We're Scaring Our Kids

I got this link from a pastor at our church.  It's an op-ed piece written by Peggy Noonan about how we're scaring our kids.  What she wrote is so right.  I know people who have the t.v. going constantly in the evening.  How much can our kids take?

When our oldest was five, we also had a two year old and a newborn.  After a long day, I enjoyed sitting down and watching the 30 minute news program.  It was relaxing to me, and I didn't really think the kids were paying attention.  I don't really remember tuning in Walter Cronkite when my parents watched him, but I may have listened more than I remember, I don't know.  Anyway, our son started having nightmares and being generally worried about life in general.  My husband and I were starting to wonder what was wrong with the boy when I read an article that said that our young ones should not be exposed to the news until they are 11 or 12ish.  So I stopped watching the news, and First Son began to relax and the bad dreams went away. 

Since then, we have sheltered our kids like nobody's business.  Our kids do not watch Saturday morning cartoons, a huge majority of movies that come out that LOOK LIKE kids movies, the news, magazines, newspapers, and they are not allowed to listen to the radio.  And ya know what?  Our kids are happy.  They enjoy their days, and I'm glad that my daughter is not all wrapped up in looking like the latest American Idol contestant.  Who thinks that American Idol is family-friendly????  First Son was told by a friend in the neighborhood that he liked playing with him because unlike the 11 year olds in his public school, First Son did not act "all cool."  There is really something to be said from sheltering our children from our very worldly popular culture.  As our pastor wrote in his email, it is so important to preserve the naivete and innocence of our children.  Why should we be embarrassed that our children are labeled "innocent", "naive", or "sheltered?"  Shouldn't we be glad when our kids don't understand jokes that are off-color?

Romans 16:19 says, "For the report of your obedience has reached all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil."

These are the things from which we do not shelter our children:

1) Life doesn't end when we die.  There's more to come, and they have a choice to make about what happens after this life.  They can either spend it in Heaven with God, or in Hell apart from God forever.

2)  There are Christians in the world who die for Christ.  They are tortured, ridiculed and killed because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We regularly read our kids stories about martyrs for the faith.  We talk about it.  We pray for those who are suffering today.  You may think this is just an adult problem, but what about the children whose parents are killed?  I would guess that it is certainly an issue for them.

hsmomof2 also wrote a post about how we scare our kids with global warming info.  Her blog entry, plus the article from our pastor, really got me going.  I pray that we would all protect our kid's innocence.  They are so precious. I like what Peggy Noonan wrote:

"[Our kids] need a stable platform on which to stand. From it they will be likely to step forward into steady adulthood. Without it, they will struggle; they will be less daring in their lives because life, they know, is frightful and discouraging."