Damage Control

I don't know about you, but I feel like I am being hit with a lot of things lately trying to keep my precious, innocent children ... precious. And innocent. I realize that we live in a fallen world. I don't want my children so sheltered that they aren't any good to society. But, I'd like to keep their innocence sacred, valued, and keep them children for a little longer.

Things start moving so fast about now. I am friends with parents who have 5th grade students - they are having sex ed. I have a neighbor who taught A.C. how to 'lay down and kiss' with her Barbies (another post, for another time). We have movies with "S_E_X" in the title -- and when my kids ask me what movie I went to ... I change that to "Girls". [alright, alright, I brought that one on myself - I KNOW! I KNOW!] I have 13 year old boys at my pool using the "F" word in front of my children.

So, I've lost it. I am becoming a mom who has to be on guard. Some people may start to look at me strange, but I've started to not really care. Maybe it's my age ... but, I would rather think it is for our kids.

I'm thankful that the school T attends doesn't do s_e_x ed until 7th grade. I don't really want him knowing TOO much before that. If he needs to know something, he can ask me. And, Tommy will tell him things when he sees him becoming curious. I am SO thankful that he will get a biblical view of this from us .. and God willing, his school. I feel sorry for peopel who are having to tell their kids so early b/c they are talking about it ... and I'm fearful of that time. I want T to stay innocent - even though, I know the time is coming. I'm becoming more and more fervent in prayer about this - it is truly worrisome.

I have some visitors/neighbors to our house that I do not let my children be unattended with. Yes, it may be a little over the top .. but, I don't really want my 4 year old playing Barbies without clothes (the barbies) and laying down pretending to kiss. I'm sorry .. but she is FOUR YEARS OLD. And, just b/c a 7 year old knows about that - doesn't mean that my 4 year old has to hear about that.

If the teeny boppers at my pool are using foul language - I call them out on it. I'm sorry, but I don't want my kids hearing those words unnecessarily. I slip up every now and then .. yes. But for them to hear the "F" word just casually spoken .. NO ... I won't stand for it. Have some respect. (since I originally wrote this post - my hubby had an altercation at the tennis courts with some disrespectful teens ... YOU GO TOMMY!!)

I think the whole issue is that kids this day just don't respect authority. If an adult spoke to me at the pool - I listened. If they called me out on something - I told my mom when I got home b/c I felt so guilty. Kids these days are not 'fearful' of adults because they see their parents as 'their friends'. Parents don't take the teacher's side anymore ... they fight for the kids even when the teacher is probably right. Kids don't respect rules - they push them. Kids don't fear adults - they disrespect them. Kids don't obey parents - they are best friends with them.

Lord help us! We have a hard road ahead. This is NOT the world we grew up in. I live in a neighborhood, thankfully, where I can let my child ride his bike to the pool - and know that there are parents there that know him, and that will tell him not to do something that he doesn't need to be doing. I know they will TELL me if something is arry -- and that is because T knows that people know him, they know US, they know what we stand for.

I gathered up my little chicks in the pool on Friday and had a talk with them about how to respect a mom. I had a perfect example of a neighbor (who I don't know very well) - and her daughter being disrepectful. I was able to show an example ... and that is why we have to be vigilant, be on guard, be ready to teach, ready to protect, ready to POUNCE if needed.

So there ... is this another anger issue?