How is it that you can't find a girl pirate costume unless it is has a low cut top, long slits up the legs, and vampy high boots!? Used to be, those choices came in adult sizes only, but unless you've eschewed this holiday for the past five years, you know that the sexy version of the holiday's standards are now sold in kids' sizes. These choices are making the Disney princess outfits look downright puritanical. When exactly did Halloween costumes get so sexy? According to an article in the LATimes, Halloween costumes are an obvious indicator that girls are being pushed, from an early age, to think of themselves as sexual objects. The research hints that boys are being pushed to be more aggressive at an early age.
Talk to us! Do you feel kids are being sexualized too early? And, what are your kids wearing this year: did you buy a costume, hunt around the Goodwill, or shop in your closet?
3 comments:
It makes me sad to see little girls dressed like grownup sluts. It makes me angry that parents allow this type of behavior. Then parents wonder why young girls become sexually active and get all kinds of STDs and/or pregnant. Parents are responsible for their children's character.
But lets not forget the grownup women that also fall into this Halloween slut look. This is even worst! A grown woman desperately trying to get as much attention as possible by running around half naked. How sad that so many women still feel that their body is their only treasure.
It's shocking that parents don't even talk about this issue with their children. I will never allow my children to dress in cheap, revealing costumes.
I've noticed for the past few years that costume companies seem to think it's OK for children to dress like pimps. And when looking for a sexy adult costume for myself, I've had to check to make sure I'm not looking at a child-sized costume. I find this kind of scary, but not the ghost & ghoul kind of scary.
I feel very fortunate that my 13 year old son still likes to wear a costume, eschews sex & horror, and still thinks that trick or treating is fun. He's a happy, light-hearted boy who finds joy in the self expression of costumes.
Since he also does a lot of stage work, we find ourselves scrambling for costumes all year 'round, not just at Halloween. Usually we spend our time trolling thrift and army surplus stores, fabric and vintage shops looking for pieces to modify. I love being able to put things together for him, so costume time gives me a creative outlet, too.
He's a budding Trekkie now, however, so for this Halloween, I broke down and bought him a polyester shirt at the costume shop on Hollywood Boulevard & plastic glasses from roddenberry.com that have made him the happiest boy in the whole USA. I felt a little cheated, but truthfully, I didn't have the time to make him a costume this go around. I'll have more to do in December when he's in his next show.
Sarah here, Co-Founder of Kids Off the Couch to say that I love the thrift shop option. Just searching around the racks lets the kids' imagination take over. How much cooler is it if they create a costume from an old jacket and hat from the thrift shop, and take a broomstick from home and become a hobo? Funny that particular image should come to mind during this down economy, but while I'm on the subject -- why should a costume break the bank? My daughter went as a generic hippie one year - an old dress of mine, some John Lennon glasses and a gigantic peace sign necklace did the trick. And my son's default costume is a robber! He takes an old sheet, paints a money sign on it and goes out with a bandit mask. Have fun being creative!
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