Over the last year or so I have received countless e-mails asking me “Will you share this with your readers?” Sometimes I do. The majority of the time I just hit delete. Rarely though, does a simple e-mail both enrage and terrify me and I have NEVER shared part of an actual mail on my blog before. Until now.
This pinged into my inbox tonight…
SERIOUSLY.
So “Le Petit Organic” are patting themselves on the back for being organic, eco-friendly and sustainable, but what on earth were they thinking when they made a child, who must be all of about seven, pose like that? And the bottom ‘swimsuit’ shot is actually featured on the site in the “Baby Girl” range.
I am not so daft as to think that we are not an image focused society. Nor do I think that it is wrong to want your child to look cool, fashionable, stylish. But man alive….not this.
Surely.
But beyond my anger lies a genuine fear. A fear that my daughter will be surrounded by images like this and aspire to look the same. A fear that instead of enjoying her childhood, muddy knees, toddler belly, crazy hair the lot, that she will feel compelled to act more grown up than her years. That she will worry about her appearance, her clothes, her weight. That she will feel under pressure to look the best, be the prettiest, be the slimmest and, oh help me, the sexiest.
WHY ARE THEY OVER-SEXUALISING CHILDREN JUST TO SELL CLOTHES? Do other parents really buy this?
I worry that I won’t be able to protect her from stuff like this.
It scares the hell out of me.
I am determined to do my utmost though.
So, whilst I urge you not to actually visit the aforementioned company’s website, they can be found on twitter @lepetitorganic if anyone had any further comment, #letkidsbekids.
Oh my, I don’t ‘get’ fashion!
Yuck! How horrible!
I have boys but if I had girls I would fear totally the same, it’s very scary what the world and advertising is becoming.
I agree as a mum of two girls one a teen and one a tot. I see how much the media does this everyday as I am also a teacher of teens. Lets keep our children as children.
Absolutely Horrendous, should be Banned
Oh wow this is awful. I have never seen an advert like that but it’s disgusting x
Horrifying I studied fashion at uni but that’s disgusting, I have also spent the last 10 years in education and the sexualization of our children is a serious concern. Thank you for bringing this to people’s attention. I’ve retweeted this blog post the more people that see it the better.
It is just so very wrong, should we really be portraying our children like that? tut tut
That top photo I find particularly awful- it’s direct overt sexualisation. Yuck yuck yuck, I think you were very right in this instance to name and shame. I hope they take the comments on board, and stop contributing to the worldwide problem that we have of stripping our children of their innocence.
Wrong wrong wrong I hate things like this. The top picture is the worst. Let children be children.
Ugh! I am worried about this for my daughter too. My Mom didn’t have to worry about things like this when I was growing up safe behind the Iron Curtain 🙂
I think it’s hideous! and told her as much when I got her email!
That’s an awful pose for a young girl the fashion models of today with the long legs and bodies boobs and what not pull that pose I don’t associate it with children at all. I hate fashion today for girls there is some hideously inappropriate clothin for girls and I am very strict I want my daughter to be a little girl not a bloody sexualised clothes peg
I too worry about such too. There is only so much you can stop your child from copying but when things like this are constantly in front of them in makes it so much harder.
I’ll tell you the truth…I received this message and deteted it straight away. And no this is too much! Let’s hope this post will get to their ears so they change something next time.
So innapropriate – I have an 11 year old who wants to grow up before her time so could so without irresponsible advertising like this!
Thanks for linking up to the Parenting Pin It Party last week x x