I have a confession to make. There have been a few families in the past that I have labeled as "overprotective" when it came to modesty and caring what their kids did or watched. They tried to block TV commercials or had big long discussions about what music and movies they were allowed to watch. And since I obviously knew everything there was to know about parenting - although I was not yet a parent - I observed these actions and found them to be old fashioned, a bit too much, and just plain annoying.
Now that I am a parent, a few things - SURPRISE - have changed in my thinking. First of all, I can look back at those families and see that they have raised-up some pretty awesome kids. They now have teenagers who care about their character and who seek to honor The Lord in what they say and do. Wow! That in itself is quite a feat in the current culture of America.
I have also started to look at my own children, who are 3 & 1, and I realize that the "parenting" part of life is just starting. The true nitty gritty of building godly character into sinful little creatures, who are growing-up in a sinful world. What a challenge! And modesty and having a strong moral character are certainly going to be some of the hardest things to instill in them.
I pondered this the other day when I was observing kids at the local splashpad. A little girl who was probably 4 years old was playing with Lydia. She would run around with Lydia and hold her hand; and every once in a while she would jump into the water and dance around. That's normal for little girls, I know. But as I watched her dance, I realized that her dance was actually quite "adult" - she was doing some moves that I wouldn't know how to do myself. And I started to wonder what she had been watching/seeing/observing at home.
I also started to look around and note the types of swimsuits that little girls were wearing. Lydia has a one piece Elmo swimsuit with a little skirt. It's almost too "little girl" for her, but she loves it. :) Some girls had other cute printed suits on, and yet others had two pieces or very very tiny tops with shorts on the bottom. These girls were not teenagers, they were all probably 12 years old or younger. It made me wonder how their attitudes toward modesty, dressing, and presenting their public self was being shaped at that moment. It made me wonder how even something as simple as wearing an immodest bathing suit could affect their character, their self worth, and ultimately their life path.
I know, some of you think I am taking this a bit far; and lots of this is just food for thought. But here's my point. My daughter was there with those girls, in the splashpad. She was observing every bit of what was going on there. The way people dressed, the way people acted, the things people said and did. And all of those things will affect her - in her mind, and her body and her soul. Soon Luke will be affected in the same way...and he is a boy, with a completely different set of challenges and temptations. Oy Vey! I want them both to be thinking about godly actions and characteristics, to be emulating godly behaviors and to care about themselves enough to want to present a modest example to the world. I guess I have a lot of work to do - in my own parenting, and in my children's hearts. The good thing is that God wants that too for them, and it really is most rewarding in the end!
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