On
Moms
Emphasis
On
Moms
You are a Mom~ You are a
Wife~ You are a Lady~Don't run from who you are ~ embrace it!
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Stolen Childhood ~ By Dionna Sanchez
Our children are growing up too fast. We comment on it often - how quickly time flies by and how just yesterday they looked like a toddler, and yet somehow today they are asking for the car keys. But our children are also growing up quickly in other ways as well. We don't have any control over the days that tick by as they progress in age. But we do have control over how much they mature emotionally within each year of their life at home. Children are the new-targeted audience for advertisers and marketers. They are targeting (and successfully winning) our children over. I remember when I was a little girl how much I enjoyed playing with Barbie and paper dolls. Today, our little girls have "Bratz" to play with. The name itself (in my opinion,) lends itself to lead young girls into thinking it's cool to be a little rebellious. And just as the dolls are dressed in outfits that are indecent for young girls to be wearing, so also, do our malls and stores carry them! I know that for me, it is very difficult to find my daughter pants that do not show her backside when she bends over. With the shrinking length of some of the shirts - this becomes an increasing problem. Yet our girls see these cute and trendy fashions - and don't understand why they can't wear them. They don't really comprehend the inappropriate signals that they are sending boys (or men!) Children are more advanced than we were technologically, as well. But don't mistake technical advancements and smarts to mean that your child is mature!! They may know a lot about computer games but still needing blankie at bedtime! Schools are requiring children to use the Internet more and more for projects, reports, and research. It's a great tool that most of us didn't have the privilege of having when we were young. But it also brings so many dangers with it. Children researching a favorite singer or actor could suddenly find themselves staring at pornographic pictures. Or they could inadvertently give information away without realizing the harm in it. For our teens - the harms are even more prevalent as they chat on AOL, MSN, or Yahoo messenger and My Space is practically a social requirement in keeping in touch with friends! Now let me pause for a minute here... None of these things in and of themselves is harmful - as long as you are aware of what is going on and talk to your children about it. My Space has gotten a lot of bad press - and with good reason. There are racy advertisements that span the site, inappropriate pictures, music, and videos - and disturbing talk by teens. But just as with anything else... it CAN be used for good. Pastors and youth leaders have opened up accounts to be available for youth; moms are starting to go online with their kids; and still other kids keep their accounts private and just converse with friends that have been approved by their parents. It is up to every parent to be informed about these online hangouts and make their own decisions regarding them. Our children may be savvy about trends and electronics, but they are still emotionally young inside. They are being inundated with mature content and themes too young and too early. It's up to us as parents to filter fashion, games, toys, and computer access in our homes. It's the only way to protect our children. They may fight us on it - but if you can sit down and talk with them and explain to them that you are doing it because you love them and want to protect their eyes and bodies, I bet they will soften towards the issue a little. And if they don't? It may not be fun - but you ARE the parent! Someday they will understand and thank you for your diligence on their behalf. We can't protect our children from everything. They are losing their childhood far quicker than we did. But you CAN be proactive in protecting them in some pretty big areas in their life. The question is... do you love them enough to follow through and do it?
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