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Dressing Children

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jun 6, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 23.

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Dressing Children

By Mrs. John Andrews

MRS. JOHN ANDREWS
THE question of dressing children is not merely one of covering the body from the extremes of the weather, or even doing it beautifully or economically. The question has its moral side.
Through the medium of clothes, habits of personal neatness and cleanliness may be instilled into the minds of children. In the words of another, "Mothers ought to awake to the fact that the great moral educative factor in youth is imitative, and that there is an imitation that is derived from things as well as from persons."
Some features of a child's environment can not always be controlled by the mother, but there are others that can be; and as the mother puts the stamp of her individuality—her character—on these things, so the child will be morally influenced. The matter of clothes is one feature of the child's environment that certainly is controlled by the mother, and that distinctly affects the child morally through its sensitiveness to moral impressions from visible objects.
It is a curious, but observable fact that children do, after a fashion, imitate their clothes. Dress a child gaudily every day, with bright colors, ribbons, and fancy frocks, and you will surely develop in that child a display-loving disposition, vanity, forwardness, and self-consciousness. Mothers who dress their children thus are introducing an element of weakness into their characters, something that by and by may grow into unlovely selfishness, pride, or pretense.
Untidy clothes, too, are character formers. A slovenly dress will induce slovenly habits; for it is a fact that untidy dress and untidy habits go together.
Mothers should dress their children with character formation in view. Dress them quietly, for that promotes modesty; dress them cleanly, for that induces cleanness of mind and impulse; dress them comfortably and loosely, for that will guard against body consciousness; dress them fittingly and properly for every occasion, for that relieves children from mental disquietude.
When we realize what a great influence clothes exert on our children, we shall see what a great responsibility rests on us as mothers. How careful we should be how we choose and make clothes for them, trying to instil in their hearts a love for the pure and beautiful, rather than a desire for the things that are fancy and gaudy. And especially should we impress on their minds the truth that they should never enter the house of God with dirty clothes, hands, or face; for our God is a God of purity, and desires cleanliness in our apparel as well as in our hearts and minds. Teach them that it is not the fine, fancy clothes they wear when they go to church that will please their Heavenly Father, but neatness, tidiness, and purity of heart are pleasing to him.
How careful we should be to let them see that we desire the approval of our Heavenly Father, rather than the approbation of the world.
College View, Nebr.