Role Models

It seems like Miley Cyrus is a trending topic these days with her 'twergage' all over the internet these last couple of weeks, followed by a new video now of her on a wrecking ball dressed in, well, nothing. You can't seem to escape talk of her somewhere, even if you aren't looking for it. It seems to have sparked the concerns of parents everywhere, criticizing the star on the example she is setting for the teens and children these days.

All of the opinions that I've read seem to be one of two categories. The first, in so many words, is "Miley Cyrus is a horrible role model for kids these days." The other is "Why does everyone care so much? Let the girl do her thing!"

I'm the mother to two amazing little girls and not only is it my job, but my life's work to guide them in the right direction. I can't say I'm the best mother there ever was. I am, however, the only mother that they have and I don't take it lightly. I want my girls to grow up happy and healthy, with a strong set of morals and standards  for themselves. I want them to be independent women with compassion, kindness, and the ability to humble themselves when needed.

When it comes to the two statements above...I'm going to say...I'm more with the latter of the two.

See, I don't care what Miley Cyrus does. You do you Miley. You twerk that little booty of yours across every stage in America if that's what you want. You stick your tongue at every camera they put on you girl...if that's what makes you feel better about yourself.

I don't judge Miley. I can't put myself in her shoes. I don't condone it...but I don't condemn it either.

My oldest daughter Anistyn is 8 years old and we're getting to the point where our conversations are getting a lot more serious. Its no longer about whether the Tooth Fairy is real. Now we're talking about where babies come from, why do people cuss, and why do kids get cancer? Yeah. Not so easy topics.

I can't say that I overly shelter her from things I don't want her to see. Obviously, I didn't want her to watch the MTV Music Awards...so she didn't. I won't let her watch a Miley Cyrus performance. I can't shield her from the world though. We go out. She sees magazine covers at the store. But she knows that if she has any questions, she can talk to me about it.

I don't force all of my opinions on her. I want her to have her own thoughts, while still upholding the values that we instill in her. I don't push her though. The great thing about that is...that she forms her own opinions and she asks for mine as well. This leads to great discussions that I thoroughly enjoy having. If she sees some girl dressed provocatively on a magazine, she tells me what she thinks, and I ask her why she feels that way. I love seeing where her mind is at. When she asks for my opinion, I give it to her, but not in some harsh judgmental way.

The other day I saw a picture of Sadie Robertson at New York Fashion Week. Sadie is from the show Duck Dynasty. In case you never watch TV or read the news, Duck Dynasty is a very popular show right now. Its about the lives of the Robertson family who design duck calls. Their story doesn't end there though. They're a family who, instead of using their wealth and fame to exploit their bodies or to promote worldly things, give their glory to God and are incredibly grounded in their faith and their strong family values. The show is a breath of fresh air. It promotes the bonds that a family should have, all while giving thanks to God. This is evident in Sadie, who is the granddaughter of Phil Robertson, the founder of Duck Commander.

Sadie is 16. She could be relishing in the wealth and fame that being a part of the Robertson family has brought to her. She is incredibly beautiful and I'm sure the boys are lining up for her. She could easily use her looks and go against what her family has brought her up to believe. Instead, she goes against the grain.

See, Sadie went to New York Fashion Week to promote her new prom dress line. Her goal is to market dresses that are fashionable, while being modest. She's also set up a youtube channel with her friend which talks about girls being different and not doing what the world thinks is right. In my opinion, I am first off, utterly impressed by her.

How beautiful and amazing is it that this young girl is using her fame to help other girls realize that they can be different. That they don't have to promote their bodies to feel beautiful or worthy. That we are all beautiful in our own way. She oozes confidence as she talks about about her morals, her faith, and her belief in herself.

My family already watches Duck Dynasty together. Its a great family show, which is hard to find these days. She's already noticed Sadie. We've watched her videos and talked about her. THIS is the stuff that I will encourage my daughters to notice. THIS is what you will find on at my house. Things that show my daughters that its okay to go against the grain. Its okay to not do the things the world wants. That beauty comes from within and that you can be anything you want to be in life.

My daughters number one role model is...me. The scary thing is that, believe it or not, the girl wants to be just like me. So she watches me. She wants my opinion. She wants to know what I'm watching, wearing, saying. So I want her to see things that will uplift her and inspire her. Just like they uplift me.

So go ahead Miley. You wear any kind of bear suit you want while you shake your butt around for millions of people to watch. Some people might cheer you on and good for them.

My family will be too busy watching Duck Dynasty.