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Padded bras for Kindergarten tots? No way!

Amy Yates, a mum to twin nine-year-old girls, posted a photo of a Maidenform store display on Facebook, that was marketing bras to girls in sizes 4-6x. “Please explain to me why a 4-year-old needs/wants a padded bra,” she wrote. “Maidenform better get some hate on this.”

bra

She told NBC7 there’s a difference between sports bra style bras that can offer some coverage and support to budding young girls or prevent friction during sports, but Maidenform’s bras are in a completely different category. “My girls are very interested in things like origami and Pokémon at their age, they’re nine. They don’t need to go to the store and see bras that are lacy and sexy and marketed toward them because they’re going to think ‘Gee, is this what I’m supposed to be into right now?’”

Ob-gyn, Dr. Lisa Johnston tells NBC she has seen girls developing as early as 7 years old and believes that some extra padding in their bras might help build self-confidence. “We definitely see it on the medical front that girls are going through puberty at a younger age,” Johnston said. “I think when kids are going through puberty, they’re often very insecure and being proud of their body doesn’t mean showing off their body.”

Maidenform in a statement to NBC7 wrote, “The Maidenform bras developed for girls are not meant to ‘enhance’ a girl’s figure. The ‘padding’ is thin stretch foam and is designed to provide modesty over figure enhancement.”

Do you think there is a need for these on the market for such a young age group?

Share your comments below.

Image via NBC

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  • Depending on the young girl and how she is developing. My oldest girl was 9 when she needed a bra and I got this from the teen department, it was a special outing for us as she choose some for non school and I made sure her school ones were suitable. my other daughter will only get normal type bras when needed, if she takes after her mum and older sister this will be pre teen too. No lacy, brightly coloured ones though.

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  • This seems crazy to me. I don’t like having to wear a bra now (and I’m lucky to be quite small so can get away with it sometimes) so can’t imagine wanting my daughter (if I had one) wearing one at that age. Why start so young – enjoy being a child!

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  • I feel this should be a decision a parent makes on their own as per the individual needing them. However if my daughters should need them younger then the average age now a days, (which i believe is unlikely) then having these available on the market would be good.

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  • Let kiddies be kiddies for as long as possible!

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  • I agree with Amy Yates on this one. Although the ob-gyn has presented some statistics I don’t agree with her interpretation of what that should mean for the young girls developing earlier.

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  • No there is clearly no need for this and is obviously all to do with making a buck.

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  • Surely for young girls who are developing early there is a better way to help them other than padding in bras.

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  • that is disgusting! Why on earth does anyone put these on a small child padded or not? We had grandparents giving little bras to our girls but we took them away! Why not let them be kids?? Padded bras and shorts so tiny their bums hang out! If people don’t buy them the manufacturers can’t sell them!

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  • That’s disgraceful! I don’t even have girls but I believe it’s so sad the way all these retailers promote adult type clothes for little girls.

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  • Why? Let’s keep our precious babies little and sweet and innocent for as long as we can

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  • I’m outraged too. Honestly, why? And people wonder why our girls these days are growing up too fast.

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  • It really is very sad that children are being made to grow up and be sexually aware at such a young age. They are being robbed of their childhood and are pushed into puberty before it even arrives.
    A lot of this pressure is caused by television programs and video clips because busy parents are exerting less influence over their children’s choices.

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  • I am sure that there are little girls out there that do develop early and may have a requirement at a younger age for some kind of support. However, bra’s are seen as women’s underwear and can be easily sexualised, not too mention that other children seeing something out of the ‘norm’ could potentially tease the child. Especially is the child is to wear a white uniform to school – where are the white and nude coloured ‘bras’ in this photos.
    I do hope that my children don’t develop early.

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  • I think it is a bad idea, little kids should get to enjoy the innocence of childhood before they are confronted with ‘adult’ problems.

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  • Generally I think this is bad, but I do see the point about modesty. Young girls are easily embarrassed.

    Reply

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