Didn't watch it, but I find it disturbing the amount of clothing/merchandise is available for children with the playboy bunny on it

Same as Saz. I didn't watch it either. I might try it on Catch Up, but like she says,it's getting daft now. Kids aren't allowed to grow up these days 

Oh buns, I have been buying my daughter playboy bunny duvets etc since I don't know when.  She loves em, and nothing sexual intended on my part. Eeeeh I'm a bad mother fkka.

i watched part of it and it seemed to be coming from the viewpoint that there was a huge  swathe of  sexualised  clothing and media  swamping the market,  the initial investigations  seemed to establish that sexualised childrens clothing  was fairly hard to find, and that in the case of padded bras  for early teens  were viewed in a completely different light  by children  than adults, wereas adults saw them as  enhancing and highlighting breasts, the children that wore them considered them protective and  a means to cover up.

I missed this programme, but I'm very disturbed by the way in which young girls are sexualised.  I think it goes beyond inappropriate clothing, and I don't understand parents who allow their young daughters to wear makeup, nail varnish etc. and generally try to emulate teenagers when they are still 6 and 7.  I don't accept that all little girls like trying on mummy's makeup or dressing up - they only do that when it is suggested to them or they see other children doing it.  It never occurred to my daughter to try my makeup or clothes on when she was little, because she was always fully occupied playing with toys, rather than being encouraged to grow up too soon.  Apart from the possible damage that make up etc could do to young delicate skin, it is SO inappropriate to encourage little girls looking like mini hookers when they are so young.  

I could also never understand the whole gender stereotyping thing when my daughter was little.  She was always given toys that SHE had shown an interest in rather than being forced to push baby dolls around in prams like most of her friends.  And why are so many little girls clothes still only available in bloody pink?  Whenever Growly Jnr was dressed in dark colours as a baby, people always assumed she was a boy  And my mother nearly had a fit when I finally managed to find her some black baby clothes 

In respect of padded bras, I've never come across a young girl who has worn a padded bra to cover up their breasts - quite the opposite!

My cousin was like that - with my aunt's encouragement She is now 16 and plastered in the stuff... looks like an umpa lumpa Shame really, she is so pretty anyway

Yes,Saz, I agree; it's such a shame to see young people plastered with make up. But I think anyone of any age looks ridiculous when they've trowelled on make up Jordan style.  A friend of mine would never even take her daughter to school without full make up on, but she looked so much better with no make up at all than war paint at 9 am.  It's one thing to use make up to enhance your appearance, but I don't know why people think that they have improved their looks by caking on thick layers of gunk that looks so unnatural 

I'd be intrested to watch this as i do see it as a real problem. Not just suggestive clothing/mechandise(sp) but imo alot of things are no longer age appropriate, one of my main bug bears is music videos and such with women wearing very little being the norm nowadays.

And another thing that REALLY annoys me is a couple of people i know calling children sexy instead of pretty or smart or even nice! I told one of them who called my baby sexy in her new outfit "Um shes a baby?? How the hell can she be sexy?!!??

I say let kids be kids, plenty of time for grown up stuff when they are actually grown up??

  I actually do not think there is anything wrong with having duvet covers with the bunny logo on. My teenager once had a huge pink duvet to go with her pink room (the pink phase) and it was her decision, nothing at all to do with anything other than the pink thing. No thought to playboy or anything. 
I think it only becomes a problem if you say NOOOO you can't have that! dont you know what that means!!!!!  as in if you make an issue of it THEN it becomes a problem.

She now has a different theme, again her own choice, which is the important thing.

I would not go out and buy any inappropriate clothes, i do find these clothes mentioned on the programme aimed at the under 10's a bit ridiculous. 

I like children to BE children.

About the make up aspect with young children.

I take the point of view that dressing up, as in role play a key aspect in learning and developing.

When my children go to parties etc, they may have their face paints... equivalent to make up in one way some may argue.  I think parents> who are the main role model for their own children  should come to their own sensible decision based on the situation at the time.

I don't encourage make up,( they don't have any)  but they love the glitter of the face paints at parties.

Aye, I'd agree with that... its so ageing too

ew

I was going to mention that as well.  I hate it and had a right go at my sister once for buying her little girl clothes with it on.

Yeah, I do agree that kids will just see it as a cute bunny design... but I just think its wrong that it is being marketed at such a young audience

oh, you know what else I don't like... those tracksuits with things written across the backside

Think I'm gonna watch this over lunch actually

Yes the fault lies with them, i also don't agree how much merchandise they have aimed at the young.
Lets hope parents can make the best decision for their own children

I hate it, I remember a couple of xmas's ago kyle brought out a showgirl costume for kids i saw it in woolworths and couldnt believe it. It was like a mini burlesque/stripper outfit. so shes just as bad

This is a problem that just doesn't exist on my radar for me. I wouldn't entertain the idea and my daughter has never asked for any of these clothes or logos and if she did id clearly tell her it wasn't appropriate.

As far as not letting kids just be kids these days, last year at school i was told by my daughters tutor leader that maybe i should help her read more teen magazines so she was more interested in make up, music and boys like the other girls her age. While i see the point, she is innocent for her age, why not just let her do what makes her happy.

I think the problem lies somewhat in lazy parenting, one parent will let their child do something no one else is allowed and over time that one thing gradually becomes normal across the board and you're strange if you dont let your child do it....... so then another parent will let their child do something else no one else their age is allowed to do and gradually it happens again. Some people just dont say no to their kids cos they cant be bothered with enforcing it.

Lets face it these clothes etc wouldnt be made for very long if no one went out and bought them would they?

I know i hate it!

I seem to be seeing little girls 6,7,8ish wearing high healed boots. Why?? Why would anyone think that was good for a little girl to wear??

ugh, Suri Cruise is always in heels... quite often in matching things to Katie Holmes apparently

The worst one I remember seeing was a little girl walking along holding her mum's hand, dressed in a leather mini skirt and knee high, heeled boots She couldn't have been more than 7...

It just amazes me, you have little 'mini me's ' walking around wearing the same stuff as there mothers. Hello you're the adult you chose what you wear as an adult but please don't inflict your adult dress onto kids.

What about thief poor feet? There still growing!! And you have them walking around in high heels, what the...

I hate to see kids walking around like mini me's,that applies to boys as well btw,let them be kids as long as they possibly can ,there's a big bad world waiting for them out there....Kids do *mimic* parents/adults and imo dressing up at home is quite harmless,I done it myself as a child tbh,I think when parents *befriend* their kids the goalposts are moved,they don't need friends,friends are readily available, parenting them is what is needed by being one the other is neglected.When they themselves are adults and no longer need as much parental guidance *friend* them all we want,meantime being a parent is what is necessary not lazy/cop out parenting.

  I think that is really outrageous.  The school should celebrate the fact that they've got a girl who IS still innocent, and isn't in a rush to pretend to be an adult.

I get very angry about children wearing high heels as well.  I was always told that children's feet are so easily damaged by poorly fitting footwear, and because of that I always made sure that Growly Jnr had properly fitted Start Rite or Clarks shoes; I was happy to go without other things to make sure that her developing feet weren't damaged, and her posture wasn't affected.  Apart from that, children look ridiculous in high heels.

Indeed.  

Just tried to find this prog on the iplayer but it just comes up with the "What is one degree" episode.

Its Panorama, Jen, not horizon.... I'm watching it now

Lol Well thats why i cant find it! Felt slightly uncomfy searching those words on google!!

Thanx Saz

On the facebook issue i know that there are kids ages 7-8 on facebook at my kids school and some of their parents know about it!!

Just last night infact my daughter told me "so and so in my class told me she uses facebook and i told her she shouldnt be, but she said she only goes on the games" They are 8!! and i know there are 2 girls in the year below who are allowed to do it......

I didn't see the programme, but hopefully that doesn't mean I can't add me tuppence worth

I have three thoughts on it...so get comfy

1.  I don't like seeing children dressed up in clothes that were meant for older people.  I know it's up to the parents to decide what they will allow their children to leave the house in, but apart from the 'sexualisation' issue I have the archaic belief that children should be children for as long as possible.  They'll have years to dress in adult clothing, for now they should be wearing Winnie the Pooh jumpers and have pigtails in their hair

2.  I think that the age range of people in general is changing.  You have 8 year olds acting like they're teenagers and teenagers acting like twenty something year olds.  I'm not sure if this is something that naturally happens in society or is it something we should make ourselves aware of and try to stop.  it wasn't so long ago children were sent up chimneys and forced to work in factories and society changed to protect their childhoods.  Now the kids seem to be fighting back.  Maybe if they want to be older, we should send them back up the flippin chimneys and back into the factories

3.  The sexualisation of a child is very much subjective.  I think any person with a normal scale of thinking towards children would tut and say the kid is dressing to old.  I think to consider them as sexualising themselves is a bit strong.

I apologise for the waffle and am prepared to be ignored

They won't go theres no plug sockets up inside chimneys

Jenstar Member

Today at 14:27

It's good to have you back.

I won't ignore you because I agree with your points.

I'm a bit scared to post about my girls now 

They dress up at home all the time. Always stealing my make up and prancing about the house in my shoes. I have on occasion found them wearing my bras (stuffed with toilet roll). They have been obsessed with boobs for a good few years now. I think it's because the women in my family are all ample chested  They are at that age now (11) where the hormones are kicking in and they are curious about everything womanly. I had the sex talk with them briefly a few years ago when they started asking about tampons and wouldn't let it go until I told them everything. I can feel the full on talk coming soon though. Like I said hormones are kicking in so I think they'll be due a visit from Mother Nature very very soon  I think curiosity is good. Asking questions is good and dressing up and playing roles at home is good. Out of the house is a different story though. They are allowed to straighten their hair, wear nail varnish, mascara and some lip gloss if they are going to a party but that's it. It's all kids stuff. They aren't ready for bras yet but as soon as they are they'll get them. They've never been interested in wearing skimpy clothes but it doesn't stop them saying they like how Kylie etc look in theirs. They are sensible about it all because I've never put the foot down and told them they CAN'T wear that or they CAN'T do this etc. In my experience it's when you put definite no no's in front of kids they rebel against it.

I don't agree with parents encouraging their kids to dress sexy though. Don't even get me started about 28AA padded bras or trackie bottoms with stuff written across the arse. There is no point to that other than to draw your gaze there.

I remember you saying they kept asking for boobs for xmas

They're still keeping their fingers crossed Saz. I don't think they're far away 

I can see how it applies to girls, but am a bit stumped how boys can be brought into that?

Boys clothes are quite boring compared to girls IMO. I've yet to see anything on the shelves that would be classed as sexualising young boys