Today, I chaperoned my oldest son's 5th grade class trip to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. BOY...I was surprised with what I saw. 11 year-old girls were dressed like grown women with skin tight jeans on, knee high Chuck Taylor sneakers, exposed bellies, with a face full of make-up. Instead of giggling and doing the things that girls used to do when I was 11, they were strutting around like they were in a music video, texting on their cell phones and singing the lyrics to songs that are inappropriate for 5th graders. If this is what these young girls look like at 11, I am fearful of how they will dress and act once they teenagers. It's obvious they are getting their fashion tips from tv shows and music videos, however, parents need to be parents stop allowing their children to grow up according to what they see on tv. I can recall picture day as a child when myself and my classmates would wear their Sunday attire so they looked good for their class pictures. 11 year-old girls looked and acted like 11 year-old girls. From today's trip, I can see why society view women as sexual objects and why women are still fighting to be treated with respect.
I have also wondered why parents allow their children to go on Facebook as Facebook is not for children!!!!!
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Wow! This is quite scary! I have a four year old and now this is really another argument for sending her to private school where they wear uniforms! It is scary that little girls at this age are mimicking what society is showing and telling them...I bet they don't really even understand it or are making personal choices in their clothing choices.. and unfortunately this is just a pattern to more and more types of behaviors as they turn into teenagers...it is sad that acceptance means following the stereotypes even at 11 years old...than, experiencing self discovery...
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you're talking about. I was at dinner last night and saw a girl who was maybe 13 in the shortest, tightest shorts. It was more than I wanted to see, and I made a comment about it to my girlfriend. She went on to talk about how offensive it was. It was offensive to us who had to see it, to her mother who was with her and let her dress that way, to the girl who was basically exploiting herself, and to all women in general. It is because women are willing to dress like this, to let whatever media portrays this influence us that women continue to be shown as sex objects. If women protested and didn't wear the body-revealing clothes, the image wouldn't sell and the portrayal would change.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve seen pictures of young girls were their parents encouraged their young daughter to posture provocatively. Some parent thinks it’s cute when their daughters act like little divas. I’m sure technology has a lot to do with the advance progression for this generation, and for this reason parents need to stop allowing their child to imitate what they see on TV. My neighbor has a 9 year old daughter and it bothers me when her daughter is present during our adult conversation. While I’m talking with the mother, this little girls is constantly interrupting and adding her two cents on the subject. I can’t believe her mother allows this to happen. I personally know a lot of mothers who try to be their daughter's friend and therefore the disciple goes out the door.
ReplyDeleteIn reading your post I kind of laughed to myself because I too got a culture shock of children in our society today and what they are about-- and boy is it scary!! My little cousin is in 8th grade and today she and I were talking and I noticed she was overusing the words tragic and legitimate. It was used in the right context but completely overused. I asked her why and she said that it is the “in” lingo. She said all of her friends say it, so she started doing the same. So I said, well, if your friends start using drugs, are you going to as well—and her answer shocked me! She said her friends already do. I almost died!! Her friends are 13!! Like seriously...why??? What is this world coming to with such young kids using drugs like coke and marijuana?! It’s really sad? Before she left she showed me a picture of two of the girls in her class and their pictures on Facebook with joints in their mouths. I agree completely; Facebook is not for children—because obviously they lack the maturity to know what is appropriate and what is not. Kids these days are scary-- and the clothes, and cell phones, and networking sites are no help!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! It is horrible how young kids dress today. It is the reason when I ever have kids I want all boys (well one of the reasons!) Last year my fiance and I were at the movies (I made him see Twilight...maybe it was two years ago) and he was freaking out. Girls were pulling their pants lower and shirts higher. They had way too much make up on and could not be older than 15 if that. We knew it was influence by fashion since that is what is in the stores, but seriously if I was there parents, and BUYING their clothes....I do not think so! I mean, I get that when you drop kids off they can change, or put make up on in the bathroom, but parents need to have conversations with kids about AGE APPROPRIATE! It frustrates me to no end. Just look at prom dresses too. They are starting to get out of control to where some schools are actually adding requirements in regards to slits, and how much skin!
ReplyDeleteShawn,
ReplyDeleteMy kids are adults now but your blog brought many memories flooding back. I had chaperoned many school functions when they were little and was surprised by how inappropriate some of the children dressed. These children were attending a catholic school were uniforms were required but on school-sponsored trips they were not. I think without the restrictions kids will conform to what the ‘in crowd’ wears even if slightly inappropriate. When my girls were in their teens, I recall my husband saying ‘if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, people will assume it’s a duck’. If he felt that they were wearing something too tight or suggestive, these words would flow. We have raised our daughters to be strong, proud, and loving but I think to get to this point they needed to express themselves as they were growing up within reason. We were always there to support and guide but not every child had that in their homes so I think what you experienced on your trip is the result.