“Here it is towards the middle of summer. For many of us it has been really hot. I really don’t like hot weather. It makes me tired and sluggish. I love being in my house with the air conditioning going.
My two sons love to swim, so we go to my sister’s house. Where they live they have a nice swimming pool area. In the swimming area there are two pools. One pool, mostly for the kids, has a waterfall in it. Next to this pool there is bigger pool that can be used as a lap pool or playing games. My boys love the waterfall pool area, so that is where we spend most of our time when we are there.
I am a person who loves to just do some swimming and relax in the swimming pool. Of course, I am keeping a keen eye out for my boys at the same time. They are never together. They are out with their cousins or making new friends.
One day I was at the swimming pool and this nice looking lady walked in and all she had on was a G-string swimsuit. She was with her children. Because I am a guy, I thought she was nice to look at. I also knew this was not appropriate for a family area or even any public area. I thought about my kids. This is not what me or my kids need to see. She was at the lap pool and so I decided we should go to the waterfall area.
I was looking around and there were many people who were dressed appropriately, but there were guys who had tight trunks or bikini trunks on. There were women with bikinis on. Basically, there was not much more to imagine after that. Than I looked at the kids. Many of the kids were dressed appropriately. There were some teenage boys that have those baggy looking suits that show part of their behind, but many girls from 3 years old to teen years were wearing bikinis. Than I got to thinking about why do so many parents allow their children to wear sexually provocative clothing.
In today’s world sex and being sexually dressed is being shoved upon us. Many advertisements have young nice looking people on them. They are wearing skimpy clothes and have sexual movements. Many TV shows and movies are the same, with sex being very much part of it. Stores that are geared to 11yr. olds up to teen years have clothes that are sexually provocative.
We have singers who sing about sex and wear clothes that cover very little. Our children are idolizing these people. Many of these kids then see these famous singers on billboards or on TV and they want to be like them and dress like them. This goes the same with actors.
As parents we have a responsibility to make sure our children know the difference between right and wrong. We teach them not to steal, cheat, or lie. Yet, we are letting our children dress the wrong way.
Our teenagers are having sex earlier. And a lot of this is the parents’ fault. Boys are showing off what they can, and girls are showing all they can. As parents we are forgetting that there are hormones involved and peer pressure. We as parents should not be allowing girls wear sexually provocative clothing. We should be teaching our son’s to respect girls.
There are cases today with women or girls being raped. I am not saying this is all the fault of the girls, but it doesn’t help to be wearing tight clothing or showing all they can without showing it all.
When we allow our children, at very young ages, to dress in bikinis or skimpy clothing we are not teaching them to tell others to respect them. This goes along with underwear as well. It is telling the opposite sex to lust or come after me. It is saying I am easy and so on.
This all leads to peer pressure and to premarital sex. This in return leads to pregnancy, sexual diseases, dropping out of school, abortions (killing of the unborn), mental and physical harm and so on. This can than lead to our children having many sexual relationships. Or, not having one marriage but two or three marriages. The sanctity of the marriage, given to us by God, is going out the door. Their kids have different fathers and mothers.
It is time for us as parents, especially us stay at home dads, to teach our children the proper way to dress. I am NOT saying you have to dress like the Amish or Quakers. I believe in dressing respectfully.
The saying, “I want my child to be able to express themselves” is ridiculous. They can express themselves in a decent way. If we allow them to talk to us and we are open to listening to them, they can express themselves. This is how we should be encouraging them to express themselves. They also need to hear the word “No” from us.
I have two boys. However, I have expressed my opinion to others about how girls are dressing. A person said to me, “You need a girl. Then you would understand.” I do understand, and that is why my girl would not dress in short skirts, have G-string underwear, short shorts, or skimpy shirts. I don’t allow my boys to dress the wrong way either. I don’t allow my son’s to have real baggy pants so their underwear show and so on.
As fathers it is our responsibility to teach our children to be respectable in the way we act, and also in the way they should dress. This world is changing and it isn’t for the good. People make snap judgments on the way our children and we dress. This could have negative implications on our children. I don’t know about you, but this isn’t what I want for my kids.
You and your wife need to take the responsibility teaching your children the respectable ways of dressing. Don’t fall prey to the ways that are popular that encourage sexual provocative dressing. Teach modesty and use the word “NO”.
It is also our responsibility to protect our children. We do this by teaching them to be decent in the way they dress and respecting others.
Remember to give your kids a hug and tell them that you love them. Tell your wife how much you appreciate her and that you love her.
Bart Buskey, Meridian, Idaho email at: bartnchel@yahoo.com