Raising a girl not easy
I am a stepfather of two children, one of which is a 10-year-old girl. Raising a girl is without a doubt the scariest task I have faced thus far. The impact that our materialistic and immodest culture is having on children is something we should all be concerned about, especially in regard to girls. Weeks ago, I took my daughter to a local store to spend some of her birthday money. After a while she asked to look at clothing, and I was completely shocked at what was available for my 10-year-old girl to wear. The skirts and shorts were entirely too short. I had mixed feelings of anger, injustice, and sorrow as I began to ponder why any store would sell clothing like this at all, especially to children. Stores sell clothing like this because people buy them. This problem could easily be fixed if parents simply refused to buy this type of clothing. Slapping a “Hannah Montana” patch on the front of a short skirt does not make it acceptable for children to wear. In fact, wearing such clothing puts a little girl in a position of being disrespected and possibly even worse. We dress my daughter modestly for school, and there have already been several occasions when boys have made sexual passes at her. Parents should not make the mistake of assuming that boys do not think of sex until they get into high school.
As parents, we need to explain to our daughters that fashion and social acceptance is not the most important aspects of life. In order to truly love our children, the word “no” is sometimes very necessary. I am thankful to God that my daughter already knew that this type of clothing is not acceptable, and therefore she didn’t even ask for it. If she would have, I would have been quick to say “absolutely not.”
I would have taken the time to explain the differences between love and sexual desire, pride and respect. If I were to allow her to wear some of the things we saw, the truth is, I would have had no respect for her.
Any parent, who would purchase this kind of clothing for themselves, let alone their children, is neglecting their duty as a parent.
Kenneth J. Smell Jr.
Uniontown