Eensy Weensy Bikinis
Summer is coming and you know what that means? It’s almost bathing suit season. We are a family that spends a lot of time in the water. Pools, beaches, lakes even splash pads; we love a nice cold dip on a hot sunny day.
The very first bathing suit I ever had was a true eensy weensy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini. It was a little string number and my chubby little toddler tummy stuck out in the middle in the most adorable way.
When I was searching for Ms. J’s very first bathing suit I scanned through the rack and was shocked to see so many teeny tiny two pieces made for babies and very few one pieces. I found it bothersome. I never thought I would have an issue with my daughter in a bikini until I had a daughter and all of a sudden it felt wrong for her, wrong for us. It felt too old, it felt a little provocative; those tiny triangles felt just a little too womanly and not enough little girly.
I don’t have an issue with bikinis at all and I love the fact that women of all shapes are starting to feel comfortable enough to wear them. Two pieces on babies and toddlers can be adorable with their chubby little legs and their little baby tummies on display. I totally understand if you choose a sweet little baby bikini for your little one, they are almost irresistible. Yet I don’t think they are for us, at least not right now. I feel as though they are better suited for older girls/women. Women who are old enough to make the conscious decision on how much of their body should be on display and when.
We are living in a world where girls are being bombarded with unrealistic images of beauty. There are dolls out there that wear thongs! Dolls in thongs! The more clothes an actress or pop star is willing to take off the more popular she gets. The recent coverage of the celebrities wearing next to nothing at the Met Ball shows where the fashion trend leans. I know that my daughter will probably at some point in her life feel pressured to look a certain way. I hope that I can teach her to love herself just the way she is.
Her world is moving so fast and I don’t want to make it spin any faster. She’s only going to be a little girl once and I want to make that childhood as magical and special as possible. Why push her into adulthood any faster? The day will come when she graduates from a one piece to a two piece or maybe she’ll stay a one piece girl forever! Until then there is no reason why she needs to wear a little girl bikini. She can continue to wear the cute little girly once pieces that offer her a lot more sun protection and a little more coverage. She can run and play and jump in the pool without a worry that the top of her bathing suit may fall off mid-dive. She can be a kid, a beach loving, pool swimming and fun in the sun kid.
