what would you have done?

As obieone has already asked, was she showing her bottom? If not, short shorts seem perfectly suitable attire for a twelve year old girl in a warm country. At the market or anywhere else.

Well said Peaceatlast,

I know that they have to learn when and where certain items of clothing are acceptable but 12 is a good age to be wearing short shorts (as long as she's keeping her modesty). l bet I think differently in 3 years when my own granddaughter is 12 though ?.

Thanks for all the interesting replies - I don't feel guilty any more, but see why some thinks she would have been ok in the shorts.
I think this brings up at least two subjects - whether grandparents should get involved in their DGCs upbringing, and the issue of feminism. ie is it the female's fault if men ogle them when they're perhaps skimpily dressed.
BTW no the shorts weren't showing her bottom.

I know the feeling, a few years ago we went to our homw in Cumbria, with two friends, their Daughter tagged along too was 17 at the time, well one morning she came downstairs with the shortest shorts I have ever seen a top which if am kind will say it just about covered her bosom, that day we were going to my hometown Liverpool i was horrified of the comments which would be thrown at her Liverpudlians dont mince words.Just before we left she had longer shorts and alittle less showing on her top part, her Mum must have realised that the clothes she had on first were a bit challenging so to speak, I am glad I didnt have to mention her first choice of clothes, There were a few stares as we walked around Town, but I suppose this family coming from Sweden, are a bit more relaxed as how one dresses.We had a good day anyway.

I dont know what this current trend for trashy clothes is all about - probably a Designer's whim as usual. No woman is going to be taken seriously if she dresses like a prostitute - human nature doesn't change over night and the prospect of so many, porn soaked, slobbering men of all ages, ogling a 14 year old girl, or thereabouts - doesn't need to happen.

Mm...nothing new about trashy clothes though, if by "trashy clothes" you mean extremely short shorts. Remember hot pants? We were all wearing them, aged 11, to the primary school end of term disco, in 1969.

I think there's a difference between dressing "like a prostitute" and a preteen girl wearing a pair of short shorts.

I think we need to be debating the issue of why girls are sexualised by their clothing in an age when females are supposedly more liberated than ever.

Completely agree with dorsetpennt,......

What are the views on crop tops? I bought one of these whilst out with my GD who is 8. She was really keen to have it but my Daughter was a little shocked that I had bought it for her and told me she had already told dear GD that she wasn't to wear something that showed so much flesh. I think when you are young and carefree,surely that is the time to enjoy wearing what you want. She wasn't in the least provocative!

They were staying with you? My family have always had the saying, In Granny's house, Granny's rules. I held to it with my children even though I sometimes disagreed with my mother, and my daughter holds to it with me, even though I bet she disagrees sometimes:-)
It does children no harm to realise there is more than one way of doing things.

Crop tops for young girls? Fine imho.