Teaching kids about modesty
As kids grow older we need to coach them in how to be an adult, including the idea of modesty. In an episode of the Parenting for Faith podcast Rachel answered a question from a listener.
The question was:
How do I introduce my 9 and a half year old daughter to covering up her body a little more now when she gets out of the bath, getting changed etc without her developing any negative body issues, and still loving her body that God gave her without feeling ashamed?
You can hear Rachel’s reply here, or skip down to see a quick summary of her main points:
1. Separate modesty from what your body looks like and how you feel about it. This is about what is appropriate for different ages, not body image
2. Be clear about what the boundaries are in your house. You are coaching your child in how to be an adult, and so they need to know when it’s appropriate to be naked and when it’s not.
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3. There will be a period of transition, so decide how you’ll cope with inconsistencies.
4. If, separately, you want to think more about body image and beauty, there are a number of resources on our website that might help. Rachel addressed the issue of beauty and manliness in one of her Facebook lives for parents, which you can watch here, and there is an article that might be helpful in talking to children and teens about the lies culture tells about appearance here.