Random question: Does modesty apply to infants?

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This is a random question since I don’t have any babies of my own, but after seeing a picture of a one-year-old in a maxi skirt, it got me thinking. Does modesty apply to infants? Personally, I think it does, and should (especially considering the number of creeps in the world). But, I know there are lots of parents who don’t have a problem with their kids taking off their clothes and running around naked (which is a stage kids go through. Right?). While I do think modesty applies to babies, I think maxi skirts are a bit overkill for a baby girl. Thoughts?

Edit: I have baby fever, so please don’t think I’m being a creep by asking this question. 😬
 
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I took some evening classes thirty odd years ago and one thing that we discussed was the sexualisation of children through fashion.

At that time it was beginning to be an obvious trend whereby children were being offered adult clothes ranges, and of course appropriate hairstyles to match. Prior to that and certainly in my childhood there was quite a big difference between adult styles of clothing and children’s styles.

That may be digressing a little. As far as infants and babies etc are concerned I’d rather not see them running around naked frankly but I haven’t noticed that happening very much at all. Certainly not in the library.
 
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Lee1 said:
I took some evening classes thirty odd years ago and one thing that we discussed was the sexualisation of children through fashion.
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Interesting that it was being talked about even 30 years ago. I think that’s a bigger problem than the amount of skin shown. I was always shocked by some of the baby clothes available that were clearly intended to be miniature versions of “sexy” adult clothes.

For me, the primary reason to refrain from such clothes is to teach your children modesty rather than there necessarily being something immodest about the clothing per se for children at that age.

For my wife and I, we took this seriously for our kids. We dressed them as babies in the manner we wanted them to choose to dress when they got older. We didn’t even really talk about it much at all, simply set the standard that this is how one ought to dress. It worked well for us. It is very important to my daughter that she be modestly dressed. (My son has autism and will wear whatever we put him in so long as it’s comfortable.)
 
It’s always interesting to me that modesty standards are exclusively aimed at girls.

No one would bat an eye if a boy goes outside without a shirt…let alone a tank top.

Yet, everyone has something to say about what and how parents dress their daughters.

I have only daughters. I buy them age appropriate clothing they like and what I think flatters them…and I have some lovely Easter pictures of my oldest and middle…at 2 and 3 years of age…in maxi skirts with matching tops.

You learn based on what will actually fit them and what you can afford. I tend to dress my girls in leggings and skinny jeans because they actually fit their figure. All three are tall, all limbs, with no waists. They simply do not fit into looser bottoms…not to mention the fact that they just dislike loose fitting clothes. Packs of leggings are pretty inexpensive, are forgiving and they go with anything…dresses, skirts, shirts.

I also dress them in two piece bathing suits…usually tankinis. I do it because it’s practical, they could actually use the bathroom on their own and not struggle getting off a one piece…and they hate wearing loose, wet, shorts and tops.
Plus, I think it’s really dangerous to let kids swim with so much extra material. It can weigh them down and catch on something and not allow for swim aides to fit them properly.
 
To answer the question…no, modesty does not apply to infants.

One will find that a lot of mothers will go nuts and dress their baby in wildly impractical and expensive things.

It’s not immodest to dress an infant in a maxi dress…it’s just really, really impractical and done for the photo op or because mom thought it was really cute and had to have it.

You cannot sexualize an infant…and if you do…you have serious issues.
 
I’m not sure why people here keep bringing up sexuality. Modesty doesn’t refer to just sexuality. I don’t even know if the OP is referring to that.

A parent who dresses their infant in very expensive clothing on a routine basis is being immodest. The infant cannot be immodest, it’s the parent who is being immodest.
 
I completely agree that you should not sexualize infants. I had no intention of suggesting that. But, to clarify, are you saying baby bikinis are okay? Personally, I don’t like the idea.
 
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Never said bikinis in my post. I said tankinis…which are very different.
As infants, my kids wore rash guards with swim diaper bottoms. I have never put my kids in one piece bathsuits…ever.

My girls are 3, 5, and 7. They wear two piece bathing suits. My younger two were dressed in tight rash guards and separate bottoms while my oldest was in a tankini. Very similar to this…which, as far as I’m aware, is not a bikini.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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My kid (now 14) has worn reasonably modest 2-piece swimsuits in the past. When Hubby and I first got together she wore a 2-piece that was maybe a little smaller than I would have liked (she was 5 and it was given to Hubby by someone else, second-hand). When she outgrew that we bought her modest one-pieces and modest 2-pieces.

I agree that it depends on the age. Now, I don’t think it is EVER appropriate to have extremely short-shorts or dresses that go much above the knee, even on a child, or to have your baby running around naked in public. But I do think that at home, it’s okay if your little one (say under the age of about 2) wants to run around naked or for children under 7 to have a bath together. Little children don’t understand about sex, nor do they need to.

I am a woman and the oldest of 6 children. I have 4 younger brothers and a younger sister. My youngest brother was born when I was 9. I knew how baby boys looked from small on. I knew that boys and girls were made differently. Never bothered me.

For the record: in the past, all babies wore long skirts (boys and girls). The skirts were “shortened” (literally) when they started to walk. When they got a little older, boys started wearing shorts. They didn’t wear long pants until they were grown up. Girls started wearing knee-length dresses. As they got older, their dresses got longer, a little at a time. Once they were in their early to mid teens, they started putting up their hair as well. A woman who was eligible for marriage would have floor-length skirts that didn’t display her ankles (it was considered immodest to do so) and would wear her hair up on top of her head.
 
Isn’t a maxi skirt one of the ones that goes to your ankles? How is that immodest at any age?

I don’t really think it’s a big deal if an infant wears a skirt. We’re having a girl and I’m having fun buying girl clothes. Infants can’t be immodest.

My son is four and he still likes to run around the house in his underwear. He’s a kid and he doesn’t like clothes. He knows that if we have company or go out of the house, he needs to wear pants.

I do think all of the pageant stuff where parents put their small children in makeup and tight clothing is inappropriate. Anything less than that? A baby in a skirt? I don’t think it’s a big deal.
 
Yup. You can also get really adorable baby tights for baby girls.

A pun on your second-to-last paragraph: in the UK (where my husband’s family lives) underthings are called “pants”. So in the UK you would say your son knows he needs to wear “trousers”. Technically if he’s in his underwear he’s already wearing pants!
 
There are some really awesome boutique brands that make little girl dresses with vintage patterns and lengths. We usually do them for Christmas time.
 
Of course babies have not had any shame of going around naked.

My daughter go around half naked after going to the potty for practical reasons: to call us, to let us show etc. It is not a problem as long as we are in our house, with just us.

It is up to the parents to do what they want to do toward this. Some don’t want others people show their baby naked. But we need to protect them from the outside people intentions.

Modesty is a slow process that end naturally when puberty is here.
 
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Babies have no culpability for any of the questionable fashion choices their parents make on their behalf and since they are not sexual, it’s not a big deal if they are exposed for whatever reason. (changing, swimming, etc) I think it’s concerning when people dress their toddlers and young girls in clothes that would be considered promiscuous on an adult.
 
I am a strong believer in both respecting the modesty and teaching an awareness of personal modesty to children boys and girls from infancy.

I do not mean that a toddler should be punished for not being properly dressed or made to feel ashamed of themselves.

But I do think that children should be properly dressed and made aware of the need to dress modestly and especially for girls to learn to wear their clothes and behave appropriately to stay modest.

We are also unashamedly sexist in dressing boys and girls differently and girls in distinctively feminine clothing.
 
The reason babies were once dressed in long skirts is that they were not wearing diapers. Or rather, the long skirts and the dirt floors were the diapers.

Yeah, I bet you just decided that swaddling clothes were not all that bad…
 
KCmedtech said:
Never said bikinis in my post.
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I understand, but I am asking about it because I am curious if, as you say, modesty doesn’t apply to infants, then that means its fine for them to wear baby bikinis.
Clementine14 said:
Isn’t a maxi skirt one of the ones that goes to your ankles? How is that immodest at any age?
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And Clementine 14, I was referring to that because I think making a baby/toddler wear a floor length skirt sends the message that babies need to be modest in the same way adult women do. I said I thought it was too much in my opinion.
 
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