Dressing our kids like adults now???

[Alice's Mommy]

Why is it that people who make clothes and shoes for kids seem to be in such an all fired rush to make our kids be adults now???

I went to the shoe store today with the kids. My DD wanted a pair of what she called "stylish and fancy" shoes. For her this means fun colors, some glitter and maybe bows. I went through all the shoes with her and we had a huge problem finding shoes appropriate for her age. (She's 5!!) Nearly ALL the shoes had high heels...not those little white patent pumps that seemed to come out every Easter when I was a kid...but strappy sandals, gladiator styled heels, wedge heels, chunky heels...the only thing missing was a spiky stiletto heel. Not even joking...my sister found a high heeled sandal among the shoes she was looking at for my 1 year old niece!!!

I've never thought of myself as a prude but the thing is my kids only to get to be kids one time around. Why are we SO accepting of the fact that there are people (designers, advertisers, et al) who want to rush our kids along to adulthood now? It's infuriating. I explained to my DD that she gets only the first 18 years out of all her life to be a kid...and of those really only 12-14 where she's probably going to want to act like a kid. I told her that it's my job to make sure she gets to make the most out of those short years and that it's pretty sad that there are people out there who seem to want to make sure she doesn't even get them at all.

FYI: I was pretty lucky to find a cute pair of brightly colored Maryjane flats but that was literally after 15 minutes of searching.

My vent is over. Thanks!!!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I've noticed that lately, too. Some of the shoes they want us to put on little growing feet kill me. I try to shop for specific brands of shoe that I know make quality cute "kid-looking" shoes. See Kai Run, Pedipeds, Keens ect.
We usually shop sales and clearance at gymboree and lands end(for swim), but the clothes this year have been so "adult". Kind of a real bummer. I don't want my 2yo ds looking 15.

 

[mickeygirl14]

I have the same thoughts. Drove me nuts last year trying to find summer clothes for my DD7 for home/our Disney trip. I mean, I found halter tops, mini skirts, string bikinis, etc. Why are we so anxious for them to grow up and lose that innocence? Makes me sad...

 

[RMAMom]

This isn't a new development. My oldest DD is 26 and when she was 5 yrs old Madonna was all the rage and I was furious that I couldn't find anything that I felt was appropriate for a 5 yr old! Black lace mini skirts and shirts that had spaghetti straps were everywhere!

I know it's exhausting but keep looking you'll find what you need without compromising your principles.

 

[brytorlyn]

I have that problem too when shopping for dd9. I don't like her to look like she is on the way to a cocktail party when I buy things. I noticed it a few years ago but it really gets harder with the tweens. I still think she needs to look like a kid for a few more years. We are in Canada so I am not sure if you have these stores but we really avoid La Senza Girl and Siblings. La Senza started as a lingerie store and branched out into girls clothes...seems wrong.

 

[mom2val]

I feel your pain. DD is 10 and shopping for shoes and clothes is very difficult. Going to the mall and buying an outfit is almost impossible - everything in her size (she is 5 ft 1 inch and 89 pounds) just looks "slutty" and not appropriate for a 10 year old. No booty shorts, no halter tops, no low rise skinny jeans, no skin tight tops, no mini skirts!

DD lucky for me is only interested in comfort and not fashion. I buy her clothes online from Lands End, Hanna Anderson, Childrens Place (knit yoga pants that dd lives in) and Disney.com (gotta get Disney tees). She wears Crocs and New Balance shoes.

 

[Singledad]

This is why I love striderite. Yeah, not budget friendly but at least I know I won't find something that will kill my child's feet!

my DD is 5, and I hate that all the clothes are cut like an adult's.. I don't even like those looks on adults, why in the world do they think I want my child to look like that!?!

I completely understand this rant.

But I will say, I am envious you found some at the same store that worked. I've had to go to three stores to find ones appropriate.

 

[pkjne]

I have those issues due to my daughter is eight going to be nine here next week. She is however not a size 9 or even 10 she is wearing more like some junior sizes. To get that stuff it is horrible to buy for a nine year old they make things so low cut and tight anymore.

 

[21hearts]

I have the same problem with my dd. Add in that her first foot swells up (due to her medical condition) and I have a nightmare of a time trying to find a no heel shoe that fits both of her feet & won't cause any problems.

 

[Colleen27]

I don't have a hard time finding basic jeans and tees for my girls, but shoes are getting ridiculous. The heels-for-kids have been around a long time but you used to only see it in more fashionable stores, while basic middle-America places like Sears had more traditional kid styles. This past year, I really had to hunt for a winter boot for DD9 that didn't have a heel, and ended up buying DD2's sandals from an athletic store because the Nikes seemed to be the only ones designed to run around in rather than just to look good.

 

[GoofyFairie]

I have to agree. I wan t my DD to look like a girl her age, not an adult! She has such a short itme to be young and innocent and I want her to be that way as long as possible. I just bought her a dress for her band concert and most of the styles were formal wear for kids. I couldn't find any with sleeves or jackets. I settled for sleeveless, but at least it wasn't spaghetti strap or backless. I haven't looked for shoes yet. Don't even get me started on bathing suits!

 

[dsnymom2003]

I feel your pain! Try finding a bra for an 11 year old that is not padded!! I even went to the little girls section and all of the "training" bra types are padded! Why does a little girl need a padded bra? Let them be little as long as they can! They have plenty of time to wear the grown up stuff when they are older!

 

[scottish mum]

Its the same over here too My dd is 6 but wears age 8 clothes as she is soooo tall. She loves all the younger kids clothes, loads of bright colours and pretty tops and dresses, but these don't fit her. As soon as you move to her size everything is dark coloured and skin tight and looks like its to be worn while out clubbing.

She's my little girl and she wants to be a little girl but finding clothes and shoes for her is a nightmare.

 

[princessmom29]

Some thyings do bother me, but I have seen a lot listed here that my DD wears, and still looks like a little girl. She wears tank tops with spagetti straps, skinny jeans, the occasional halter ect and still looks like a 7 year old. I do however have issue with high heels, string bikinis, ect for littel girls. There are a lot of things out there that i would never put on my DD, but IMO fabric choice can make a BIG difference in what a stryle looks like on a little girl. For example, we were swim suit shopping for DD at target yesterday, and she tried on like 7 before we found a tankini that worked. It was the same style suit we had tried on before, but the print was much more grily and fun. It made all the difference in the look of the suit on her. We generally have decent luck at Target in the girls section, and can get things at CHildren's Place. I have basically given up on Justice. My DD is not heavy or even chunky at all, but is muscular from dance, and NOTHING is that store fits her properly, plus half of it is not suitable. Shoes, especially sandals, are an absolute nighmare b/c DD has a narrow foot. We recenly discovered Yellow Box flip flops for kids. LOVE them, and if you shop sales you can get them pretty cheap. We paid $11 a pair the other day.

 

[Bertie9396]

I know exactly what you mean. I had to get some clothes and shoes for DD and couldn't find anything decent that wasn't a total rip off. Its like she has to dress like a 16 year old or spend a fortune on a pair of shoes she'll wear for a month before she outgrows them. Ended up going to a thrift store and SCORED! Brand new shoes, original tags on them for $4! I got brand new Birkenstocks for $9.99!

Its even on hats. MIL got DD a hat from Walmart. It has "Mui Sexy" on it. MIL didn't notice it until she got home but she said there was a whole bunch of them in the girls section on sale. They all had different sayings on them but they were cute, warm, pink hats so she picked one up. DD wears it but not at school and we make her wear it inside out.

I see some kids wearing things that I would never dream of and I'm 35 years old!

 

[mjkacmom]

I feel your pain! Try finding a bra for an 11 year old that is not padded!! I even went to the little girls section and all of the "training" bra types are padded! Why does a little girl need a padded bra? Let them be little as long as they can! They have plenty of time to wear the grown up stuff when they are older!

The reason isn't to make them look bigger. When dd14 was that age, I had the same problem with it, and told dd I'd try to find her an unpadded one - she was horrified! "What if I get cold?!" Same with bikini tops - it's the opposite of the 1970's with today's young ladies - cover up with padding.

 

[DaniB]

Don't even get me started on bathing suits!

Yesterday was the first day to sign up kids for the next set of swimming lessons. Which start in 2 weeks. And my DD11 has an invitation to a b-day swimming party the day after lessons start.

(sigh) She needs a new swim suit. I forsee two weeks of hell trying to find a "decent" one while it's still winter!

 

[delmar411]

I feel your pain! Try finding a bra for an 11 year old that is not padded!! I even went to the little girls section and all of the "training" bra types are padded! Why does a little girl need a padded bra? Let them be little as long as they can! They have plenty of time to wear the grown up stuff when they are older!

THIS!!!! I took ODD shopping for new underthings and I was shocked at what was available. I couldn't find the bras I like either. I spoke to a salesgirl at VS a while back and she mentioned that the regular unlined bras are pretty much gone. I didn't realize she meant at all stores.

 

[delmar411]

Yesterday was the first day to sign up kids for the next set of swimming lessons. Which start in 2 weeks. And my DD11 has an invitation to a b-day swimming party the day after lessons start.

(sigh) She needs a new swim suit. I forsee two weeks of hell trying to find a "decent" one while it's still winter!

Try lands end. I found a nice rashguard top (they have several styles) that has a built in shelf bra and a pair of swim shorts. It was pricey but I was happy to not have to battle DD for the next few months trying on suits.

 

[DaniB]

Try lands end. I found a nice rashguard top (they have several styles) that has a built in shelf bra and a pair of swim shorts. It was pricey but I was happy to not have to battle DD for the next few months trying on suits.

groan... I totally forgot she'll need a suit with a built-in bra now! Thanks for the heads-up!