Laura J. Buddenberg Kathleen M. McGee Authors of: There are No Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter!

By: Laura Buddenberg and Kathy McGee

Author Wendy Shalit describes modesty as “a reflection of self-worth, of having such a high opinion of yourself that you don’t need to boast or put your body on display for all to see.”³ In today’s image-is-everything culture, modesty is a virtue lost. It’s absent in girls who flaunt their bodies instead of their brains to impress guys. It’s absent on prom nights that are remembered more for money and materialism than friends and relationships. It’s absent from marketers who sell the idea that happiness, love, and success come from using a particular product or having a certain look. It’s absent in teens who see dating as one big attention-seeking opportunity.

As parents, we need to offer a different message. We need to teach our daughters that beauty isn’t just about the body. We need to tell our daughters that dating relationships are about making friendships, not using others. We need to help our daughters value people more than things. We need to show our daughters that modesty is never out of style for women with confidence and self-respect.