I’ve had countless parents ask me if crop tops are appropriate for their 10-year-old daughters. We don’t want our daughters to be ashamed of their bodies but we don’t want them overly exposing them either.
It can be stressful when your little girl is growing up and wants to dress that way. Their bodies are changing in noticeable ways and sometimes we feel like throwing a blanket over them or making them change when they wear more revealing clothing.
As long as your daughter is comfortable wearing a crop top and the length is within reason, there is no reason you shouldn’t let your 10-year-old wear crop tops.
We want our daughters to be comfortable with their bodies but that doesn’t mean their clothes need to display every part of them either. They should be happy with what they’re wearing yet still be dressed appropriately. When the question gets asked if crop tops are appropriate for 10-year-olds or not, some factors need to be considered before making a decision.
At the end of the day, we want our daughters to be happy but also responsible for what they are wearing. At the same time, we want them to understand that what they wear can showcase many things to the people around them and that it is important that they should be aware of what type of clothing they have on their bodies during certain events.
Talk About Clothes and What Appropriate Means at 10-Years-Old
If you tell your daughter she can’t wear certain things, she will start to get defensive. Anyone can get upset when they are judged by their style or appearance. You don’t want to make her feel bad about wanting to wear crop tops or make her think that you refuse to trust her judgment.
What you should do is ask your daughter why she likes wearing crop tops and see if they are popular with her friends. Dive deeper into why people wear certain types of clothing and what messages those clothes send. Ask her what she would like people to see when they look at her outfit. Children, teenagers, adults, and older people have a wide range of opinions about short tops and other revealing clothing.
An important key to talk to her about is the stereotypes associated with revealing clothing.
Wearing crop tops can bring on unwanted attention from classmates and inspire dirty looks from unapproving strangers. Some clothes make girls appear older than they actually are and the last thing you want as a parent is for creeps getting an eyeful at your child’s expense.
When having this talk, be careful not to shame her or start an argument. You need to keep in mind that all you are doing is letting her know the hard truth about the world.
Instead, start a discussion. If she’s interested in fashion, look at some images of other people wearing crop tops and other styles. Find out why she thinks people choose the styles they do.
Will This Decision Affect Her Self Esteem
You don’t want her to be embarrassed by her body but encourage her to think classy and not trashy when choosing her clothing. This will at least get her thinking about things and hopefully help her reach the best decisions herself. You can guide her on what can be the best outfit for a particular occasion but you should also give space for her opinions too.
Girls are being raised differently now than how they used to back then and there is less shame associated with expressing your femininity these days. There are also tons of role models that young girls look up to who dress in some type of way which gets any fan to try to mimic their favorite singer or celebrity. Maybe your daughter is just trying to find her own style and see what she’s comfortable wearing.
We want our daughters to be happy and feel good about themselves.
Being stuck between a child and a teenager can be hard on kids especially as they see their peers start to change their appearance. Crop tops are a popular, modern style and your daughter might just want to be trendy and hip. Once your daughter sees other kids wear them, they are going to want to follow the crowd and be a part of the culture.
It makes them feel comfortable blending in which is not a bad thing but you also want to help her become comfortable with her body and her clothes should reflect her confidence and make her feel empowered.
Try To Make A Compromise
Many people wear crop tops but if you really can’t bring yourself to accept this type of clothing for your daughter, it’s your decision to make as a parent and that’s ok.
You might have an angry daughter on your hands but ultimately, you approve of and buy her clothes because she is still young and not mature enough to make these types of decisions.
You will probably be hearing about this subject again soon if you forbid her from wearing crop tops completely because as the days go on and she sees others wearing them, the urge to buy them only becomes greater.
Try to meet in the middle if you can. If you decide to let her find some crop tops, have her try them on and see how she likes them. Compromise but don’t let her buy ones that you think are way too small or revealing.
Help her create outfits that you can live with and try to find ways for her to wear crop tops that don’t make you cringe. Pairing very high-waisted jeans with crop tops provides a lot more coverage of the midriff area than regular jeans or shorts.
Most student handbooks they receive at school cite half shirts and crop tops as a violation of the dress code. Other students may be embarrassed, offended, or distracted by revealing clothing worn in the classroom and most schools will have students change into an available, appropriate shirt like a P.E. t-shirt or call their parents to bring them one if they are walking around with revealing clothes.
If you’re shopping for school clothes, crop tops may not be appropriate for 10-year-olds so make sure they fit the dress code and make it clear that there are certain occasions that crop tops are just not appropriate for.
You Are Not Alone
All parents struggle with deciding what to let their daughters wear at a certain age.
When our kids are still young, we have full control of their wardrobe so when they start developing their own style, our ideas seem to go out the window. It can be hard when they want to start picking out their clothes because some of their choices can make you upset and cause friction.
If you have friends with daughters around the same age or older than yours, maybe they can offer some insight. They’re probably going through the same thing you are so it can be great to ask other parents what they think of crop tops. See what ages other parents think should be appropriate for girls to start wearing crop tops.
Girls that are beginning to go through puberty feel a lot of pressure to fit in and they want to be popular and well-liked by their peers. None of us want to be the parent that says ‘no’ to everything.
We all have a hard time discussing sexuality with our kids but we have to prepare them for situations they may face.
Be Understanding No Matter What You Decide
When we are deciding if crop tops are appropriate for 10-year-olds, we may be tempted to rant and lecture but that’s not going to do us much good. You want to express your fears and concerns to your daughter without sounding judgmental.
It is important to give her the benefit of the doubt sometimes too because if we are too restrictive, they may just stop being open with us and go behind our backs to get their way.
This issue can have a lot of weight in certain situations. Some traditional and religious values eliminate crop tops from your list of wardrobe options. If your values don’t align with the clothes your daughter is asking to wear, you will need to talk this through with her and explain to her why these clothes don’t fit your values. She will have to learn to accept that until she’s an adult.
If you are a mother, you will understand this more because you most likely went through a phase where you were told what to wear and what not to as you were growing up. As you explain this to your daughter, try not to let her make the battle personal because this can often lead to daughters distancing themselves from their mother.
They feel like their mother is trying to control them when in reality, you are protecting them from being too revealing. Instill that thought in your daughter so she can see the bigger picture from this.
Whether you decide to let your 10-year-old wear a crop top or not, you are still a good parent. Just because she feels cute wearing certain things doesn’t mean that you have to let her at this age. If you think it’s too early, let her know that you aren’t against her wearing crop tops forever, you’re just not ok with it yet her age.
Discuss what might be a good age for her to start wearing that kind of clothing. Building an open line of communication with your daughter is important for fostering a relationship with them into her teens.