historically accurate Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Our church doesn't do Awanas or kids' club until Jr. High age. Therefore, we have always sent the kids to a neighboring church for this. They all did Awanas at my in-law's church until a couple of years ago when they closed the program. Since then, they go to a non-denominational church near us who runs their own "Awanas-like" program. My youngest is the only one who still attends; the others are in middle school & high school now. I got a notification last night that next week is Spring Break week. What that means is wear your summer and/or beach wear. It has a clip art picture of a cartoon man wearing swim trunks and a lei carrying a beach chair and umbrella on it. You can't really see his bare chest but it's there. At the bottom of the page it says "Please no girls in swimsuits". The group consists of PreK-5th graders. Sixth and up are in a different program which is not included in Spring Break week. I wouldn't have sent her in a swimsuit anyway, and it is their church to make their own rules. But it makes me feel "icky" that they have singled out girls for the only rule. I can't really figure out why I feel weird about it, but I do. It seems off that they are okay with the bare chest on the cartoon, but a girls swimsuit is wrong? not modest? too revealing? I don't know what all. Would this bother you? Or am I over-reacting (not that I plan to do anything about it since it isn't my church, it just rubs me the wrong way)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraw4321 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Yes, I would be angry and definitely call them out on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Seems odd, but it might just be a thoughtless choice of clip art. Do they really want boys in trunks without shirts? I'd ask, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Yes, that would bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I would be annoyed that they singled out girls in that way. Are they ok with boys coming in swim trunks and no shirt? If not they should have clarified that beach attire is acceptable but ask that no one come dressed in a swim suit. I would call and get clarification and point out how their note sounds. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Totally inappropriate. It should have clearly stated, "Beachwear, but no swimsuits, please!" without calling out girls. Frankly, I'm not the person who usually gets upset about dress codes being more detailed for girls vs boys. I generally see the logic and do not feel it's sexist. But this particular guideline, for pre-pubsecent girls, is ridiculous! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Also, unrelated, but beach attire but not swimsuits is pretty weird. If they'd called it "Hawaiian dress", no one would have any doubts of what they meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I've been in many church "circles" and to point out girls seems odd to me. Usually they would say "no swimsuits" if they didn't want swimsuits. The snarky side of me says that someone male should show up in a speedo. But I have terrible thoughts like that. I might be scary in my old age when I no longer give a care what anyone things :lol: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 What about these? ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I think the issue might be that boys swimsuits are often just shorts. With a shirt, there aren't really any issues with wearing them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I think they would have been fine if they just would have said dress for the tropics or summer or something. Gross to pick on girls. Given it's not your church though, I probably wouldn't call or follow up. I might not participate in that program any more if it felt like their were pushy with girls and modesty in an uncomfortable way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) I would have preferred for them to say no swimsuits, period. But as you note, it's a church, and it's not your church. They are entitled to their views on modesty or whatever, and you're entitled to opt out. If we're going to dictate what other religious bodies are allowed to restrict, where does it end? Almost all of us would dislike some religious dress (or diet etc) requirement somewhere. But it's not for us to say - unless of course there is abuse involved. Edited January 18, 2018 by SKL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Indeed Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I don't think they meant anything by it. Like others I think the wording choice was poor, and wasn't sufficiently thought through. Boys swim suits are shorts, usually long ones. Girls swim wear can be anything from a one piece to a bikini- all in varying styles and levels of coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I think you can ignore the clip art and don't mention it if you say something. I'd be inclined to write a note to the leader with a suggestion for next time. Usually theme nights get used the next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I can see the reasoning but the wording was bad. Maybe you mother could casually mention it to whoever wrote it after the event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I’m guessing they didn’t think too much about the wording, it wouldn’t offend me. I would assume someone either showed up in a bathing suit last time or a kid asked if they could wear one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Spring break week. lol send her in with a case of beer. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I think it was a poor choice of wording and clip art but probably not intentionally so. They probably would have a problem with boys in Speedos also, but most little boys aren’t likely to want to wear those to a church sort of event. (My brothers wore them for swim meets and hated them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) Good grief! What a stupid comment and stupid photo to choose. But it's North America and some churches love to get all wigged out about these things. So join in the drama, or just ignore it and get on with life. If you have trusted these people enough to attend their program all this time, are you suddenly at the point where they've all crossed some line? Edited January 19, 2018 by wintermom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Yeah that is not cool. I do bet though they didn't mean it in an icky way. It's just that typical girl swimsuits are revealing and typical boy swimming clothes are not assuming the boys would be expexted to wear a shirt. What would have been best would have been to say, no revealing swim wear or something. I personally wouldn't instantly just assume they were sexist or creepy or anything negative. They just chose a not so great way to say it. I'm the queen of things not coming across clearly when I put it on paper, so I'd forgive them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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