Wow - you have my sympathy, Molly. All those years I was grateful to be dressing sons, not daughters. The toughest I had to cope with were the baseball caps turned backwards and the pants so baggy they had to hold them up with their thumbs. But when I see what passes for girls/tweenies/teens "fashions" these days, I'm doubly grateful! The sexualization of children is disturbing indeed, and I, for one, don't pretend to understand it. What is it with adults these days?!?

Parents, especially!

Sexy styles beckon little girls, even at 6 yrs of age.

As they entered the store, which caters to elementary-school girls, Keith was stunned at the offerings. She quickly laid down some rules: no midriffs, no micro- minis, no low-slung jeans, no tart-in- training T-shirts.

"I'm a firm believer that girls and women of all ages should be able to wear whatever they want, but I'm not going to serve my daughter up on a platter," says Keith, who still can't believe she had to consider this issue as a kindergarten parent.

Last fall, one of my very pretty little 6 year old beginners used to show up for her piano lessons in gauzy glittery see-thru camisoles (complete with tiny little 'bra' showing through), miniskirts, nylons, heels, makeup. :-O   And she'd tell me, all downcast, about how 'fat' she thought she was too.

Migod, what is WITH her parents?!?

I shudder to think what styles/attitudes she'll have 'graduated' into, 10 years from now ...