Random question: Does modesty apply to infants?

[heidi_storage]

Naked babies are adorable, and only “sexual” to a few disturbed people. The Renaissance was all about naked baby Jesus, which I think we can agree was not meant to be prurient. At least where I live, it’s pretty common in summer to let babies run about in only their diapers, and for toddlers to strip and play in the sprinklers without any clothes on. I’ll never forget the time my toddler took off her bathing suit in front of a neighbor and started peeing on the driveway; that was pretty embarrassing (for me), but not remotely sexual. (The neighbor’s own daughter ran out of her house naked and started climbing on the play set before her mother could retrieve her.)

However, I think that people CAN dress babies in a style that conveys immodesty–not because of the amount of skin it does or does not show, of course, but in imitating provocative clothing for adults and communicating that the baby is a sexy li’l thing. Some day you, too, can grow up to flaunt your body! In the meantime, here’s a nice little crop top for your chubby baby chest and short-shorts for your baby butt. I agree with KCMedTech that such styles of clothing could be considered “grooming” young children.

 

[13pollitos]

I will never forget the day at the school bus stop when a mom was telling her daughter (kindergartener!) that she MUST be sexy. The little girl didn’t like the way her shirt was falling off her shoulders and kept pulling them up. Mom didn’t like that. I told mom that most likely the girl was uncomfortable and that is why she was pulling on her sleeves, but mom was insistent that her daughter MUST learn to be sexy. Unfortunately there are parents that do this. Thankfully I have only had a handful of parents over the years act like this (in my presence at least).

 

[alice24]

I will never forget the day at the school bus stop when a mom was telling her daughter (kindergartener!) that she MUST be sexy.

This is so creepy, really. How sad must that women´s upbringing has been, really.

 

[13pollitos]

I think it was, just based on the things I knew about. And that is a very good point to state. We often don’t know where people are coming from. Believe it or not, I got the impression she was actually doing better with her kids than was done with her.

 

[pensmama87]

I really think that is one of the tragedies of fashion today: we think sexiness and beauty are the same thing, and they are not.

I only have boys so far, so how we teach modesty hasn’t had that layer of complication with it because boys’ clothes don’t tend to have the same issues. But in general, I think it makes sense (as the link I posted upthread mentioned) that people cover more as they get older, as their bodies begin to become more adult. When they are young, this isn’t necessary, and impractical considering babies and young kids’ bathrooming needs, mobility, and tendency to get dirty.