Are Your Teen's Role Models Too Skanky?

Many parents of a tween worry about what the role models of their tweens are teaching them. Sometimes what they see is what they do. Who is your tween idolizing, and how can that affect how they behave? One of the big questions you need to ask yourself is if your tween's favorite celebrities are too skanky?

What are your tween's idols teaching them? Being skanky is more than what you wear or how people perceive you, it also has to do with your mentality. Look at your tween's role models. How are they living their life? Are they dating exclusively? Are they going to parties on weekends? Are they using bad words? What are they teaching your child? If your tween sees a celebrity who is dressing provocatively, dating, or doing something else that you find inappropriate, then they might think it is okay for them to do those same things. Help them choose examples of people that are not living skankily, or they might justify their own behavior to do so.

How do your tween's idols dress? How someone dresses says a lot about who they are. Most of the icons of pop culture, and tween role models, even those found on the Disney Channel, push the limits of modesty and decorum in their clothing. So, does your tween's fave celebrity show too much skin, or wear clothes that promote the wrong message about who they are, or what the opposite sex can expect from them?

When evaluating your tween's role models, and asking yourself if they are too skanky, start with these three questions:

Do they dress their age? Are they dressing in a way that is appropriate for a tween to dress, or are they dressing older than they should? Often skanky celebs will wear clothing that is too mature for their age, too tight, too revealing, or just plain not age appropriate.

Have they had work done? Plastic surgery, injections, lifts, tucks, and all the rest are common amongst older stars and role models, but what about among the stars your tween looks up to? Have they had implants, or other work done to make them look older, or enhance their look? If so, they are too skanky of a role model, you do not want your child getting ideas about that.

Are they sexualizing themselves young? A tween icon should not be sexualizing themselves at all. While sex sells, and is a big part of the media and music industries, it is inappropriate for tween kids, even famous ones, to be sexualized. If your tween's role model is posing in sexual poses, or sexualizing themselves in ads, television, etc. then they are too skanky.

Would you want your child wearing what they are wearing and doing what they are doing? This is the best question to ask if you are worried your tween's idols are too skanky. If you wouldn't want your child doing it, their role model shouldn't be doing it either.

Beverly Frank is a work-at-home writer and mom to two young kids. Visit http://www.surfnetparents.com for more parenting ideas.