Let Them Be Little Girls

I took my six-year-old daughter to Target tonight to pick out a Halloween costume, among other things. We left the store with a lot of fun Halloween goodies from the dollar bins, but no costume. Once we got to the costume aisle, I just cringed and immediately wished I had never left the house with her. All I saw were half-opened plastic bags spilling out thin, chintzy fabrics--for the average bargain price of $35.

But I had promised her we could get a costume.

Not being a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, I suppose I can't be too picky when it comes to costumes. I've actually been lucky: every previous Halloween I have either been able to use hand-me-downs or have my kids' costumes made for me (thanks Mom!).

So what happened in the store that made us abandon our quest for a princess costume?

I was actually proud of my daughter. She walked around "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing", but she clearly wasn't that thrilled with what she saw. She decided not to get any of the costumes on the shelves, to my immense relief.

It wasn't just the disconnect between the price and the flimsiness of the material that got to me. What really disturbed me was the sexualization of young girls that was so blatant. I have tried to avoid buying my daughter's clothes at Target for that reason, so I guess I wasn't surprised at what I was seeing. But I guess it's been awhile since I was really confronted with it. Here are a couple examples:

I just found these online. They are not the worst of what I saw in the store. What do you think--am I being too prudish? Am I overreacting?

I'm so glad my daughter chooses outfits based on her mood, or the colors and designs of the fabrics, rather than on how cute they make her feel. I think it's a subtle difference in her case, because she does often ask me what I think of her outfit. But she doesn't parade around in it and look in the mirror. She looks down at her shirt or skirt because she likes how it looks. She doesn't strut in her skirts because she thinks other people are looking at her.

I think we need to take much more responsibility than we do for how young girls view themselves, their bodies, their roles in society, and the definition of "beauty" (rather than "cuteness"). Some might accuse me of being a stick in the mud, but I think the carelessness we show toward a serious issue of sexual identity is actually very dangerous. Even when we're just talking about Halloween costumes.

Just my thoughts for now. I welcome your opinions, as always.