My husband and I have recently moved back to the area where we grew up, suburbs of a major city. I'm excited about all the offerings of a larger area, including many different homeschool groups, co-ops, enrichment classes, etc. I've also been having mixed feelings lately about the influences of a larger city. We've been living in small conservative towns, where it was easy to pick and choose what I exposed our daughter to and keep her delightfully unaffected (she's 6) by cultural influences that I'd rather she not absorb at this age. Today we walked into a mall and were immediately faced with an ad for a store called daddys-money.com. In this ad, preteen girls were apparently advertising clothes and shoes while holding gold bricks (seemed like a spoof I'd see on Saturday Night Live, yet it was a real ad). I don't know why it was this particular thing I latched onto, it just hit me at that point how many negative influences were staring us in the face in this larger area I'd been so looking forward to reaching. I was with my husband's extended family, and we then wandered into a store called Justice with what I thought were remarkably scanty and provocative clothes for young girls. I realize at some level that these are teachable moments for my daughter, and we did have a discussion about modesty and why we wouldn't be shopping at Justice. I suppose I'm just feeling a little concerned about the amount of outside influences here that didn't exist in the smaller towns we were living in. I'm looking forward to finding a Christian homeschool group as the fall approaches (they're all on hiatus for the summer) and finding a church home. I think finding like-minded folks will make me feel more comfortable in our views regarding how we plan to raise our daughter. I feel a little like a fish out of water right now. Anyone been in my shoes?
My kids are facing many more negative influences in our current small town they did in our past large city. I found so many resources available in the city, that we kept busy without all the negative influences. Here, girls are flaunting their bodies in teeny bikinis at 12 and 13. I mean provocative posing--all out flaunting, not just wearing one. Dating at this age is the norm. Parents encourage and expect it. Bad language is normal. Kids use it all the time, even when talking to adults. I think it's more cultural. Certainly large cities will have more diversity and therefore bad things. I've lived in small conservative towns that were great, but the one we are in isn't one! I hate Justice!! I stopped even going in there when I saw skimpy, inappropriate undies for little girls. We have one here in our small town mall.
