Keeping Them Off The Pole?

I was watching "The View" the other day. During their 'HotTopics' they were discussing a fitness club in the UK that offers Pole Dancing classes to girls as young as 7 yrs old, and they post pictures on Facebook with parental consent. So I read the article. One parent said "It's fun and good exercise and they don't teach anything erotic, it's like gymnastics."   She also said her daughter had her 7th birthday party there and she loves it.

Let's take a look: http://theview.abc.go.com/video/hot-topics-pole-dancing-kids

Here's what I think:  We all know where pole dancing originated... the strip club. And as 'erotic dancing' has become more mainstream, fitness instructers have began teaching housewives how to pole dance to bring out their sexuality and to bring more excitement to the bedroom.  Now all of a sudden pole dancing holds no sexual connotation at all? Really?!!  What I want to know is (from looking at the video) why was one little girl wearing shorts & a sports bra? Where was her t-shirt? And what kind of music were they dancing to?
 
Just because you say something isn't sexual doesn't mean it's not.  Why do strippers use a pole if  it's not erotic? Why do wives pole dance for their husbands if it's not seductive?  Why on earth should a 7 yr. old be swinging around a pole?

There are many other ways to exercise.  There are other ways to build upper-body strength.  Gymnastics? If I want my girls to learn gymnastics... we know of and have visited a gym in our city where they teach gymnastics with gymnastic equipment and employ gymnastics instructors.

As parents of young girls it's our job to teach them about their body image, value & self-worth.  They already have a lot of confusing  messages coming toward them. We sould steer them away from those things that may further confuse them and guard against  those activities that may be too much too soon for a child. Maybe someone can help me see how this as a positive activity. I can't control how others choose to raise their children but I wouldn't advise this.  Some would say, "If you sexualize it, then you have a problem." But we live in the real world people, there's no way you can erase the stigma that comes along with pole dancing.

Comedian, Chris Rock once said his main goal is to keep his daughters 'off the pole'.  He added, if he didn't do this, then he has failed as a father.  Obviously, there are some mothers who disagree.  What say you?