This weekend as I was perusing
the aisles at the local Halloween store, I overheard a parent and a young girl,
who couldn’t have been more than 6 years of age, arguing over her costume
choice. It was hard to ignore, as the girl was very vocal in her choice of a sexy police girl costume. WHAT?! “SEXY” police girl costume for a 6-year-old?! NO! I identify with this mom's concern and admire her for
telling her daughter no.
Of course, the child did not
take no for an answer and kept throwing her tantrum in the crammed aisle. As I
got closer, I noticed these sexy police girl costumes, in a size 4-6x, come
with a mini skirt, black thigh highs and a low-cut top. FOR A CHILD?! The mom looked
tired, frustrated and defeated by her daughter and the pressure from the
selections of costumes the store had to offer. I leaned in to the girl and
said, “I never saw a police woman wearing a skirt or any of those clothes, you
won’t look like a real cop.” She looked up at me confused so I googled DIY
police woman costumes and showed her how she could look like a real police
woman at almost no cost. Mom smiled at me and the two of them started
discussing how they were going to go home and make their own costume that
looked like a real police woman. They both thanked me and were on their way.
It’s estimated that more
than $1 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween costumes for kids this year.
Halloween is meant to be fun, and dressing up should be creative but
age-appropriate. Halloween costumes are a great way for kids to have fun
expressing themselves and show their creativity, but sometimes it can cross the
line -- especially for the girls. The pressure to wear a sexualized Halloween costume
is increasing both in the marketing industry and among peers. Sexy Halloween costumes,
long popular with adults, are now turning up in the kiddie aisle. Revealing getups are now available for girls as
young as 3 and 4. WHY?
We want our daughters to
grow up feeling comfortable in her sexuality -whatever form that takes -and to
have the freedom to express that however she so desires. But that doesn't mean it’s
ok with them being taught at such a young age that her sexuality and looks are
more valued above all other traits — on Halloween or any other day of the year.
It’s normal for girls to use
Halloween to want to look more grown up, but there’s a fine line between
enforcing family rules and shaming girls for their clothing choices. So how do
you negotiate kids’ outfits without killing their Halloween fun?
If you are a parent of a tween, (I will
pray for you-lol) Halloween just got a hell of a lot more problematic for you with all the provocative costumes
available. Before you decide to take your daughter shopping for a costume,
have a conversation. You are going to have to help your daughter manage the
image she’s putting forth with her costume. This is a parenting moment. Our children rely on us to set boundaries
for them, so do it. Set clear expectations and share your values. Encourage her to express her creativity and have fun,
but in a way, that is appropriate. Pre-teens/Tweens have no real comprehension
of the negative message they’re sending when they put on a sexy Halloween
costume. They are way too young to dress sexy, don’t give in to this.
If you are a parent of a teen (I will pray
for you A LOT-lol), it’s normal for them to want to experiment with dressing
provocatively, and Halloween is a prime opportunity for them to try to get away with it. As a parent, I don’t
like it, but we need to understand it. As the girls are now into their teen
years there are big changes in their bodies that we want them to love and
accept.
Adolescent girls should be able to expose a little
bit of skin - whether it's Halloween or not -without feeling ashamed or
vulnerable. This is another great
parenting moment. Although we want our young ladies to love their developing
bodies, it is also a great opportunity to revisit and share your values with
your daughter. Help your daughter to explore her creativity and choose a
tasteful costume that also satisfies her desire to fit in, explaining that it doesn’t
need to be focused on sexuality.
There’s something sad about the world that the trend
in young girls’ clothing is so sexual. They grow up quick enough. Let them have
a childhood that is free from worrying about who society expects them to be. Our girls deserve to be free to discover who
they are on their own. All these provocative costumes do is bring negative and
unwanted sexual attention to our little girls. They
are too young to comprehend the ramifications and it is our job, as parents, to
protect them. There is never a reason a kindergartener
should be dressing as a “sexy police girl” costume for Halloween.
Have a Happy& Safe Halloween
QofWT
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