What are your young ones absorbing that is unacceptable for tender minds?
Did you know that your child’s speech blunders are evidence of what is heard or done at home?
Children’s minds are very receptive. They don’t have a set of guiding principles on which to distinguish right from wrong. Our kids look to us, their parents, to guide them. Of course, they are so innocent that whatever mom or dad says or does is fine with them. Parents set the course for training children in rightness and integrity. This means that in the home, we set limits to establish what is right and wrong. The home is where kids learn the basic rules of life, and these rules determine how they will be guided.
Your susceptible first grader may go to school and have an argument with another kid in the room. He knows how to handle that situation because he saw, or heard, it at home or on some technical device. Our daughter Carol is a first grade teacher, and here is a situation she related to us: “One of my boys told another boy that he was going to kill him. I did not hear it, but two other girls did, and one of them wrote down what was said. Of course, ever since Columbine, there are federal laws about this type of thing. So I spent the afternoon talking with the administration and filling out paperwork and documentation concerning this issue.” A first grader! Where did he get this idea?
Our society is becoming godless. Technology exposes us both to the good things and to the rotten garbage of this world. Whatever you watch on television affects the minds of your children if they are present. You may feel it’s okay to watch certain adult programs, such as those having dead bodies examined, vampires, crude language, or sexual scenes, but keep in mind that your child will think all this is acceptable because mom or dad is watching it. When you become a parent, you must release your preferences for what you watch. Little eyes are wide open.
Don’t let your child be trained by television programs. Media may not share your moral preferences. Be diligent and know what your child is watching. When he is older, don’t allow a television in his room. Always have it out where it can be monitored.
To be aware of all the inaccurate teachings your child obtains is impossible. We can’t protect our kids all the time, no matter how hard we try. Christian parents can pray that God will put a guard around their child’s mind and heart. Place your child in His hand for safe keeping. Then with God’s help, do your part to teach your son or daughter good values. You may never have to be told that your son said to another student, “I’m going to kill you.”
Florence Simmons is an author of Kid Help, Parents Taking Control, and hosts the website www.common-sensewisdom.com.Contact her at: write4hym@hotmail.com.
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