She's Sharing Clothes With Her 4-Year-Old

This former Real Housewives of New York star is slipping into a smaller size these days — namely, a children's size. On Sunday, Bethenny Frankel posted an Instagram photo in which the Skinnygirl mogul modeled her four-year-old daughter Bryn's pajamas. The former host of Bethenny joked around in her caption, asking fans if it was time for her and Bryn to "share clothes" yet. But though many commenters applauded Frankel's little joke, not all of the star's followers were as pleased — and they might actually have a point.

Several commenters on Frankel's post pointed out that Frankel slipping on Bryn's clothing as an adult might not send her daughter the best message. Frankel's small frame, while quite possibly completely natural on the reality star, isn't exactly something everyone can — or should — try to achieve. If Frankel's daughter sees that her mother can fit into her four-year-old's clothing, it could, in theory, tell her daughter that growing out of clothing is avoidable. That's not a healthy message to send to a child, even if the photo was taken with only the best intentions.

As far as we know Frankel's photo of herself in Bryn's clothes wasn't meant to offend or encourage thinness, but the controversy surrounding the photo does bring into question how the images that children see can affect their perception of what a "normal" body is. Frankel shouldn't be punished for being a thin woman, but she should consider what messages images like this Instagram photo really say to the world.

Here's the Instagram photo:

Oh, and if you're wondering what Frankel has to say about all of this controversy, here's her most recent statement:

Image: bethennyfrankel/Instagram