch TV, play with the toys they like. But where do you draw the line?

Look at the clothing options that are in the stores today, there are haulter tops in toddler sizes. This is riduculous. As a parent, do you tell them that they have to dress like a monk, NO. Do you make them wear out of date, out of style cloths, NO. When the sexier cloths are all that are left in the childrens department, what is a parent to do, but make the best of what you have. I do not think that the fault falls completely with the idolized Princesses, or the young stars on the TV, there is some fault to be had by the over sexed cloth designers that seem to forget that these cloths go on LITTLE girls. That they can design cute clothing that is not revealing.

[caseyandkids]

Jul. 6, 2009 at 9:18 PM

The fault lies with the parents who buy the over-sexed clothing for children.  As for "what's a parent to do?"  There are many solutions.  My solution was to learn how to sew. 

[MSugarKane]

Jul. 6, 2009 at 9:22 PM

I agree with you, not only mentally are they being exposed to media, magazines, DVD's, and some eletronic toys make the women look big busts, small waists, and cute hips.  We keep the TV off and have selected viewing only for children under 12 in my house.

Physically the girls and boys too are nutrionally given many good food supplements aging their bodies quicker today.  I am hearing girls by age 8 starting periods.  That is really young. 

We stick to fresh vegatables and fruit here. Good old fashion cooking with no food additives.  Our little ones are all healthy and play with their toys using their imaginations very well.

Its a challaging job for parents today to try and seek out ways to keep their children young, because once innocence is gone, its gone forever.

[Fistandantalus]

Jul. 7, 2009 at 10:30 AM

How about just saying "Those are cartoons, cartoons don't look like real people right?  I mean, Popeye's biceps are as big as his head."  Icons don't teach our kids, ladies.  We do.

[Paris_Moonlight]

Jul. 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM

Good post...and about the clothes...is there EVER a reason for children to wear low-rise jeans? And sometimes there is an ambiguous sexuality about the clothes...something you can't quite put your finger....kinda like the black & red lacy tank-top I saw in the children's section. 

[lafogosa]

Jul. 8, 2009 at 2:51 AM

People keep designing things like that because people keep buying it!

My daughter rocks a shirt that says "President Not Princess."  People get so offended by that shirt because there are so many parents that are hell bent on making their daughters into princesses.  They take it as a personal affront to them when it's really my opposition to the whole princess phenomenon.

Also, people are becoming less serious about the sexualization of little girls because they want their kids to fit in...they want to be "cool" parents.

I think it stems from so many things.  Think about how there are men who find school girl images sexy.  That is so pedophilistic (is that a word? lol), yet women and men play into it.  WOmen play into it by dressing themselves up like school girls, and men are attracted to that kind of thing.  It's really kind of sick when you think about it.

OKay, I don't want to continue on my rant. lol