I don't know why this has been on my mind lately. Maybe it's the pictures I have been seeing on Facebook of half-dressed girls and teenagers. Maybe it is all the status posts I've come across of yet another teen girl depressed or devastated because the latest prince charming turned out to be just another frog.
I see these things and my heart hurts for these girls. Then I start thinking of my own little girl and how she will be a teen in just a few short years. She will be bombarded with dating choices and clothing styles of all of her friends, peers, and older teens she looks up to.
...and that scares me.
I don't ever want my daughter to feel that she must show more skin to attract some guy...and I definitely don't want a guy like that going after my daughter!
I want my daughter to have self-worth, to be confident, and to be sure of who she is as a person and, most importantly, as a child of God.
I want people to be attracted to her because of her heart and her inward beauty. Maybe this is why I downplay my own outward appearance. If she sees me overly concerned about my looks, my clothing, or my appearance, then I am in a way, teaching her that is what is important. Notice the key word, overly.
Of course it is important to have good hygiene and to look presentable. I want to teach her to eat healthy and to take care of herself both inside and out. I just don't go overboard with it. I don't stress out about every blemish on my face or the weight I've gained over the years and so on.
I don't freak out if I didn't put my make-up on that day as I have seen A LOT of women do and they just go on and on about how terrible they look. In reality, they really don't look bad...they just look real ;) Truth be told, I rarely wear make-up anyway and actually prefer not to wear it. Hey, that's 10 minutes I get back in my day...lol! I just don't want my daughter to feel like she has to cover up or alter herself in any way to feel more confident about herself or to get others to like her. Sure, it is fun to get all dudded up for different occasions, and yes, there are days when I put a little extra color on my face to conceal a few extra blemishes I might have or to make myself look a little less tired than I really am...LOL! I just don't go overboard with it all.
I want my daughter to have respect for herself with the clothing she puts on her body. I want her to dress in a way that honors herself and the God who made her. I know she won't be perfect in the way she dresses every single time, the Lord knows there were times I certainly wasn't as a teenager, but if she can understand and see just how beautiful and virtuous she is, perhaps she will choose more modestly rather than loosely.
I see some girls and the way they dress and my heart breaks for them. Why do they feel the need to attract a boy's, well, anyones attention in this manner? What happened in their lives to cause them to want to dress the way they do? What distorted their self-image or adversely affected their self-esteem? I pray for the Godly women in their lives to come along side them and encourage them to be who God created them to be...beautiful from the inside out :)
Of course it is important to have good hygiene and to look presentable. I want to teach her to eat healthy and to take care of herself both inside and out. I just don't go overboard with it. I don't stress out about every blemish on my face or the weight I've gained over the years and so on.
I don't freak out if I didn't put my make-up on that day as I have seen A LOT of women do and they just go on and on about how terrible they look. In reality, they really don't look bad...they just look real ;) Truth be told, I rarely wear make-up anyway and actually prefer not to wear it. Hey, that's 10 minutes I get back in my day...lol! I just don't want my daughter to feel like she has to cover up or alter herself in any way to feel more confident about herself or to get others to like her. Sure, it is fun to get all dudded up for different occasions, and yes, there are days when I put a little extra color on my face to conceal a few extra blemishes I might have or to make myself look a little less tired than I really am...LOL! I just don't go overboard with it all.
I want my daughter to have respect for herself with the clothing she puts on her body. I want her to dress in a way that honors herself and the God who made her. I know she won't be perfect in the way she dresses every single time, the Lord knows there were times I certainly wasn't as a teenager, but if she can understand and see just how beautiful and virtuous she is, perhaps she will choose more modestly rather than loosely.
I see some girls and the way they dress and my heart breaks for them. Why do they feel the need to attract a boy's, well, anyones attention in this manner? What happened in their lives to cause them to want to dress the way they do? What distorted their self-image or adversely affected their self-esteem? I pray for the Godly women in their lives to come along side them and encourage them to be who God created them to be...beautiful from the inside out :)
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