Christine TX
07-06-2010, 02:04 AM
I wanted to start a new discussion that spins off of an old one in Year 4. Marcia said this,
Hey, Mary
I know EXACTLY what you mean, and we adopt that approach as much as we possibly can with Grammar students using Year 4, but here's a thought for us all in considering what to teach our maturing teens.
The evils of the world in which we live are real, and your kids are going to have to face them, sooner than you think possible. As your kids become post-pubescent (like, 14 or 15) they'll begin to move in ever-widening circles outside of your home. Within four or five years of that time, they'll be done with high school and start college, or move into the work force.
The evils of our day permeate the Internet, the TV news and newspapers, talk radio, and the conversations of virtually all adults. Though it seems REALLY REALLY hard to introduce these sullying topics to our pure and holy children, if we do not, how can we best prepare them for the deluge to come?
I am REALLY asking this question of you ladies. It's not gratuitous. I've asked it of myself, and came to the conclusion that I had to teach my kids about the evils of our society in order to prepare them to process it biblically. That said, I didn't dump it on them too fast or too soon. EACH of us HAS TO get before the Lord, who gives generously and without reproach, to find the answer to this question. And, as with all battles, the Lord may have different strategies for different ones of us. We need to share, trusting that each of us is prayerfully walking to the best of her ability before the holy God whom we all love.
I would love to hear how everyone approaches this parenting quandary of our times. :]
Blessings,
Marcia
No one can do me a greater kindness in this world than to pray for me.
--Charles Spurgeon
My oldest will graduate in 3 years and then be off in the "real" world. He is so much more naive than I was at his age and SO much more than his peers all around us. We don't have cable, he and his brother are the only teens without cell phones ( no I am not exaggerating and a lot of them have I-phones or I-touches) Technology seems like it has gotten so all consuming in this age. My oldest will be getting a phone for Christmas as I have starting seeing how it would be helpful as he is going more places by himself and will be driving in March by himself. He is a great kid and very responsible with chores and with his schoolwork. However, he has control issues and we have had some battles over the computer in the past with him over-riding parental controls and once going to sites he shouldn't have. I guess what scares me is that in 3 years, he can basically watch anything he wants on tv or look up anything he wants to on the internet. Yes, we have talked about all sorts of things regarding purity and such and the damage things can do, but still. It scares me. Preparing him academically is easy for me. Preparing to make sure they don't mess up morally... But maybe that isn't really my job. I guess it is God's to convict. ( MM..wonder where he got control issues????) Anyway, right now they don't have an appetite for all the movies their friends are seeing. They love to look at plugged in or listen to the podcast and we have lots of discussion of current events and music and such. So I guess we have lines of communication that are open as we talk about all sorts of things constantly. For isntance last night we were talking about how HOuston elected a lesbian mayor. HE brought it up. And I guess that is what worries me about the woman in Year 4 who doesn't want words like gay or lesbian brought up to a 12 or 13 year old. At that point, they have so many questions of their own. Yes, I want to keep them pure, but in just a few years they will be navigating the world on their own among people who know a lot more about those subjects. I want them to be wise biblically, so we talk a lot. No anwers here, but the future just scares me to death. I want ot make sure they choose well.
Christine
Hey, Mary
I know EXACTLY what you mean, and we adopt that approach as much as we possibly can with Grammar students using Year 4, but here's a thought for us all in considering what to teach our maturing teens.
The evils of the world in which we live are real, and your kids are going to have to face them, sooner than you think possible. As your kids become post-pubescent (like, 14 or 15) they'll begin to move in ever-widening circles outside of your home. Within four or five years of that time, they'll be done with high school and start college, or move into the work force.
The evils of our day permeate the Internet, the TV news and newspapers, talk radio, and the conversations of virtually all adults. Though it seems REALLY REALLY hard to introduce these sullying topics to our pure and holy children, if we do not, how can we best prepare them for the deluge to come?
I am REALLY asking this question of you ladies. It's not gratuitous. I've asked it of myself, and came to the conclusion that I had to teach my kids about the evils of our society in order to prepare them to process it biblically. That said, I didn't dump it on them too fast or too soon. EACH of us HAS TO get before the Lord, who gives generously and without reproach, to find the answer to this question. And, as with all battles, the Lord may have different strategies for different ones of us. We need to share, trusting that each of us is prayerfully walking to the best of her ability before the holy God whom we all love.
I would love to hear how everyone approaches this parenting quandary of our times. :]
Blessings,
Marcia
No one can do me a greater kindness in this world than to pray for me.
--Charles Spurgeon
My oldest will graduate in 3 years and then be off in the "real" world. He is so much more naive than I was at his age and SO much more than his peers all around us. We don't have cable, he and his brother are the only teens without cell phones ( no I am not exaggerating and a lot of them have I-phones or I-touches) Technology seems like it has gotten so all consuming in this age. My oldest will be getting a phone for Christmas as I have starting seeing how it would be helpful as he is going more places by himself and will be driving in March by himself. He is a great kid and very responsible with chores and with his schoolwork. However, he has control issues and we have had some battles over the computer in the past with him over-riding parental controls and once going to sites he shouldn't have. I guess what scares me is that in 3 years, he can basically watch anything he wants on tv or look up anything he wants to on the internet. Yes, we have talked about all sorts of things regarding purity and such and the damage things can do, but still. It scares me. Preparing him academically is easy for me. Preparing to make sure they don't mess up morally... But maybe that isn't really my job. I guess it is God's to convict. ( MM..wonder where he got control issues????) Anyway, right now they don't have an appetite for all the movies their friends are seeing. They love to look at plugged in or listen to the podcast and we have lots of discussion of current events and music and such. So I guess we have lines of communication that are open as we talk about all sorts of things constantly. For isntance last night we were talking about how HOuston elected a lesbian mayor. HE brought it up. And I guess that is what worries me about the woman in Year 4 who doesn't want words like gay or lesbian brought up to a 12 or 13 year old. At that point, they have so many questions of their own. Yes, I want to keep them pure, but in just a few years they will be navigating the world on their own among people who know a lot more about those subjects. I want them to be wise biblically, so we talk a lot. No anwers here, but the future just scares me to death. I want ot make sure they choose well.
Christine