What do you do when your child starts dancing inappropriately?

Question

My daughter has started to copy the bellydancing she saw on TV once. How can I stop her? Will other parents think I'm doing something inappropriate if she copies this? She sticks her butt out and smiles when she does this. I want it to stop because I don't want to teach her this stuff.

Answer 1

Laugh about it. Then ignore it. When they see that it doesn't affect you, they stop. My daughter is half Pakistani. So she was exposed to a lot of the Indian videos. They are VERY inappropriate and her idiot father tried claiming our stuff was worse (yeah, right, whatever. At least we have censorship!!!!). So she started to dance like that, too. He would give her angry looks but not change the channel. I told him, "How do you expect her to stop if you keep watching it youself, horndog?". He never answered. But eventually she stopped.

Answer 2

Belly dancing is sexual once your child becomes a certain age but it's not really that inappropriate. If she's like 12 and doing club dancing or twerking than I'd get after her for that because that's very inappropriate for a 12 year old.

Answer 3

First of all, the more you discourage her from doing something, the more she will do it. especially if she is in the teenage rebellion years. Allow her to do it, and unless its a lifetime dancing love, she probably will forget about it in a few months.

Alternatively, you could buy her some legitmate instructonal bellydance videos. Bellydancing is NOT about being sleazy, or innapropriate, and if she learned how it was actually done, than most likely she would stop dancing in an inappropriate manner.

Bellydancing, thanks to the whole "exotic dancing" industry has received a reputation that does NOT reflect what bellydancing actually is. Bellydancing is about flowing and graceful movement, not blatant and immature seduction tactics.

Answer 4

so what did you do at that age, dance around to madonna showing your belly off trying to roll around on the floor. Why are you so afraid of what other parents think, there kids are probably doing it to. bellydancing is actually great exercise, buy her a dvd on how to learn it and do it withher

Answer 5

The more of a fuss you make about it, the more she will want to do it. Maybe you can embrace the idea of cultural dances and show her lots more - maybe she will find one she likes better or one that you will do with her.

Not knowing her age, I can tell you what my little girls like (3&7) - Sesame Street. On the website there is a world dances game with Grover (http://pbskids.org/sesame/grover/index.html )and another one called Zoe's Dance Moves (http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/games/flash.php?contentId=8118434 ). You can bring her into the computer and show her the dances and help her learn these steps too. Zoe's Dance Moves is also a great video.

Peace!

Answer 6

If we cared about what others always thought, we'd be dead from stress before our time. However, if this is uncomfortable for you because of how it looks, explain that this is a no no. I had the same situation when mine was 4yrs old. Also remember, these little people copy what they see / like. SO remove the problem.

Answer 7

You can't unlearn or unteach something. She already learned it.. The best you can do is delicately explain to her why it's not ok to do and hope for the best. Making a big deal will give her attention and maybe that's what she is really looking for and she knows that she'll get it by dancing like that. Try giving her attention for the positive things that she does instead.

Answer 8

Buy her some appropriate dancing videos. Have her watch those. She will soon forget about the other dancing moves and learn new ones.

Answer 9

LMAO, that is funny. Did you see the movie Little Miss Sunshine? Kids don't know what it means they just like to dance. Leave her alone.

Answer 10

Uh, be a good parent and make sure she isn't watching trasy stuff on TV