The Cheese Stands Alone

I never really understood what this meant. Do you know? Anyway… it is the title that came to me when I was thinking about this post.

My hubby and I are raising a daughter. It is going to be hard work – mainly because she is strong-willed and independent. Two qualities that I think will become strong character traits for her later in life, but as a three, almost four year old – they are working against her – big time!

As she gets older, I am starting to feel the pinch of “the world” creeping into her world. The clothes are a bit more provocative than I think a CHILD should wear. Yes, even shopping for a four year old is hard – modesty is just gone from the marketplace. Low-cut jeans and midriff baring tops on a toddler are just ridiculous. I feel like there is a giant hand trying to push her into adulthood, twenty years too soon.

I was recently made aware of something called Cheetah girls… a Disney product, along the lines of Hannah Montana, High School Musical and such. I will be the first to admit that I know nothing of any of these shows, but I do see the pictures, the advertisements, the media onslaught of books, clothes, music, dolls, etc and the message they send – well, it causes me concern.

I have some friends, with children my daughter’s age, that don’t seem to find this as frustrating as I do. There is even a party going on this evening to watch one of the movies being shown tonight. I am finding it baffling as a mother and a woman and even more so as I try to be a Christian mother and woman. I feel like I (and my hubby) am standing alone against all of this. The pressure to dress our daughter much older than her tender age, the rush to introduce her to music and dance that we will NEVER find appropriate for her – regardless of her age and the demands of a consumer driven society to buy the dolls, the games, the toys that tout the faces of these teenagers seems to be everywhere.

Does anyone out there feel my pain? Am I truly standing alone on this subject? I hope not. For now, I am thankful that my little one is more interested in Madeline and Tom and Jerry – I am just looking to the future and wondering how in the world we are going to keep her innocent, modest and Christ-like in this world we live in.

Praying for the future boys in our daughter’s life – to be raised by crazy, strict parents like us!!!

Living Happily Ever After,
Beverly