My mommy antennae immediately went up because Anna had never even heard of Britney Spears. “Why is she ‘fashiony,’ baby?” I asked.

“Well, my friends said her clothes are cool,” Anna replied.

“Anna, the way you dress sends a message,” I said. That exchange began a new application of Deuteronomy 6 to the raising of Anna, especially where God tells us to teach His words to our children. We began teaching Anna about dressing modestly.

Anna is now twelve, and we still talk about dressing modestly. We’ve talked about how girls and women dress now. Her dad talked to her about how guys view girls who show too much skin. We’ve also filled her mind with God’s Word, and we remind her that her worth is not based on her clothes, her looks, or what the world says about her. Instead her worth is based on her inner beauty in Jesus. Our culture teaches girls that to be liked, admired, and viewed as cool, they should wear skimpy clothes. But God calls believers to a better way.

It is never too early for Christian parents to begin teaching our children about modesty and purity. If you have a daughter who is showing interest in fashion, begin now to teach her that she can wear cute clothes and still be modest. As she grows older, find examples of teens who dress appropriately but are admired for their fashion sense and style. Show her that dressing modestly does not equal frumpy!