Teaching Modesty in Children's Clothing : หน้า 78/207

this problem, we must teach them good behavior and how to dress appropriately while they are still young. "The Lord Buddha said, 'Do not dress inappropriately." "Dressing inappropriately means dressing with the hem above the calves and exposing one's shoulders. "In the past, parents dressed their daughters with a sarong that went down to their calves from the time that they were little girls. It would become natural and as adults these women dressed modestly. However, if girls are encouraged to wear short skirts at a young age, it is unlikely that they will want to cover themselves with a long skirt when they are older. "Allowing young children to dress inappropriately is the root cause of the sexualizing of children, and its consequences like child prostitution, that lead to the Roads of Ruin (Apayamukha). "If we want to rectify this situation, we must first understand the purposes for wearing clothes. 1) To protect oneself from heat and cold. 2) To protect oneself from the elements like sunlight, wind, and rain, as well as from insects and small animals. 3) To cover the body parts that should not be exposed. "If parents teach their children about the real purpose for wearing clothes when they are young, their minds will not be fixated on the sensual. Additionally we must protect them further by teaching our children to chant and meditate before they go to bed. Teach them to bow at their parents' feet before bedtime. If we practice this regularly, we will be able to rectify the problem and raise wonderful, wholesome children." The teaching from this venerable monk makes us realize that the problem of children dressing in ways that attract sexual attention will disappear when parents teach them modesty from early childhood. Moreover, it may reduce and eventually eliminate sex crimes against children. The Warm Hearted Family 154 A Daughter Dresses Too Risque The Warm Hearted Family 155 A Daughter Dresses Too Risque