I am a 38yo wife, mother, friend & sister. I have been married for 17 years, and I have two children: Music (formerly Karate Kid) my 14yo son, and Drama Queen, my 12yo daughter.
I don't know about you, but I am sick of the clothing options for girls. I went to a store a couple of days ago and noticed that there were Disney character panties and shirts for teenagers and college-age girls, but the clothes for Drama Queen's size was slutty stuff! I wouldn't even let my teenager wear those types of clothes.
What is wrong with retailers? What is wrong with consumers that we would think it okay to buy clothing that attempts to make our girls grow up way too fast? Why do they feel the need to make clothing that would attract a boy's attention to various parts of my daughter's body? I know many, many people let their children wear pants or shorts that have words written across the rear-end. If you are one of those, please don't think I'm judging you or being critical of you. Each family has different rules, opinions, and guidelines. Our family has decided that it is not okay to draw a boy's eyes to my daughter's bottom. She is only 9 right now, but how can I justify letting her wear it now and then telling her in two or three years that suddenly it isn't okay anymore? I would rather draw the line now and not have to battle it later. The same goes for tops that bare her stomach.
It was a nightmare trying to find a swimsuit this year. My daughter is 9. She is not a 21-year-old college girl trying to snag a man. Now, I will admit to buying two-piece swimsuits, but only because it is so much easier for her to use the restroom in a two-piece. The girl practically lives in her swimsuit during the summer, so I'm all about whatever makes it easiest. Two-piece does not have to mean teeny, tiny bikini bottoms and a barely-there bikini top. Out of the myriad of suits we looked through, I think we ended up finding 3 that were actually decent enough for her to try on. We chose a swimsuit that is more like a tankini. It does show a little bit of her stomach, but not much.
No matter what her age, I don't want any boy to only be attracted to her for her body. And she has a gorgeous body, believe me. Her looks may attract the boys initially, but I want my daughter's character and the beauty inside her to be what shines the most. I have told her from the time she was little that she is pretty but that it's more important to be beautiful on the inside.
On the other side of the coin, I have a son who is going through puberty. The last thing he needs is for girls to be prancing around half-naked, making those raging hormones that much more uncontrollable. I would like for my son to wait for sex, but how he can stand against the onslaught of skin? And how can a girl's parents be so upset with a boy for pressuring their daughter for sex when she teases and tantalizes by showing so much cleavage and skin? I'm not taking sides on that issue, saying it's more the boy's fault or the girl's fault. I'm just saying that we as parents have a responsibility to teach our daughters modesty so that we can give the guys, and thereby the girls, a fighting chance against sex before they are ready. For me, that is after my children are married. For others that time could be after they turn a certain age or reach a certain maturity level.
Needless to say, I am all for modesty, so I was thrilled when I saw this:
The link won't work on the picture, so go visit Everyday Mommy to read her mission statement for Moms for Modesty. Let's teach our daughters that being modest is a good thing--for them and the boys!
Posted @
2:03 PM ~
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