Halloween is fast approaching and the
debate of little girls' costumes being too revealing are in full throttle with people.
"Are young girls growing up too quickly?"
It's a very controversial idea for many and as unfortunate as it may seem, I will say that they are in fact, NOT growing up too quickly. Before I start, I do want to state a disclaimer that this is a personal opinion, one with facts and statements made to back up my opinion. Please don't be disrespectful.
Girls will all eventually grow up to become women. It's inevitable, just as it is for us all to live and die. The ideas that girls shouldn't be allowed to taste the world sooner is the real issue. Curiosity and the desire to do what our peers do is something we've all been faced with in the world. Whether it's to dress in a certain way or to be like someone else altogether.
Girls are better off having knowledge of the world sooner than later. If they think make-up can make them look beautiful, then let them. At least they will see themselves with better self-esteem, whether it be natural or not. If they want to dress in mini-skirts and tube tops, let them. Maybe it's hot, temperature wise, or maybe it's just the desire to feel feminine. How many of you have worn a pair of very unattractive overalls that were hand-me-downs? Did you feel good in those? I bet not.
History repeats itself. If we never break barriers, how do we expect the world to change? Look at us maybe a century ago. Women weren't even allowed to show their
legs for crying out loud. A flashback to the 1900s fashion is quite different from what we see now.
Women were wearing long skirts that covered their legs, long blouses that covered their necks and arms, and every part of their body except the face. And guess what? That's no longer around either. How did it ever happen that we would see women nowadays, with skirts, dresses, and t-shirts, might I ask? It was a revolution in the perspective of people, that maybe showing more skin was not a sin.
Not wanting to be too boring, I will stop here with my two points on why girls are not growing up too quickly.
What do you think of this topic? Do you agree or disagree with my resolution?
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Comments (37)
this was just featured on the front page....
@i_Nutrition@xanga - yeah, wtf.
but yeah. girls are growing up to quickly. mad amounts of hormones in their bodies that aren't in older gens. its the pthalates in the toys. you can't really compare it to liek THAT old of a gen liek the one you describe of being completely covered. just in like the past decade or so, its def different than it was before.
i already read this!
Disagree. I don't see see how wearing high heels and really short skirts as a girl while wearing a shirt that says "Naughty" is ever a good thing.
Makeup? Meh, it's okay. It's the dressing up to look sexy, without having the equipment to even look sexy, that scares me.
I don't agree with girls wanting to show so much skin, to want to be
like paris hilton, and to be trying on lingerie at the age of 12 (I saw
this too many times when I worked at Victoria's Secret. Can't you just
stick to the Pink section?).
When I was 12 I still played with my American Girl Dolls. I loved
ballet class and I was wearing baggy cargo pants and screen print
t-shirts. Once upon a time, we were happy without wanting to dress in
revealing clothes, and wearing mom's make up was funny, not a necessity.
Parents can raise their girls however they want, however, I would never
want that if I ever had children, and it breaks my heart to see my
friends daughters talk about sex at such a young age, how their friends
are having it, that their friends are in drug rehab at 13, and that
their tank tops aren't low enough.
It's just sad. That's all
It's a sad commentary on society that young children think that they are ugly or defective if they don't wear heels, revealing clothes, and makeup in the first place.
Yes! The world has changed, media has made girls insecure. The media depicts woman as sexy and whatever.
Society has gone downhill and is still getting worse.
"If they think make-up can make them look beautiful, then let them. At
least they will see themselves with better self-esteem, whether it be
natural or not." I'm going to have to disagree with you. Sure, they will probably end up using makeup when they grow up but I really do believe that if there is at least one phase in people's lives where they are the most comfortable with who they are and what they look like it tends to be during that carefree phase called childhood. If you can't run around and get dirty and just be a kid because you're worried about looking pretty for some abstract reason you don't even fully understand then that's no way to go through childhood. I'm all for letting a child express his or herself but in my opinion,it is the problem when little girls feeling like they have to wear something provocative to feel accepted.
I just don't think young girls need the pressure to look sexy. When I was 12, I was still playing with barbies and wearing very unsexy clothes - just normal kid clothes. I knew back then that I only looked like a little girl, and didn't want to look stupid or embarass myself by trying to look sexy when I knew that I only looked like a kid.
There is nothing wrong with makeup and girly things. It's just like one of the other commenters said, its the little girls dressing up sexy without the equipment for it that tells you the girls aren't ready to handle it yet. And what about all the negative attention that comes with dressing sexy? All the little girls who I know who tried to grow up too fast either had babies before 18, or lost their virginity before being 13/14 years old. There is just a fine line between what is age appropriate and what isnt.
i disagree. the reason for that is because children's bodies today mature much faster than their minds do. less than a century ago, it was normal for children to be married in their teens. however, it was also normal for them to have to work (actual physical toil), support their families, and deal with very adult issues that this generation's teens (a la miley) have not, for the most part, encountered. child labor laws, anyone? take that into account in addition to the fact that average lifepan was shorter, and humans reached sexual maturity at a later age than they do today - note the ever-decreasing age of menarche in females. there is no corresponding decrease in age for frontal cortex brain development. having a sexually mature body with an unequivalently mature mind is a dangerous thing. so yes, they are growing up too quickly and thus thrusting themselves into situations for which they are not mentally ready.
Interesting post. I agree that fashion rotates, but kind of disagree w/ makeup. That will clog their pores! I used lipsmackers and nail polish. That is more acceptable in my mind. No way did I touch foundation or blush until I was in high school.
I think in some cases they have more stylish options. I mean, when I was younger did I wear flat boots (not heels!) but cute flat boots, leggings, long sweater/dress-shirts w/ belts and accessories? No!!! I wore neon colored running jackets, spandex shorts, crazy patterned outfits. It wasn't necessarily stylish, but available and handed down. I love "youth" clothing. Majority of it seems fitting and pretty "in style" for being 3-12 year olds.
I respectfully disagree.
My reasons?
This IS the reason why girls are lowering in self esteem more than ever. Especially about their bodies. They feel the need to look good being exposed in such little clothing. And I strongly disagree with this quote:
"If they think make-up can make them look beautiful, then let them. At
least they will see themselves with better self-esteem, whether it be
natural or not."
I see where you are coming from. But I believe it's much more important that girls find self esteem within themselves and their accomplishments in many other aspects such as sports, school, and anything else that's not "beauty" related. Because of this reasoning, girls don't recognize their special talents, they just want to be "pretty".
Also, double standard much? How come being sexual at a young age isn't an issue for males?
I just think there's a reason for childhood. Your reasoning for change through time just doesn't cut it for me either. There should be a stopping point somewhere. When is enough ever actually enough? I'd much rather not believe that my daughter is going to run around completely naked in the future.
I disagree. Everyone else made a good point. Things arent the same as the 1900s. There bodies were looked at a different way. Saying that its okay for young girls to wear short skirts and feel pretty natural or not, to me, seems like youre okay with girls, and anyone really, masking what they dont like becasue of insecurities the media puts on them. If anything we should be teaching them otherwise and to be comfortable with what God gave them and enhance that later when they can controll their sexuallity and make the reasonsible descisions when it comes to other people's sexual thoughts towards them. There are too many freaksin the world & theyre too vunerable to be "tasting the world" just yet. They dont need to grow up all at once.
women aren't women for the clothes or makeup they wear. young girls should not be encouraged to show off their bodies in sexually suggestive ways as many of their older counterparts do; it's not respectable and the idea that a woman is only as good as her looks is something that should be discouraged on all counts. allowing girls to "grow up" is to teach them respectability, allow them to mature in a healthy manner, and watch them grow with a good head on their shoulders, rather than an empty skull and miniskirts and tube tops on their frames.
i don't think it does young girls (or boys, for that matter) any good to do things just because their peers are doing them. that's absurd. children must be shown limits; they must be taught what is appropriate, and they ought to be taught the importance of thinking for themselves. who cares if your clothes aren't pretty? that doesn't matter in any way, shape, or form.
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - Agreed! I attempted to say this on the original post, but your answer is much more eloquent.
like duh, get pregnant early and have a baby every year and be a milf j/k don't waste time and spend it wisely Lol
@whitetrashpoet@xanga - thank you. :)
Has anyone seen Noah Cyrus' halloween costume?! She looks like a stripper! That nine year old girl, had the boots and everything, with a barely there outfit. Totally raunchy and inappropriate. I see she's following well in her sister's footsteps. WHY do people think this is okay?!!
It's those middle schoolers... they're getting all the ideas from high schoolers. Shame on us! lol.
Girls will all eventually grow up to become women. It's inevitable,
just as it is for us all to live and die. The ideas that girls
shouldn't be allowed to taste the world sooner is the real issue.
Curiosity and the desire to do what our peers do is something we've all
been faced with in the world. Whether it's to dress in a certain way or
to be like someone else altogether.
The problem I have with this argument is that it requires that we assume that it's been normal for girls to want to dress up like sluts when they're 8/9 years old, and that is false. There are only a handful of reasons as to why a girl would want to dress up in skimpy clothing, and most involve sexual motives: something no kid ought to be thinking about in 3rd grade when most of his/her friends probably haven't even hit puberty.
Girls are better off
having knowledge of the world sooner than later.
This isn't knowledge; this is dressing up in suggestive ways for Halloween. You don't gain any knowledge from this, other than people are more willing to have sex with you the more skin you're showing (which, again, kids don't need to know).
History
repeats itself. If we never break barriers, how do we expect the world
to change? Look at us maybe a century ago. Women weren't even allowed
to show their legs for crying out loud. A flashback to the 1900s fashion is quite different from what we see now.
This is not a question of rights, this is a question of whether it's healthy for children who have barely hit puberty to be strutting around in slutty clothing or not. With your logic we should argue that 8 year olds should be having sex now, because if they don't break barriers, they'll never have the freedom to have sex when they want to.
How did it ever
happen that we would see women nowadays, with skirts, dresses, and
t-shirts, might I ask? It was a revolution in the perspective of
people, that maybe showing more skin was not a sin.
Women are allowed to show skin because it was "proven" that they aren't at the maturity of children and that they have valid sexual urges that they ought to have the right to express. How is this comparable to whether children should dress up like sluts or not?
I went Halloween shopping and I thought... Look at the slutastic costumes.
But you're right. Showing skin is "taboo" only because our society deems it so.
@Lord_of_the_Pixie_stix@xanga - Just because you show skin more people aren't willing to have sex with you. Sorry pedo bears will still kidnap your kids fully dressed or not.
I don't think children are growing up/maturing at a fastr rate than at any other time. Like Misspixieglitter said, children's bodies may mature faster due to better nutrition, but they do not develop mentally and emotionally any faster. It is fine for children to "taste the world", but they still need the guidance of adults.
When I was in High School. . .On the walls would be pictures of the class of whatever year it may be in the 60's, 70s, 80s and the girls as well as guys looked like they were at least in their 20s somewhere even some in their 30s, but now. . .I see these current high schoolers and they look like they should still be in junior high. Its crazy because it seems like as time goes on, the younger these kids look and the faster they wanted to grow up already. And of course girls grow up way too fast. They want to go through life's experiences faster then they came in. I agree with Erika_Steele that they still need the guidance of adults.
Disagree. Children are just that, Children. We're referring to them as Children, Kids, and Little girls, which should stop this conversation right there. A child should have a Childhood. An 8 year old girl does not, and SHOULD not know the things an 18 or even 16 year old girl knows. She has not had that experience in her life. She should still be running around playing with bubbles and barbie dolls. The main reason women or even young women (even 13 or 14 year olds) dress provocatively is because hormones are telling them that this gets guys to notice them (which is partially media, and partially hormone induced common sense). But the 13 or 14 year old who had health class last year has a better idea of what dressing like that results in. Personally I Miss! the days when I was carefree and (well I never fit in really) didnt have to worry about a guy noticing my butt. I still thought boys like you cause your funny, not because you were the first girl to develop boobs. and the other problem? (this one I know from experience and have been worrying about recently) an 8 year old girl dressing like an a18 year old is prey. NOT FOR PEDOPHILES but for older boys. a 10 year old girl wearing skin tight clothing will get a hormone enraged 14 year old boys attention. and while the 10 year olds mind is saying 'maybe I'll get my first kiss *sigh*' and the 14 year old boy (whos got hormones addling his brain) thinks 'I can get a blow job'. Yes I know this is almost on the verge of exteme, except its not. And yes the 14 year old should realize that a 10 year old is way to young, but the things that would normally set off a thing in his brain saying that (i.e cute clothing not sexy) are ignored, cause shes dressing like the girls in his class, and her experimental flirting makes her come off as oh so mature. Yesterday I got worried cause My bfs 10 yr old sister (who thinks shes so grown up and wont wear anything that isnt skin tight, though thank god she sticks to jeans and t's rather than tube tops and mini skirts, though I wouldnt put it past her if she thought she could get away with it) hung out with a 2 boys. 1 14 and 1 13. She was in 50 degree weather without even a hoodie (she was in a tight t-shirt) flipping her hair and flirting really hard core. This worries me. I sat in my room keeping an ear on them and checking out the window. Why the hell would a 14 yr old who never wants to hang out with the 10 yr old lay on the trampoline and just sit there all just hanging out. And maybe I'm to overprotective so I can only see the bad, but its not normal to me. And a 10 year old wearing a 15 year olds clothing just sends the wrong message. with a 15 year old it screams NOTICE ME to the guy who sits 3 seats behind her in french. on an 10 year old it screams TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY NAIVETE. Children are children, and they should act like children.
[[srry bout the uber long post but this is a subject very near and dear to my heart, and to those of you who disagree, my bfs other sister, whos 16 just had her first baby, she was pregnant at 15... nuff said)