No Good Reason

The longer I parent, the less I try to judge other parents. I mean, it's a common joke among parents that we were all much better parents before we actually had children. My kids were going to snack on organic fruit, not watch television until they were four and never hear yelling.

Whoops.

I do feed them organic fruit, they just don't voluntarily snack on it. And I resolve not to yell every single day. . . which sometimes works. And there are certain days when Ironflower and Lovebug are so busy that they don't have time to watch T.V. When I get tempted to judge other parents, I think about what a pregnant-with-Ironflower-me would say about my current parenting and I shut that criticism down.

Usually.

At the pool last summer. The 7 year old in an appropriate tankini. 

At the big kids' swimming class last week, I spotted  a girl of about 4 wearing a string bikini. 

Similar to this:

From Babikini

Except the back part did not have as much coverage and "Diva" was spelled out in rhinestones across it. 

The little girl kept tugging at the suit as she walked, like it was giving her a wedgie. Which it probably was, because string bikinis aren't made for swimming classes. 

I don't even think they should be made for four year olds. While (obviously) only pedophiles would find a four year old in a tiny string bikini sexy, the entire point of string bikinis is to be sexy. There's a reason that all those fabulously-bodied Olympic swimmers don't wear string bikinis when they are competing or practicing. In fact, anyone who likes to actually swim probably doesn't wear string bikinis. 

String bikinis are for posing. Sexily.

Which is fine. For people who are ready to be sex objects. And not preschoolers at their swimming lessons. 

Yes, I am totally judging the mother who put her child in a string bikini. Especially for swimming lessons. I've been trying to come up with a scenario where there's a good reason for this, but I can't. If someone gave me a string bikini for Ironflower, I would give it back. If Ironflower asked for one, I would tell her no. If I (magically) got my bikini body back and wanted us to having matching bikinis, I would find ones that were appropriate for both of us. 

The only thing I've come up with so far is that maybe the mom is actually a cast member from one of those "reality" Gypsy shows, where dressing provocatively is a requirement. Although since I can't even take photos of my own kids at swimming lessons, I doubt they're letting a reality show film on the pool deck. 

Nope. There's no good reason for a four year old to wear a string bikini.