Swimming Up Stream

Being a good parent is a big job. There is food to put on the table, clothing to provide, intellectual development to steward, character to train, safety to guard, naps to orchestrate, potty training... the list could go on.

Being a parent is a high calling. More and more, however, parents are laboring without the support of society in the moral aspect of
their job (Bringing up Boys p 202).

Consider the television. My parents grew up with limited access to TV, but the shows that were available supported traditional family values. Father knew best. Now television watching abounds and the TV parents "just don't get it." Violence and sexuality on TV rob our children of their innocence and undermine any parental moral training they've received.

So what's a counter-cultural parent to do? Certainly the growing homeschooling movement indicates that parents are seeking to shield their children from the negative aspects of our culture. Yet we can't keep our kids away from life all together. How can we be "in the world but not of it"?

I think the answer lies in being there for our kids to explain the sin they see. We cannot completely control their world. They will see greed and anger and pride even in their own home. The important part is to explain that people sometimes make wrong choices. Thankfully, that can lead to the discussion of God's grace on those of us who admit our sin and choose to accept His forgiveness and turn from our wickedness.

RESOURCES

Bringing Up Boys
Going Public

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