I want my daughter to stay young as long as possible. Her early childhood went by too quickly and she had to deal with things a child shouldn't. In the past, she was confused - old and young at times. Young because she missed so many things, old because of what she was exposed to. That exposure made her inclined towards some more adult things, especially her taste in clothes.

It is also not uncommon for foster and former foster kids to regress some. They missed big chunks of childhood and if they are going to heal and bond, they need to fill in some of those gaps. Letting my daughter go back and "play" as if she is younger, or even her regressing in small ways in terms of development isn't a bad thing. I want to slow things down for her, slow down her childhood.

When I go into clothing stores, I'm looking for clothes that reflect where I want her to be now. It is so easy to go into a store these days and see clothes for children that look like they are for a hooker - or at least a much older teenager.

I will NOT by my almost 8 year old shorts with an inseam shorter than her finger length.

I see black leather, bikinis, nightgowns that looks like a teddy. My friend told me Babies R Us has tube/halter tops FOR TODDLERS. They call that stuff "prosti-tot" clothing. When did we decide it was ok to do this to kids?

In this house, children don't wear heels, we don't wear super short skirts or shorts. I understand she is a girl who loves to dress up but there is a way to do that without looking inappropriate.

My friend with a nine year old is already hearing those toxic comments when they shop for clothes - like her body looks hot, she doesn't want to get fat and she needs to work on her thighs. The mom is doing everything right in raising her daughter to be a healthy woman - but the TV/society commentary about what you should look like comes through. At nine, the daughter is already worried about her body and attractiveness.

Another foster mother reminded me of the shoes out now. Platforms for kids? Heels? What happened to mary janes and little flats?? And why are parents letting kids where those horrid shoes - how can little girls play with heels anyway? They'll fall right now - HH snuck out to play in flip flops for the house only and got hurt b/c she had no foot support.

This is all gone too far. We need as a society to slow things down for girls. For children like my daughter, the speed needs to slow even more but all girls are vulnerable to this society exposure to what your body should look like.

For women - mothers, aunts, sisters whoever reading this, remember young girls listen to you when you talk about your body, shopping for clothes and dressing. When you look in the mirror and highlight your negatives, young girls hear that and try to fit themselves into the situation - how do their legs looks? Are they pretty enough? Next time you are around a mirror and young girl, point out the GOOD things about your bodies for once.

Look at the magazines in your house, the shows you want, the music you listen to - what messages does that give girls about their bodies and themselves? Be careful, more things are negative influences than you think.