Mom wears thong; daughters want to follow suit

Dear Amy: I am a 31-year-old mom. My two daughters are seven and five.

When we go to the beach, I always wear a thong or G-string bottom. My daughters have started to scrunch their bathing suit bottoms so their suits look like mine.

When we were shopping for new suits, my 7-year-old asked for a thong or G-string suit, just like the ones I wear.

She could not find one in the girls' department, and was very disappointed. My mother suggested that I buy a regular suit and take it to a seamstress and have it altered.

I don't know if it's appropriate for a 7-year-old to wear a thong or G-string bathing suit bottom. What do you think? Dear Mom: A good and basic rule to remember (in this and all things) is: If you're wondering if something is appropriate, then it probably isn't. This applies to behavior and bathing suits.

The reason your daughters couldn't find a thong or Gstring bathing suit bottom in the girls' department is because in this culture thongs and Gstrings are considered "sexy," and thus not suitable for children.

Children should be dressed in ways that make it comfortable for them to swim and play. They are not mini-adults, and are not old enough to understand the sort of objectification that often accompanies the suit that you choose to wear.

And while I agree that this objectification is wrong, you should protect your daughters from it while they are young.

Dear Amy: Thank you for standing up for the father who signed his letter "Dad Needs Help." His mother had offered to babysit for their 14-month-old daughter for the day, but his wife was insisting that the baby adhere to a very rigid schedule.

I have two children. One needed to stay on a strict schedule, and the other didn't. But families do need to learn how to go with the flow.

Dear Parent: Veering from a schedule can cause problems for some children, but family life is really all about balance. This was a time when the parents' needs should have allowed for some flexibility.