So never in my wildest thoughts (and I have some pretty wild ones) did I think I'd be writing a post about girls in bikinis. I grew up in a family of girls and bikinis were definitely worn by all of us. My mom was definitely against provocative dress but somehow I don't recall much discussion about bathing suits. Anyhoo, I'm hanging out at the YMCA with my kiddos, wearing my oh so fashionable one piece, not thinking at all about girls in bikinis. It's an indoor pool. It's the YMCA. It's a Saturday night. In walks 2 teenage girls and one of them has a bikini top on that positions her boobs in the most "out there" fashion. It fit her fine. It simply accented her body in a way I wasn't prepared for....at the YMCA. Maybe a Spring Break beach or something. I was caught off guard and noticed my 9 year old look up and stare a little bit. I was embarrassed, and a little annoyed. Then I started thinking.....is her mom aware that she wore this suit? Was her mom there when she picked it out? Maybe her mom encouraged her? I don't know, but as a mom of 2 boys and a girl I truly beg moms out there to think about who their girls are walking around in front of. What possible good comes from letting your daughter walk around in such a suggestive outfit? It begs to be objectified and fantasized over. It's soft porn and I know it caught my son's eye. That night there happen to be several dads that had taken their kids swimming and noticed more than a couple stare at this girl (and let's not get hung up on whose fault that is). I realize magazines and tv shows and friends all tell girls that a nice body should be flaunted and the less material the better. But continue to be the other voice! As moms, we aren't wanting our girls to wear ugly suits/clothes by any means, but we should definitely be teaching them about how we dress affects others, how it affects our image, and what it says about what we value. I never thought I'd be the kind of mom to feel so passionately about something like this but I know moms are a powerful force. We have the ability to change things. My mom didn't talk to me about my body and how it was made, what God intended it for and what message I was sending with it. She is an awesome Christian woman, but it simply wasn't a conversation we had (that I recall). I want to be sure to talk to my daughter when the time comes about all of this because I don't want her to be out there one day tempting some 9 yr old little kid much less anyone else. So in conclusion, this post is not in anyway trying to solicit negativity and criticism about where you see a lot of bikini-clad girls that make you mad. It's just an encouragement to all moms of girls to start the conversation with our daughters and be responsible about who we affect with our appearance.
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