Teenage Girls and Modesty

I do not understand nor do I like the fashions that are "popular" for teenage girls at this time.  I was taught that young ladies do not show certain parts of their body to everyone who can see them.  My parents did not allow me to wear anything that showed too much of my chest area, my stomach, too much leg, etc.  I was also not allowed to wear anything that showed any part of my underwear, including bra straps, panty lines or anything that was considered an undergarmet.

I am not a prude, but the fashions for young teen girls today are geared toward making girls look much older than they are, showing too much skin and not leaving anything to the imagination.  We have a 13 year old daughter and it is a constant battle to find clothes that she likes and that her father and I approve of and will let her wear in public. 

What happened to teaching our children about modesty?  There is nothing wrong with not showing all your "assets" to anyone who happens to be looking.  Wanting to wear your shirts so low cut that your cleavage is showing or half your boob is hanging out is NOT acceptable at 13 years old.  Neither is wearing your shorts so short your butt is hanging out nor is wearing a skirt so short that everytime you move someone gets a panty shot.

We are trying very hard to teach our daughters about modesty and dressing/acting like a young lady and it is extremely difficult.  Society is trying to push our daughters to grow up too fast and to act and dress like they are 4-5 years older than they are.  They need to enjoy their teenage years and not be in such a hurry to grow up. 

Take a look at your teen's FaceBook page and look at the clothing being worn by your children's friends and the pictures they post.  If you really look, I think you will be very suprised and disappointed in the direction our teens are taking.  I do not find it acceptable for a teenage girl to post provocative pictures or videos of herself on any social network.  I will continue to monitor her FaceBook account and look at pictures her friends post.  If I find it offensive, I will ask her to delete the post and ask her friends not to post these things on her wall.  If the offensive behavior continues, I will then ask her to delete and block this friend from her friends' list.

We, as parents, must be diligent in watching our children and their activities and try to keep them safe and to let them be children for as long as we can.  So, I challenge you to take a moment and really spend some time looking at your children's FaceBook page, text messages, etc. and talk with them about what is appropriate and what is not.  Their safety and innocence depends on us being diligent and informed parents.