Let kids be kids! Part 3
25/10/14 21:38
At our family holiday I learnt how one of my great-grandchildren was given a children's book, seemingly harmless and quite entertaining.
But this book had a devastating effect on her thinking. It introduced the idea of robbers, and stealing property from homes. She wanted to know could robbers enter the caravan or steal her things from under the caravan. And she asked,“do robbers steal people?”
The good news is that this little girl comes from a protected and safe family who guard her from dwelling on unhelpful or damaging thoughts.
First, how can young minds be safeguarded? Certainly by taking seriously the G-rating of TV programmes, films and videos. And do we sit with our young children to watch PG-rated material?
Second, if your child is invited to a sleepover at a friend's home, do you first check with the host parents as to what video ratings might be watched?
Third, school teachers are often alarmed to learn of M-rated programmes with violent and sexual content which primary-age children are allowed to watch. They hear so many stories of children with nightmares, many of which are provoked by TV, books, computer games, etc.
How well are we protecting our child's mind?
But this book had a devastating effect on her thinking. It introduced the idea of robbers, and stealing property from homes. She wanted to know could robbers enter the caravan or steal her things from under the caravan. And she asked,“do robbers steal people?”
The good news is that this little girl comes from a protected and safe family who guard her from dwelling on unhelpful or damaging thoughts.
First, how can young minds be safeguarded? Certainly by taking seriously the G-rating of TV programmes, films and videos. And do we sit with our young children to watch PG-rated material?
Second, if your child is invited to a sleepover at a friend's home, do you first check with the host parents as to what video ratings might be watched?
Third, school teachers are often alarmed to learn of M-rated programmes with violent and sexual content which primary-age children are allowed to watch. They hear so many stories of children with nightmares, many of which are provoked by TV, books, computer games, etc.
How well are we protecting our child's mind?
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“Whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report . . . meditate on these things.” Philippians 4.8.