It was the last morning of 2012. With steaming coffee at my side, I turned on my computer to open Bible Gateway to look up the verses for my Jesus Calling devotion.
A headline on my home page caught my attention.
It went something like this “Eccentric Reality Star Pregnant with Equally Eccentric Rap Star’s Baby”
I got caught up in the ridiculousness and clicked on the article.
The happy couple is excited to announce they are starting a family. Not to be left out of the spotlight, her family chimed in on Twitter sharing in the excitement. The couple has been dating since March. She is 12 weeks pregnant and is still technically married to an NBA player whom she was married to for 72 days before they separated.
I can see it now, teenage girls talking about the happy couple over their cafeteria trays. “She’s so pretty!” or “what a sweet couple!” And how about the guy’s locker room conversations? Let’s not go there.
Maybe she is pretty and maybe they do make a cute couple, and I’m sure their baby will be adorable. But that’s not the point, and neither is this particular Hollywood couple.
The point? The media is saturated with headlines just like this one and they are being spoon fed to our children at every corner. As a result, our kids are becoming desensitized, headline after headline.
How are our kids supposed to know which path to take when celebrities are unashamedly and so publicly making a spectacle of themselves?
That’s where we, their parents come in. We need to make sure our kids know the Truth so they can spot a lie. (> click to tweet)
How?
It’s easy. Talk to them. If we don’t talk about and model God’s plan for their lives they’ll take their queues from somewhere else. We can’t afford to assume our kids know right from wrong.
Are You Giving Your Kids Mixed Signals?
It was a classic parenting moment. My kids wanted to watch a certain movie and I wasn’t budging. “But you’ve let us watch it before” they complained. Busted. “Yes. And I have since decided letting you watch it in the first place was a mistake.” It’s never too late to make the right decision. Letting your kids know that you’re still learning how to be the best parent possible for them is perfectly acceptable.
What about the magazines, books, movies and music around the house? Does what you watch, listen to or read line up with the behavior and values you want your kids to learn from and model? If you watch, listen to or read it, you’re endorsing it.
Take Away: We can have the last word with our kids. It’s all about being intentional, honest and humble.
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