do you let your teen girl wear a bikini in public?

[StarryEyedSurprise]

Originally Posted by crunchymom2b Okay, I had almost a whole reply typed out but I have a big feeling it will cause some very upset feelings over those who don't fully understand what I'm trying to say. So, because of that, I will only say this: I don't see anything wrong with girls wearing appropriate two piece suits. I'm not talking about skimpy little bikini's that leave nothing to the imagination. I'm talking about well cut suits that look cute. I think as long as a girl is taught to respect her body and to carry herself well, she will be respected. I believe it's more about how you carry yourself rather than what you wear, to an extent. I remember cringing at the bathing suits the Duggar's wear, I just cannot imagine something like that being the least bit comfortable. When I swim wearing shorts or tshirts and I get out, I feel like I weight a million pounds and I'm a big saggy whale. However, when I wear a well fitting bathing suit, whether 1 or 2 piece, I feel much more comfortable. But that's just my opinion. I fully understand those who don't want their daughter's wearing 2 pieces as a general house rule. everyone has their own views.

I agree with this. While both of my daughters (2 and 7) wear a one piece right now, and often with a shirt over (because they're so pale, they burn easily) I don't see a problem with a well cut two piece. My parents always had me wear tshirts and shorts over my bathing suit when I was an early teen, in our OWN pool, and tho I don't fault them for it, I find it a little extreme. If either of my daughters develop the way I do, at some point 1 pieces won't fit them well. In my later teens I was finally allowed to wear a two piece/bikini (with a skirted bottom) and felt a lot more comfortable.

[JustAugust]

No. We just don't believe they are modest enough. A tankini might be acceptable though. We would just prefer most of her to be covered up and a bikini shows much more than we'd like.

[paper_girl_76]

No, when we had sd, she wore a tankini style and board shorts. My girls will need to have their tummy, butt, and breasts covered. Until maybe 16ish...then we will reevaluate maybe.

[lovespepper]

I think that it's almost ok for littler girls to wear a bikini than the older girls, and that's where we as parents tend to lose more control.....it's so hard to help them learn modesty when it seems all of their friends wear certain clothes. Throughout my teen dd's life she has worn a one piece sometimes with a swim shirt over it for added sun protection. And generally we as a family dress reasonably conservative by today's standards. So, I feel my dd has learned modesty but she's in those years where fitting in is soooooo very important. Fwiw, she is 15, so I know that a lot of my parenting with her is done....I have to rest knowing that I've done a good job giving her a solid foundation and that she will make the right choices when I am not "watching" her. (this does not mean that we don't continue to have rules at home, btw, just means that at some point you have to trust your dc)

[crunchymom2b]

I'm really curious about one thing- for those of you who say no way to teens wearing bikinis, how many of you let them wear little dresses with just a diaper underneath as a baby/toddler, or let them walk around in just a diaper? Same with little boys- if you won't allow you son to go topless now, did you let them as babies/toddlers? I've seen this lots of times and I just don't get it- shouldn't the rule be universal, regardless of age? Love to hear some thoughts :-)

[mommyfrog]

Yes!!

[doodah]

Alycia, I seriously think that a bikini on a shapely young woman is entirely different than a short dress on a baby. Rules are different sometimes because you take into account a person's age. That's just common sense. But no, my girls do not leave the house in just a daiper and my preschooler (who is over 3 ft and looks much older than 2.5 years) wears bike shorts under her dresses or skorts (shorts under a skirt) for modesty. She runs all over the place and now that she wears panties, we do take measures for her not to be accidentally flashing those around her. Besides that, she is very tiny on bottom (no hips whatsoever) and bike shorts or leggings keep the undies where they are supposed to be.

[crunchymom2b]

Originally Posted by doodah Alycia, I seriously think that a bikini on a shapely young woman is entirely different than a short dress on a baby. Rules are different sometimes because you take into account a person's age. That's just common sense. But no, my girls do not leave the house in just a daiper and my preschooler (who is over 3 ft and looks much older than 2.5 years) wears bike shorts under her dresses or skorts (shorts under a skirt) for modesty. She runs all over the place and now that she wears panties, we do take measures for her not to be accidentally flashing those around her. Besides that, she is very tiny on bottom (no hips whatsoever) and bike shorts or leggings keep the undies where they are supposed to be.

I know and completely agree that a little dress on a baby is entirely different than a bikini on a teen. But at the same time I've seen many, many people proclaim that bodies must be covered at all times, and that even their toddlers have to wear one piece bathing suits or swim tops instead of two pieces or just swim trunks. But then I've seen pictures of those same toddlers wearing short dresses with their diapers very visible, or running around with just a diaper on. It's these instances that I'm interested in. And then, when they're potty trained, why must there be different "rules" for underwear vs. a diaper, when there's no age difference (ie, they were wearing diapers the day before at age 2, but the next day started wearing underwear.). For those who base their beliefs on modesty alone, shouldn't the rules apply across the board then?

I mean, if a pervert wants to check out a young child (and that's one reason you want them covered) they're going to get just as excited by a toddler in a diaper as they would a pre-teen in a tankini.

I dono, makes sense in my head, but I'm not shocked if it doesn't to everyone else lol. Happens a lot with me. I'm also not a believer in not allowing teens to wear appropriate bikinis and the like, which is why this topic interests me. I just like hearing the other side of the arguement Hey, you guys got me to change my mind on circumcision, who knows what'll happen with this topic lol

[syfitz]

No. I just went shopping for a bathing suit for my 11 year old (she developed early) for vacation and had the hardest time finding one for her. It seemed all suits in teen/young lady sizes were skimpy!!! When we were looking another mom in the store held one up as a suggestion. She was trying to be helpful, but I smiled and said "oh, no bikini's, she's only 11" and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Oh well.

[BeccaD777]

My DD is only 6, but she is not allowed to wear bikinis now and will not when she is older. Seriously, what is the point? You don't need a tan on your stomach unless you are wearing other immodest clothes. Girl's wearing bikinis are just asking for the wrong kind of attention. I don't want boys looking at my DD that way. If I allow her to wear them now, then when she is older she can argue the point and say I changed my standards. I prefer my kids to be modestly covered. They can have just as much fun in a one piece!