I promise you your grandparents didn’t practice restraint and abstinence. They were told to, sure. They told their children to do the same, sure. But we’ve become no less primitive. We’re just honest about it. Leave it to Beaver is a myth, Curtis. It never existed.
I fail to see how having sex with another consenting person makes me like a chimpanzee or a caveman. Who knows? Maybe they have it right!
The simple answer is, if she buys it, she can wear it. Clothes, like hair are a the first sign of individualism in a child. It’s one of the few ways they can rebel against the parental norm.
Of course the underlying worry is, why would your daughter want such things? If they aren’t for comfort, then they are only for looks right? So who on Earth is looking at my daugher? Or who does she want to show off for? Well that’s most likely the real issue here.
And she may be using them to intice or she may be using them to rebel. Who knows?
I once knew of a teen who put his picture on a gay barebacking website. When I confronted him, he calmly replied, “If my mother is gonna snoop all over my computer, I’ll give her something to look at.”
I find it silly that we’re even discussing the issue: Of course she wants a thong because of the sexual aspect. The real question is, to quote a personal hero of mine:
No. Ignore Sir T-Cups. All women should wear boyshorts. I would be willing to cast aside my libertarian views, become anti-abortion and pro-socialism if it came with the caveat that all women would be required by law to wear boyshorts.
I heard a spot on NPR the other day about children and rebellion. Basically the behavioral psychologist they interviewed said kids tend to be great at following the rules when it comes to helping out around the house, bedtime, curfew and all that shit, but they draw the line at clothing and who their friends are because they need some degree of personal expression and control over their own lives.
Bottom line is, if you don’t give her permission, she’ll probably get them anyway and wear them secretly. And personally I think it’s her right to do so.
It’s just underpants, and they don’t give you a panty line. Boyshorts are cute but they roll up a little on some of us. That makes an awful panty line.
If I might posit a theory. . . the other girls in the gym locker room. I remember being a teenager, and realizing that I was the only girl wearing “kid panties”. All the rest of the girls wore bikinis, and I felt self conscious. Depending on where your daughter is in the social standing, comments may be made. She may not want a thong for boys, but for the other girls, because they wear thongs.
It was four more years before a boy saw my underwear.
(As a side note, I wear thongs for comfort. I have the problem of having a very small ass, and non-thong underwear come in two varieties: Ones that fit the ass but leave red marks because the leg holes are two tight, of fit the legs and leave saggy fabric bunching on my ass, pulling the underwear up or down and generally being uncomfortable. I get the thinnest g-string I can find, and it’s entirely for comfort)
Ya really think that Grandma and Grandpa are honestly gonna tell you how many blow-jobs etc they gave/got (and not necessarily to each other) before they got married?
This is great feedback, and after talking about it with her, and further analysis, I’m thinking I’ll let her get a couple of plain cotton pairs.
I’ve registered my discomfort with her, hopefully letting her think she’s gaining a notch in her independence belt. And, she said that she wanted them so she felt good about her body - more confident.
Like any 14-year old girl, she’s self-conscious about her body. Her boobs and butt came in before her torso lengthened, so she looks a little pudgy right now. I was talking to my husband, and I realized that wearing a thong will make her feel more sexy, and that feeling is one that strengthens self-esteem. But, the trick is, because it makes her feel better about herself, it makes it less likely that she’ll give in to some boy who wants to feel her up. Right?
She is smart and a good kid (she decided not to go to a friend’s sleepover because one of them was going to sneak some liquor in her sleeping bag), and I have enough involvement and rules in her life that I know what’s going on almost 100% - I let her have some secret stuff to control, like her Facebook and her texting. Plus, due to a partial nerd label, she’s not with a fast crowd.
Strange, that feeling more sexy makes you less susceptible to sexual pressure, but that feels right to me.
I think you handled it perfectly. Making it seem like you caved creates an illusion of control in her mind. And you’re right. 14 is old enough to be self-conscious about your body. I’m not condoning letting her stay out all night, get gangbanged and snort cocaine. But it’s a fucking thong. Good job.