There is a growing pressure on young girls to grow up faster than necessary.
This is largely the result of companies marketing products that facilitate this among their buyers-young girls and their parents.
Girls have always been into make up and dress up clothes, playing with Barbies, and pretending to be mommys; but when does innocent fun go too far?
Recently, adds have filled my TV screen with two particular items that shocked me. Those two things included push-up bikini tops manufactured by the popular clothing company Abercrombie and Breast Milk Baby-a baby doll that simulates breast feeding manufactured for years in Europe by Berjuan.
The controversial swim suit is not only sold at Abercrombie & Fitch, which sells clothes to fit teenagers, but at Abercrombie which sells clothes for 8 to 14-year-olds.
There was a public outcry from parents who said that swim suits with padding is not appropriate for girls as young as eight.
Abercrombie defended their bikinis, announcing March 29 that they would continue to sell their bikinis but change the way in which the swim wear was marketed.
Abercrombie posted on their Facebook page that, “We’ve re-catorized the Ashley swimsuit as padded. We agree with those who say it is best ‘suited’ for girls age 12 and older,” according to Fox News.
Baby dolls have been a staple of young girls for years, but there is no reason for a 7-year-old girl to need to know how to breast feed.
The fear is that if girls are learning to breast feed at such a young age, that it will promote teen pregnancy.
Berjuan Toys seems to think otherwise. They posted on their website that “Breast Milk Baby will revolutionize our nation’s attitudes to good infant health, while letting little girls share in the wonder and magic of mother hood. The Breast Milk Baby lets young girls express their love in the most natural way possible, just like Mommy!”
The baby doll comes complete with an apron that is painted with flowers that are supposed to represent nipples and the baby makes suckling and gargling noises as well as needing to be burped, according to parentdish.com.
While the doll is not currently for sale in the United States, it is set to hit store shelves this spring.
These things may be completely inappropriate for young children, but no one is forcing parents to buy these things for their children. It is an issue of boundaries. Parents need to feel the authority to tell their children no. The company would not continue to sell and to market a product that no one is buying.