I bought a bikini for my 8-year-old daughter ready for our holiday – my friends are outraged but I don’t get the fuss
A MOTHER has sparked a heated debate online after revealing she’s bought her eight-year-old daughter a bikini for their holiday.
Taking to Mumsnet, the anonymous woman, who is from the UK, explained how her friend told her the two-piece was ‘completely inappropriate’ – something which she disagrees with.
In the initial post, she wrote: “We are going away this summer, I have started buying bits for our holiday. Out with a friend shopping who has a daughter a year older than mine.
“I picked up a cute little two-piece swimwear for [my daughter]. She thought it was completely inappropriate and was shocked that I would even consider putting her in one.”
The woman went on to note that her daughter had picked the two-piece out herself.
“She has only ever worse a full suit before as we haven’t been away since pre-Covid,” she continued. “She always wore a more full suit to protect her from the sun.”
READ MORE ON PARENTING
The baffled mum went on to ask whether she’s being unreasonable to think it’s fine to put her daughter in a bikini – and opinions were very mixed.
Many defended the mum’s decision, with one writing: “My seven year old wears them all the time. She prefers them as these are easier for her to use the toilet.”
FABULOUS BINGO: GET A £5 FREE BONUS WITH NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED
A second wrote: “I wouldn’t put them in a tiny scrappy triangle bikini, but a two piece is much easier to toileting etc.”
And a third agreed: “My 7 year old wears them all the time. She prefers them as there are easier for her to use the toilet.”
Another wrote: “I loved bikinis when I was little, swimsuits were for proper swimming. I had a lovely brown one with orange crabs on (it was the 1970s)”.
Most read in Fabulous
However, others sided with the mum’s friend and urged her to buy a rash vest to wear.
“No, a child doesn’t need anything covering her ‘breasts’ and separate bottoms. Rash vest and shorts. Swimsuit and rash vest…” wrote one.
“You might be all like, she’s a kid there’s nothing sexualised about a bikini. But there is. Sorry. And why should a child wear an adult swimsuit?”
Another penned: “Does your DD want one? My 9yo likes them. My 10yo hates them.
Read More on The Sun
But for sun reasons they usually have rash vests on in summer in hotter countries (which work better with bikini bottoms or shorts).
A further added: “I’m not a fan – for the reasons stated in similar threads: eight-year-old girls don’t (generally) have breasts and therefore don’t need to either cover their chests or dress like an adult who does have breasts”.