 | ParentsChildren Learn From YouPosted Thursday, December 27th, 2007 and visited 406 times, 2 so far today by MInTheGap |
Thank you for visiting Weekend Kindness-- the blog that helps you build positive relationships! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so that you don't miss a single post from one of our great authors!
Last year I had a post commenting on Fashion’s effect on men and women that had a rather amusing comment in it:
My 8 yo walked by and saw what was on my computer screen (the plunging neckline shot–thanks a lot! ;O) ) and she commented, “That’s a terribly immodest picture!” I gulped and half-laughed, “Yes, immodesty is what this article’s about.” “Good thing!” she said as she walked off!
Mary told me that her child had the same reaction that Jennifer Bacak’s had with Barbie:
Well this particular Barbie had on a long sleeve top that was cute, but a super short skirt. It was a rare occasion that Emma was playing with it, and I asked her “do you see anything wrong with Barbie’s clothes?” She looked for a minute, and then I pointed out that Barbie didn’t have much of a skirt on. So Emma went in search of something to make Barbie more modest. She tried to change her into some pants off of another Barbie, but the pants wouldn’t fasten at the top, so Barbie’s bottom was completely showing. We were on a quest to make Barbie modest now, so that wouldn’t work. So Emma put the skirt over the pants, and put together a stylish outfit that was modest. Way to go Emma!
You see, I don’t think that it’s that either of these ladies sat down and had one talk with their girls about what is modest– but they model modesty and they talk about things as they come up.
That’s what I believe is the whole point of the Deuteronomy 6 passage about talking about the things of God with your children at all times– and not just on Sunday. Children reflect us, and because of this, we need to be modeling good behavior AND helping them to think through what honors God.
Visit This Author's Website
Tags
[?]
Type in a relevant tag, and click the button, and help organize this blog's information.
[More Help]
Related Posts
[More Help]
December 27th, 2007 at 7:06 pm Subscribed to Comments
It seems kind of odd to worry about barbies modesty. Back when I used to play with her, I ditched the clothes all together, and I turned out the most modest person in my family. I understand that not all little girls had the role models I did, but it still seems to be a strange concern.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Children do have a way of associating things that continues to amuse us. The only reason that I can see to truly be “worried” about Barbie’s modesty is if she’d be contradicting your teaching and the child didn’t know the difference.
I know a whole lot more ladies that are more concerned with what Barbie says about what true beauty is than her clothing– and both of those say a lot.
December 28th, 2007 at 5:44 pm Subscribed to Comments
How can barbie teach your children morals? No one suggests that dodgeball teaches your kids throwing things at people is a good thing, or that playing cops and robbers teaches children to be theifs. From what I’ve seen and heard you learn skills (how to throw a ball) from play but not morals.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
I don’t know that it’s as much teaching your kids morals with Barbie as it is recognizing what’s right or wrong no matter the circumstance. There are modest clothing– if you let Barbie go around topless or without modest clothing but you won’t let little Susie do it you’re inconsistent. The appropriate application with dodge ball would be that you have to play by the rules– no headshots, no lying about whether or not you were hit, etc. The core of Barbie isn’t that she has to be nude, but the core of dodge ball is to try not to get hit.
Let me guess, you were the best dodge ball player there was and always got picked first. And no, that would not be me– I was near the last.
December 28th, 2007 at 9:07 pm Subscribed to Comments
Me the best dogdeball player? Just curiouse but where did you get that idea?
As to the rest of your post. Little Suzy isn’t a doll though. Its like telling your children that its fine for the pet dog to pee in the yard but it is not appropriate for them to do the same.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm Subscribed to Comments
Keep in mind, though, that as kids grow up, watch the media, have friends who peer pressure them, etc., they will become less and less modest unless modesty is a deliberate action they’ve chosen. By pointing out Barbie’s short skirt, this mother helped her daughter learn to keep an eye out for her modesty and taught her some tricks as to being modest, even when the clothes on the sales rack aren’t. (Lord knows, it’s frustrating to find modest clothes!)
AG’s last blog post..The Mercy Seat
February 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am
AG you make an excellent point. It’s not enough for a parent just to say what they should do, or even model it, but to also be an active participant in their world. That includes knowing what they are seeing in the media, knowing who their friends are and what they wear, etc. Being a parent is much more than having a baby, then shipping it off to day care and then to school, it’s a lifelong process of being part of another being’s life.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:51 am Subscribed to Comments
Exactly. This is even true with finances.
When a commercial was on that would say $9.99, they would ask me why they didn’t just charge $10. This introduced me to the psychology of marketing and I now automatically round up a dollar or two for tax when shopping. Or if a commercial said five easy payments of $19.99, we’d do the math and realize that what looked like it cost nothing was really $100. I can avoid scams like this because my parents taught me to see through it.
Same idea with movies like The Golden Compass. I believe in taking pre-teen kids on up to see it and use it as an opportunity to discuss whether it was scriptural or not. Teach your kids to think about what they’re seeing and hearing so they can be smart about what they expose themselves to as adults.
AG’s last blog post..The Truth About Porn
February 27th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
And then, they now offer bank accounts that let you save the difference when you round up to the next dollar– so you can feel good about spending because you’re saving as well…
I wonder if there’s a higher rate of people hitting their lines of credit or bouncing checks with this plan, since less money will be available?
Back on topic– I believe that you have to educate about what’s good and bad, but I definitely believe that you have to spend more time focusing on the truth and less on the error (the IRS counterfeit squad spends time learning the truth, and no time on the error).
February 27th, 2008 at 2:17 pm Subscribed to Comments
You’re totally right. We don’t know the counterfeit until we know the authentic item.
AG’s last blog post..The Truth About Porn