Soap box alert! I feel a disclaimer is warranted because I'm pretty certain there will be some parents who don't appreciate what I am about to say. So read on with an open mind if you dare.
I am a mother of boys and I have a serious concern about what the fashion industry is putting out there for little girls (and big girls) to wear these days. Side note: I do have a daughter but since she has special needs and is on about a two year old mental level, my biggest fashion issue with her is convincing her not to wear a box on her head when we go out in public.
I walked past a rack of clothing the other day in Walmart and was completely perplexed at the amount of material (or lack thereof) used in what I can only assume was a pair of shorts. There is no way that this piece of cloth could have covered up enough to even be considered clothing. Eve was no doubt covering more of her body with a fig leave! It begs the question: Where has decency gone?
Since the arrival of my grandson four months ago, I am finding myself in the children's clothing section more than I have in 20+ years and I'm sad to say, the fashion choices are not much better over there. Skin tight leggings with tiny little skirts, blouses that are masquerading as dresses, tube tops, spaghetti straps, bare midriffs, and on and on. Oh sure, they may be cute on a four year old but what message are we sending while they are young and impressionable? And who is buying this clothing for these girls? I don't know of too many ten year olds with jobs who are purchasing their own wardrobe.
Is it any wonder that parents who are trying to hold their daughters to a certain standard of decency find themselves in a daily battle? The fashion industry + peer pressure = Frustrated parents. My teenage son once asked me, "Mom, if the girls don't want us looking at their butts, why do they put words on them?" Excellent question son. And the answer is, because they really do want you to look...and be attracted to them...but treat them with respect...and don't touch them inappropriately. It's a tough world out there right now for a young boy. So many mixed messages and they are supposed to be able to sort it all out maturely while hormones are raging?
Don't misunderstand me. I am not excusing inappropriate behavior. Boys do need to respect girls but by the same token, girls need to respect themselves. Social media has made it acceptable for girls to post provocative pictures for all the world to see. And I'm not talking about being scantily clad, although that is a huge problem. I'm also talking about baby doll poses, with their finger in their mouth, leaning forward, bootie shots, etc. Come on girls. Have some self respect. There's nothing wrong with being twelve years old...and acting twelve years old. There are plenty of boys out there who are looking for a girl who loves herself enough to hold to a different standard than what society allows.
And before I leave my soap box, let me leave parents with one thought. If your daughter was standing on the edge of a cliff with the rocks crumbling beneath her feet, would you spend time arguing with her about whether or not she ought to move away from the ledge? Of course not. Nothing would stop you from snatching her away from certain death. Lack of self-respect is the root cause of a whole host of issues young women can face today; teen pregnancy, date rape, diseases, abuse, and the list goes on. And here's an even worse problem: Girls face spiritual death every day if they are not prepared to fight against the world's pressures.
It begins when they are little girls. Modeling self respect when they are young will save you a lot of conflict when they are older. And God just might use them to start a new trend; modesty.
