Bikinis

Bikinis - for or against? I was actually not going to get a bikini for my daughters until much, much, MUCH later. Then my mom comes and asks my older daughter if she wants to wear a bikini to our beach trip? Of course, YES!!

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Bikinis

I am anti. Right now A just wears one pieces or tankinis, where her belly is covered up. I just don't dig them on little girls. I didn't get to wear a bikini until I was in HS.

[Flynn]

Re: Bikinis

I am anti. Right now A just wears one pieces or tankinis, where her belly is covered up. I just don't dig them on little girls. I didn't get to wear a bikini until I was in HS.

ITA. I take the, "whatever other people do, fine by me -- my daughter is wearing a ONE piece" approach. I think I was 14 when I purchased my first one -- possibly older.

Re: Bikinis

I am anti. Right now A just wears one pieces or tankinis, where her belly is covered up. I just don't dig them on little girls. I didn't get to wear a bikini until I was in HS.

I'm kind of of the opposite opinion (not having an actual daughter yet to base this on). My immediate feeling is that they're cute when they're little (I love toddler bellies), given it's not a skanky one of course. I'd be a lot less likely to want a bikini on a developing or developed girl.

But like I said, my daughter is in utero, so feel free to discount my opinion.

[houseelf]

Re: Bikinis

I think if it is an athletic cut, as in sports bra/boy shorts/skirt/ tankini, it's o.k. with me. DD kind of HAS to wear a two piece suit in our house because she has a loooooong torso and can't fit into most one pieces. (She did NOT get this attribute from me). I've purchased and returned more ill fitting one piece suits than I can count. I expect it to be hard for ME to find a suit to wear, not my three year old.

Still we're not going to go with the string or triangle top look in our house. To each their own however. I love seeing sweet baby and toddler milk bellies in bikinis, if I'm totally honest.

I have the hardest time finding one piece swim suits for her. :huh: I did find a couple of cute wet suits that miraculously fit. I love these because they have SPF as well.

Kelly

Re: Bikinis

Both my DD's wear some type of bikini. Oldest (10) has bikini top and boy shorts and the other (7) wears bikini bottoms and half tankini top. They are both sooo skinny and have nothing to hide or show at this age. Ask me again in a few years though

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Bikinis

I think the tankinis are a great compromise when they're little. I was not allowed to wear bikinis for many years, I'll probably hold the same with my daughter.

[DCJenn]

Re: Bikinis

We were competitive swimmers growing up and my parents were already stuck shelling out for practice suits and team suits so it was one-piece all the way for me.

The girls who swim in our pool (the one in my yard) are typically wearing athletic styled two-pieces or tankinis. I haven't seen a one-piece on anyone other than lap swimmers in years. I have a Lands End tankini that comes up high on my chest to avoid more sunburn, and the bottom is shorts which is great for sitting around with people- I don't feel nekked.

Jenn

[Auspicious]

Re: Bikinis

I'm pretty much in this camp:

I think if it is an athletic cut, as in sports bra/boy shorts/skirt/ tankini, it's o.k. with me.

Still we're not going to go with the string or triangle top look in our house. To each their own however. I love seeing sweet baby and toddler milk bellies in bikinis, if I'm totally honest.

I certainly am not going to choose or suggest a bikini for her. I have seen bikinis on kids and thought "Meh, that one doesn't look so bad." If she gets older and is begging for a bikini for some reason? . . . we'll take it on a suit-by-suit basis. I'm not going to say "never"--it will depend on the suit and the kid.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Re: Bikinis

Not that I have kids but I have had a recent change of opinion. It always seemed inappropriate to me for children well under puberty to wear bikinis and assumed my very conservative family agreed until I saw my little cousins (4 and 5) in bikinis. I (politely) asked their mom how she felt about this issue and she said:

"I am against it from the issue of immodesty and don't want the girls to be too sexy but I had a very embarassing experience as a child so I let them do it. I was about 7 or 8, just old enough to be modest about my body. I got out of the pool to use the bathroom and was soaking wet. When I wanted to return to the pool, I couldn't get my one piece back up because I was still wet and it got caught. Naturally, being 7, I panicked. I was so embarrassed and began to cry. I stayed in the bathroom, red faced and upset until my friends mom came and got me. Frankly, the most tankini's help them to use the bathroom when they're little and I don't want them to feel embarrased like I did."

I thought it was a very interesting take that I hadn't consider....

[Cumberland]

Re: Bikinis

I take the fear of sun approach. As a seriously pale person who will not tan ever and has serious sun damage from trying to, I put my girls in sun suits. They have a few- some are cute with separate bottoms and short sleeve shirts, and some are long sleeve one pieces that are knee length.

[Sheherezade]

Re: Bikinis

I actually bought my daughter a bikini when she was 6 * on purpose* because she had become sooo self conscious about her little belly pooching out. Six is too young to have body image issues. I figured that if I bought her a bikini and raved about how cute it was, she might actually get the message that her stomach was cute - not something to be disgraced about. It worked. So, I guess I feel like to each his own. You need to do what works for your kids.

[Phoebe]

Re: Bikinis

I am on the fear of the sun approach. My kids had a couple bikinis when they were toddlers I think as gifts. We do mostly tankinis due to long torsos and easier for bathroom breaks for preschoolers who wait until the last minute.

[Deebs]

Re: Bikinis

This year, it's all about the bikini. We're just potty-training, and a one-piece takes too long to get on and off. Honestly, she'll never make it from realizing she has to go, to getting out of the pool, getting to the bathroom, and wrestling off a one-piece. Even with a two piece, it's a gamble. We'll cross our fingers and hope for the best (at least the pool is chlorinated, right?).

[Vanquisher]

Re: Bikinis

I am anti. Right now A just wears one pieces or tankinis, where her belly is covered up. I just don't dig them on little girls. I didn't get to wear a bikini until I was in HS.

I'm kind of of the opposite opinion (not having an actual daughter yet to base this on). My immediate feeling is that they're cute when they're little (I love toddler bellies), given it's not a skanky one of course. I'd be a lot less likely to want a bikini on a developing or developed girl.

But like I said, my daughter is in utero, so feel free to discount my opinion.

ITA!!

Add in potty training, diapers, or a girl with a long torso, and it just makes sense to go the two piece route when they're little.