OT: Little girls and bras

[bellebud]

My 7 1/2yo dd seems to be developing... she's about 5 lbs overweight which all rests in her upper body (belly, upper arms, and i'm guessing chest) - she's just like my sis-in-law w/ body type - lucky sis-in-law gains 10 lbs and it all goes in her ****s! mine all goes in by backside and thighs!! ugh!!

Anyway, my dd was on seizure meds forever till last summer when we took her off - she gained 12 lbs in 3 weeks (went from 60 lbs to 72 lbs) when we took her off. I guess the meds screwed up her metabolism??? She's lost some of it and/or grew into it (she was looking very chubby at first and she doesn't anymore, just when her shirt is off). She's currently 52 1/2" and 72 lbs. I'm just wondering if anyone who has a soon-to-be 3rd grader has bras for them??? I can't remember what grade I was in when I got my first bra. I do remember being made fun of on the bus for needing a bra and not wearing one (my mom didn't notice????)... but I was *way* bigger than my dd is; I REALLY needed one. I kind of remember being in 7th grade and wearing sweatjackets to hide the straps, so could it have been 7th grade??? Isn't that late???? I certainly don't want my dd being teased about it.

This past school year, all her friends also seem to have little bellies and little ****ies (we moms have been discussing it)... isn't 2nd grade super young? I've spent tons of money on organic milk and foods since the kids were born because I read the hormones in our food are making girls develop earlier... a lot of good that did!

So just looking for some comparisons... tia!!

 

[SavvyMom]

What does your DD think? Does she think she needs a bra? I teach 2nd grade and the girls are developing very fast. Some of the 5th graders look older than I do! My DD10 wears a training bra, but DD14 has needed a "real" one since 5th grade. Do what makes you and your DD comfortable. JMHO of course.

 

[Aristomommy]

I can tell you that a friend's DD wore a bra in 3rd grade. I think she could have worn a camisole with a bralette (sp?) but usually she bought her a regular bra. I just had a conversation about it with her and she said bras are so much easier to find for that age group and size than before. Now many of the "cool" stores like Justice and LimitedToo have they own line of undergarments and it's not as embarrassing for the younger ones. My DD is not in need of bras and is going into 4th grade (8yo).

You may discuss this with your Pediatrician to see if it is medication related. It seems to be considering how quickly that extra weight came on after the medication was discontinued.

 

[kkc_mom]

My daughter started wearing one in the 3rd grade too. My Mom had bought her one becuase she thought is was cute. She really didnt need it. Then I noticed that when she was wearing thinner style shirts she was layering tanks underneath them. I knew she was uncomfortable and she needed something. I wasnt ready for her to have a real one so we bought her the sport bra style. She liked that because although she thought it was "cool" to wear one she was afraid of it showing and people realizing she had one. AND it made Daddy feel better...he is serious denial that she is growing up! So maybe you could try that style and see how she likes it.

 

[disneymom3]

There are some really cute tighter fitting camisole type tops at Kohl's as well as sort of sports bra type things. DD is in sixth grade but is very petite and is not in need of one yet. I know it's coming soon though. Has your DD mentioned anything about this? A friend of mine whose DD is very very reserved about this type of thing just went ahead and bought a few different styles and put them in her DDs drawer. She figures she'll wear them when she feels she needs to.

 

[graygables]

I started my DD off in sports bras. She could wear them smoothly under t-shirts, they kept things "in check" enough, and were comfortable. I was at Target the other day and was at the bras they had in the little girl section (some were padded, sorry, 10yos don't need padded bras)

My youngest 3 all started developing around 8yo and my 2nd actually started menstruating at 10, so don't wait too long to have that conversation (back in the day, it used to be 6th grade material)

 

[thepeach80]

I didn't really 'need' one till about 9th grade so I'm the wrong person to ask, but I do work w/ children and I see them developing way early as well. A lot of it has to do w/ genetics, a lot w/ hormones in food too IMO. If she needs a little something, look at the training bras and ask her how she feels about it, if she needs one etc. Letting her be part of the choice is the easiest way IMO.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I started wearing a bra in the third grade and I was not the only one at that time. Some girls just develop sooner than others, but I'm not sure if I believe the link to foods causing early development....this was 40 years ago for me, so maybe things have changed for this generation? I don't know. My DD started wearing a bra around 4th grade. Lucky for her there are sports bras now and that is all she will wear. Somehow she doesn't feel like she is wearing a real bra, but it gives her the support she needs.

 

[stczt]

dd 8 has had sports type bras for a while, but I have really gotton onto her to wear them recentaly. I noticed with thinner materials she is more noticeable. So before we leavethe house I ask her if she has on her bra.

 

[adoptionmomma4]

I started wearing a bra the summer between 6th and 7th grade. I seemed to be in one of the last girls in my class to get one. I remember being so embarrassed and not want anyone to see the straps

My DD is almost 10 and started wearing a bra most of the time in third grade. She still doesn’t need one, but she thinks it is cute! One day she had on two bra's because the prettier one made her itch so she put one on under it so she would not have that problem She is very small and may not need one for a while, but she wants to do what the other girls are so she fits in. It is also nice in with all of the super thin tee's out now. I think even if they don't need support they need them for modesty. HTH! I also spend a fortune on organic food and dairy hoping to keep my kids from developing too soon, so far so good, but it could also be genetics.

 

[dyna]

My youngest DD started wearing sports bras in the 1st grade an needed them but she was also the oldest one in her class 7 by the time she started 1st grade due to the supid Indiana Law at the time that a child had to be 5 by June 1st to start Kindergarten.

DD also started her periods when she was 9 yrs old just barely 9 at that. My oldest DD was an early bloomer as was myself.

I was also the tallest kid in the class till 5th grade when I stopped growing.

 

[Carrieannew]

I started my DD off in sports bras. She could wear them smoothly under t-shirts, they kept things "in check" enough, and were comfortable. I was at Target the other day and was at the bras they had in the little girl section (some were padded, sorry, 10yos don't need padded bras)

My youngest 3 all started developing around 8yo and my 2nd actually started menstruating at 10, so don't wait too long to have that conversation (back in the day, it used to be 6th grade material)

I so dont mean to hijack this thread. But my daughter for the past year has been wearing sports bra types on and off. Shs has a little weight up there and I am not so sure its that she needs the bra for her ****s but because of the weight. She has no problem with them but this summer has been more of a challenge with tank tops. She does not like them to show.

Back to my question though. I am concerned that my daughter will also start menstruating early. Not sure why its just a feeling. How do you handle this conversation without freaking them out? My mom never really talked about it with me.

Thanks!
Carrie

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I don't mean to hijack the thread either, but where have you found comfy first bras for your DD? DD8 said she wants some for back to school. Since she has mentioned it, I want to make sure she has one that is comfortable physically and emotionally. Where do you find the sports bras that your DD's like, or any other good first-time bras?

Thanks in advance, and back to your regularly scheduled thread!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I don't mean to hijack the thread either, but where have you found comfy first bras for your DD? DD8 said she wants some for back to school. Since she has mentioned it, I want to make sure she has one that is comfortable physically and emotionally. Where do you find the sports bras that your DD's like, or any other good first-time bras?

Thanks in advance, and back to your regularly scheduled thread!

My DD gets her sports bras at Target. They are thicker than the norm...nothing flimsy. DD likes their variety of colors. Kohls has a pretty good selection too. My DD likes the t-back style...no camisole or spaghetti type straps.


Oh...to PP concerns regarding girls getting their cycles early. Our schools start showing the girls and boys (separately of course) the appropriate films and normal physical development is dicussed in health class-age appropriate, nothing terribly graphic.

Both me and my DD developed rather early when it came to getting curves and the "girls", however, I never got my cycle until 15 1/2 and DD got hers at 13 1/2. I did buy the American Girl book "The Care & Keeping of You" and that was probably the only acceptable book that explains everything without being graphic or too far ahead of DD's time (I gave it to her when she was 11). I knew it was weird to discuss this stuff (at least I felt that way when my mom did it with me), so I just left the book on her bed and told her if she had any questions to let me know. As things developed (literally), then she asked and I expanded upon things.

 

[graygables]

I got my DD's at www.hanes.com. They are adult ones, so fit may be an issue for more petite girls.

I highly recommend the American Girl book The Care and Keeping of You. You'll need to read it first to be familiar with it and decide whether it's appropriate for your DD. My 11yo has Aspergers and is very uncomfortable talking about anything to do with her body (even a scrape is just between her and the bandaid box), so I gave her the book and told her to please ask me if she had any questions. Surprisingly, it did open up some lines of communication that weren't there before and now we can have some "talks" without it being uncomfortable.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

My DD gets her sports bras at Target. They are thicker than the norm...nothing flimsy. DD likes their variety of colors. Kohls has a pretty good selection too. My DD likes the t-back style...no camisole or spaghetti type straps.

Thank you!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I got my DD's at www.hanes.com. They are adult ones, so fit may be an issue for more petite girls.

Thank you!

 

[SavvyMom]

Wal Mart carries them also.

 

[dyna]

LOVED the American Girl Book The Keeping of ME so did DD she read that book or parts of it over an over for a very long time.

When I noticed DD was bloomin very early in all the right places she was in 3rd grade at the time I called the school nurse who shows that lovely girly film and requested my DD watch it when the other girls in 4th grade watched it. The nurse also thought it was a good idea for DD to see it sooner than the other girls in her class. I called soon after school started for the year so that the nurse would not have already shown the film for the year.

 

[jayally]

My 10yr old DD and I just went shopping for real bras. Just about all her friends are wearing them and a couple have already started their periods. She getting pronounced buds and they are very obvious with nipples developing. She said they hurt and I tried to show her mine and explain what it was that was growing but she was grossed out! She is pretty broad in the back and the only bras I could find that were comfortable were 36A and most of those are padded. We spent HOURS trying on bras and the mall and I didn't get anything for me! The funny thing was you couldn't tell they were padded so maybe she is bigger than I thought at that age. I was in 7th grade when the nurse called my mom and told her to take me shopping for a bra. I can imagine now how that must have looked!