A few years ago, I wrote about sexy Halloween costumes and how the commercialization, and sexualization of this annual event is reaching young people’s lives at an earlier age each year.
Sexy Remote Control?!
This morning, I joined Celeste Headlee and John Hockenberry on The Takeaway for a quick discussion on the trend and what it is about these sexy costumes that appeal to teens. Is it that they’re the only costumes available to them at the stores or is there an issue of self-image and self-esteem that need to be addressed if these are the types of outfits that young girls are selecting?
I don’t have a daughter but many of my friends will have to deal with this issue in the coming years. How do you handle the situation and what discussions come up when asking your daughter why it is she wants to select (if she does) a costume that you might feel is inappropriate?
Personally, I think creating your own costume and coming up with a unique idea is what Halloween should be about for kids that age. For the little ones, it’s about playing pretend and getting dressed up – and the candy! Adult versions of Halloween have unfortunately taken over so where do our teens and tweens fit in?
Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home
Posted by Steve on October 15, 2010 at 9:41 am
I have an almost 9 year old daughter and this goes way beyond Halloween. It’s nearly impossible to find skirts or shorts that come anywhere near the knee and everything is cut very small for girls. Fortunately she’s still a kid and hasn’t pushed the issue but I will stand firm on clothing. Kids should be kids and “sexy” does not belong in a child’s wardrobe. I don’t like this trend one bit and I haven’t even really looked at the girl’s costumes this year. At the end of the day I’m the one who has to buy the clothes so I get the final say and she knows how I feel about stuff that is too revealing for kids.
Posted by hipm0m on October 15, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Thanks for bringing this up, Steve. I hadn’t even thought about the typical clothing styles and designs that are out there for every day wear. Hopefully you can find a store or brand that works for you and your daughter. Good luck.
Posted by Lauren on October 17, 2010 at 10:56 am
Check out this site…
Some friends came up with it so that as parents we don’t have to go to the “sex laden” halloween stores to pick up kids costumes.
http://www.wholesomehalloween.com/index.php/about/
Posted by hipm0m on October 18, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Thanks for sharing this link! What a great site. If only there was a place like this that we could walk into. If the local stores had a separate kids’ section, they’d sell way more costumes, in my opinion.
Posted by Christina Rodriguez on October 26, 2010 at 10:29 am
When I was a teen, dressing up for Halloween at all was uncool. The early sexualization of girls is disturbing, to say the least. I mean, who in the heck came up with the Sexy Chewbecca costume (probably NOT a female)?! http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-culture/need-a-halloween-costume-idea-how-about-a-sexy-chewbacca-outfit-2010108/
Posted by The Best Of 2010 « Happy Healthy Hip Parenting on December 21, 2010 at 10:28 am
[...] Too Sexy Halloween Costumes – I’m afraid people have come across this post looking for something other than the messages I meant to convey. Go figure. [...]
Posted by AnonymousTeen on June 20, 2011 at 5:21 pm
you guys must be the most uptight parents..ever.