I don't know about you, but as I'm walking through stores I am literally AMAZED at the items men, women, teens and even small children are wearing. They call them "clothes"; however, some of the items I am pretty sure don't come anywhere NEAR the clothes category. What is even more outrageous to me is the inappropriate clothing the young ladies of today are wearing.
We want our girls to be treated special, and by special I am not referring to a special needs individual. We tell our daughters how beautiful they are and to be individuals, then turn around and allow/encourage them to wear clothes that are not age appropriate and wear make-up at an age that seems to be getting younger and younger. I personally do not wear make-up. My reasons for that choice are religiously based, but that is a topic for another blog. I see young girls, not even at the pre-teen age wearing make-up and I wonder what makes someone so young feel that she needs make-up to feel or believe that she is pretty. I see little girls no longer wearing high heels just when playing dress-up in mommy's fancy clothes, but for various special occasions. I see young pre-teens and teenager girls wearing clothes that ooze sex appeal and make them look years older than their true age. I see these girls flirting and teasing young men with a seductive attitude that has been learned from watching too many movies with themes that encourage sexual promiscuity.
When are we as parents going to look into our children's eyes and say, "It doesn't matter what "everyone" else is doing, I'm not allowing that because you are not old enough for that." ? When are we going to step up to the plate and show our daughters how much we care by NOT letting them wear that dress or skirt or pair of shorts or jeans that is so short she can't sit down without showing the world what she has underneath her clothes or so tight the seams might split if she moves the wrong way? When are we going to say "NO WAY" to the low cut and see through shirts that leave absolutely nothing hidden from view? When are we going to teach our girls that their bodies are not something to be shared with everyone you pass on the street? It's not a matter of being ashamed of our body, but rather having enough desire to share ourselves only with that special person with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives? (Of course, this leads to a whole new discussion of marriage & commitment, but that too shall be another blog. )
I've often said, "Just because I have all the right stuff doesn't mean I need to share it for the world to see. There are somethings that people need to see and a whole lot more they don't." Modesty is becoming more and more rare these days, and I wonder how much of that is because we live in a world that promotes the attitude of do what you want, when you want and if you want regardless of who might be hurt and regardless of the outcome/consequences might be. Have we ever stopped to realize that the way we dress often leads others to form an opinion about us? Whether or not that opinion is a truth about us doesn't matter. For example, if you see a woman walking the street in an extremely revealing outfit, (short skirt, tank top or low cut shirt) lots of make-up, extreme high heels or boots, what is your first perception of this woman? It probably isn't "oh look there's a lady who looks lost", but instead it's probably more like, "oh another hooker". What her situation is never comes into the factoring we automatically do when we see her. The same idea applies when people see us or our daughters. When we allow our girls to wear clothes that are too tight, too low cut, too revealing, too whatever, we encourage young men to form opinions about what she might be willing to do or "put out". Many sexual assaults start with an opinion formed from what a woman is wearing and behaving. This in NO WAY makes that assault okay, but the perception is often what starts just by what is seen.
I do not have a girl, but I do have a young son. I hope that my husband and I can teach him the importance of respecting a girl/woman and valuing her beauty even if she is not wearing make-up and is covered from head to toe. I hope we can instill in him the value of desiring to find that special someone who respects herself and him enough not to share herself with everyone, not just intimately, but by her outward dress as well.
Just saying....
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