It was mentioned in the New York Times and the Houston Chronicle a story out of London reporting that a major clothing retailer had withdrawn a children's bathing suit line. The reason? The swimwear line was promoting a bikini for 7 year olds with a padded bra. The retail store acted immediately after the article was published calling the bikini the “paedo” (pedophile) bikini. That sounds reasonable to me because I cannot imagine any other population appreciating a stuffed bikini top for a 7 year old. Nor can I imagine any reason you should ever stuff any bikini top for any age child. They are children; they are not supposed to have big breasts. I am wondering what the clothing industry who designed this swim suit were thinking. Perhaps it will help if I clarify where the average girl of 7 years is emotionally, so they can understand how messed up their thinking was.

What the typical 7 year old girl may look like emotionally (according to about six child psychology book authors including Ruth Schmidt Neven):
1.They want to be perfect at this age and may seem more self critical than they were at 5 or 6 years.
2.They worry more and their self confidence is more fragile.
3.They have an increased tendency to complain. They are learning more and more about negotiation.
4.They understand clearly the difference between right and wrong.
5.They need punishment rarely because they understand the rules and usually follow them.
6.They are much better at losing games than they were at 5 or 6 years and they are less likely to blame.
7.They began to feel a stronger connection with shame and guilt.

Seven year old children are playing with their friends, maybe Barbie dolls in the morning and dancing at night. They are not concerned nor should they be with their breasts and whether they are big enough. Parents, you must stop the madness. Every parent who saw this article most likely reacted similarly to how I did. Where did this come from and how do we stop it? In this case, thank God the retail store in London had enough sense to withdraw the line. But what if the next store doesn't? What message are we sending our young girls? Please, let your children be children for as long as possible. That means dress them like children, expose them to TV shows for children, listen to music specifically for children, and appreciate this innocent time in their lives. Parents, this may require you to act like parents, dress like parents, listen to a parents' music and watch parents' TV programs. If you are trying to act like a “cool parent” to fit in with your child then maybe the bikini bra stuffing is for you and not your seven year old?