Faith in Parenting

Hey, Tuesdays at 2:00 are back!  (We took a two-week break for the holidays.)

This week, we’re going to talk about how to enter your child’s world.  On one hand, you may think “Duh, I’m there 24/7!”  But how about seeing it from your child’s point of view?

Some of the things we’ll talk about are aspects of kids culture in 2008 - things like TV programs, video games, movies, and more.  There are a whole host of things that influence our kids, and if we’re really going to connect with our kids for the long haul, and understand the secular world they’re coming up in, we have to be intentional about entering that “world” on a regular basis.

To join us for the weekly support call, just dial in at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8.  “See” you then!

Directions for Joining Us on the Weekly Support Call:

• Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2008
• Time: 2:00-2:35 PM (ET)
• Telephone Number: (218) 486-1300
• Access Code: 669379

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Blessings,

Jennifer

As parents, one of the things that we’re responsible for is the content of what goes into our kids’ brains, in terms of what they see on TV and even what they hear on the radio. This past week our family took one more step in the direction of limiting negative ideas, attitudes, and behaviors that our kids see on the TV screen. We password protected Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon!

Now, that’s not to say that our 8 and 4 year olds can never watch anything on these channels. That’s not the case. But I don’t want them to be able to just waltz into the TV room and turn on whatever they want, because - frankly - I’m not thrilled with the dismissive attitude toward parental authority that I see in some of the shows that are on these networks.

I’m not talking about anything horrendous, just a general sense of disrespect…as if parents can and should be outwitted.

What we’re doing instead is taping a few shows on our digital video recorder (DVR) and then watching them together. This way, we can talk about the content and sift through any negative attitudes.  The bonus is that not only do I have a chance to mediate what my kids are exposed to, but watching the shows together is a lot of fun!

If this is an issue that’s important to you, I invite you to listen in on a Blog Talk Radio Show for moms called Mama’s Time Out, which will air live at 2:30 Mountain Time. To participate in the call live, ask questions, and share your own war stories about trying to monitor your kids’ TV time, call in to the show tomorrow afternoon at 2:30. The number is (646) 595-4516.

In addition, if you’d like help monitoring your kids’ TV time, take advantage of my free e-course, “Reduce Your Kids’ TV Time in 30 Days.”