In short, your kids are being used -- and you don’t have to take it. It is possible to have an active role in your children’s lives and to establish yourself as their preferred source for information and approval.
Maybe your daily battle is with the Internet. A lot of parents are tempted to lay down their swords when it comes to computers, because they feel intimidated by the technology. How can you win against an enemy you don’t understand? But you can fight back. Here’s an easy way to start: Don’t allow your child to have a computer in his room. Placing the computer in a central location in the house not only reduces the likelihood of your child seeking out inappropriate Web content, like porn or chat rooms, it also creates the opportunity for you to share a teaching moment should he accidentally stumble into the quicksand of porn while doing his homework.
Or maybe your biggest struggle isn’t with your kids at all, but with other parents. Peer pressure isn’t just something we have to teach our kids to overcome -- it affects parents, too. That’s why, in Home Invasion, I entreat readers not to let themselves be discouraged when they’re accused of “overprotective parenting.” Is it worth sacrificing your kids to win their approval?
The rotten pop culture doesn’t have to devour our families -- but it’s up to you to set the example. We need to be the ones showing our children that sex was meant to be saved for marriage, that violence doesn’t have to flash across our TV screens at every waking moment, and that personal integrity and the “Golden Rule” are not long-lost virtues of old.
Yes, we parents need to lead the way, but we don’t have to do it alone. Share what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to ensuring that your families make time for dinners together. How do you manage to wrangle those iPod buds from your child’s ears long enough for her to tell you about her day? How do you show your kids that God values them, and what are the signs that they understand that?
Parents, so often we are each other’s best resources. I'm looking forward to your stories and to sharing them with others. Together, we can win -- but our children will be the real victors.