I could care less if Miley Cyrus does a pole dance on TV. At some point all teen stars decide to show their "adult" side. Britney did it. Christina did it. Jessica did it. Miley's day was bound to come. Having said that, I'm not sure the Teen Choice Awards was the appropriate venue for Miley's "edgy" side. But did that many parents really question the performance? It seems like girls are being taught to be "sexy" at a younger and younger age.
By now Miley is old news, so I'm sure many of you are wondering why I'm bringing this up. Yesterday Hubby came in with the mail and had a catalog of Halloween costumes. He loves Halloween and immediately sat on the floor to look at all the pictures with our daughters. I looked through it later and was stunned by many of the costumes. Sure, there were your requisite princesses, fairies, witches, etc., but what I saw in the "'teen" section shocked me. Keep in mind this section specifically said teens and not adults. It contained page after page of pouty girls in short skirts. Most of these girls look like they're about 12 years old. The catalog came from a legitimate, national chain.
In most retail stores when you shop the young girls' department (think ages 6-10) you'll think you're in the junior's department. The shorts and skirts are getting shorter, the tops are getting tighter. What is a parent to do?
I'm not a prude. I don't think there's anything wrong with dressing "cute" or even "sexy"... when it's age appropriate. With four daughters you can be sure I'm going to be keeping a close eye on their outfits... and which celebrities they choose to admire. Thank goodness my daughters have decided to dress up as flowers this Halloween.
