We're Raising PG-13 Kids

We are not super parents. We don’t assign our kids extra reading or homework to help them succeed in school. I’m usually on the couch holding the remote yelling, “Hurry with your homework so we can watch a show!” We don’t even have cable anymore; we stream everything via Netflix yet we haven't skipped a beat. We probably watch more TV now that we are not plagued with pesky commercials. Our family likes action packed movies and shows and we like to watch them together. We often find ourselves looking for super hero or spy movies. We call it quality time.

As for TV we enjoy watching others throw themselves through insane obstacle courses that most certainly will end in death or dismemberment. But they never do! We cheer for our favorite new TV friends all the way to the end. And by cheering what I really mean is yelling at the TV and screaming loudly. We also enjoy getting completely grossed out while others subject themselves to eating stink beetles and drinking hot sauce. We love a good Fear Factor. That show brings groans and chuckles and usually ends with one of us screaming at our new TV friends, “NO! Don’t do it!!” While the others chant, “Do it! Do it! Do it!”

We know we allow our kids to view movies and shows others may be appalled by but the conversations we’ve shared are worth it. I do prefer the lighter talks that accompany super hero and disaster movies. Those are usually summed up with, “What you see in this movie is not for real.” Occasionally we’ll have to add, “We do NOT use that language when we express ourselves, we are far more clever with our smack talk.”

Then there was Glee season 1. There were all sorts of situations that required discussion. And discuss we did. The inquiry began and the ability of Ozzie and me to both be involved in answering the questions would likely not have happened if we sat in a formal family meeting around the table holding our bibles reading Song of Solomon. We were able to be honest with our girls about the reality of so many topics in our world today. Then we stopped watching the show because in season two they mocked God. We really didn’t want our TV to be struck by lightning, then what would we do for entertainment?

Advent at Our House

As Christmas approaches we start to fill our calendars at an amazing rate. Weekends have long been booked up and we’re starting to spill into mid-week merriment. That’s ok; we love this time of year. The hustle and bustle doesn’t bother me because our family makes it a point not to lose focus over what we are celebrating and why we honor Christmas day. We still have presents, a Christmas tree and Santa to look forward to but we also have the ‘why’.

When Grace was 5 she asked me if Santa was real. In a panic and without hesitation I replied, “YES! I believe in Santa.” Then she told me her friend Mia shared with her that it was YOUR parents do all that. They are the ones who put the presents under your tree. Grace was so relieved that I assured her there was a Santa. She even tried to explain to Mia that there was NO WAY her parents could do ALL THAT to ALL THE KIDS in ALL THE WORLD in one night, as amazing as her parents are. Santa lives on in our house. Not sure how much longer but I’m going to enjoy it while I can!

 Last week, Faith told that there is a boy in her class who has an elf living at his house. The elf relays messages to Santa for the family. He also brings back messages from Santa all month long! She wants to go to this boy’s house. Clever family fun is going on in that home. I wish I would have heard about elves coming out after Thanksgiving and leaving sweet messages around when my kids were smaller. That sounds like it could be fun.

What we do is an Advent Devotion for the whole family. It’s called the Jesse Tree. I love it and it focuses our entire month around the anticipation of Christ’s birth. This is a link to the site I use for our nightly readings https://www.rca.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1628. We start on Dec 1 and do one every night. The girls will take turns reading the story and scriptures out loud then we talk about what they’ve read. At the end of the devotion they get to hang an ornament that represents that day’s story. For you crafty people out there, some sites have patterns you can create your own ornaments from. For people like me, I find myself rummaging through all our possessions for something close to the story that I can tie a string around and call it an ornament. We have really weird things hanging off our tree. To top off the night, somehow the girls have linked this tradition with the Starbucks Advent Calendar that we fill with chocolate kisses. It was given to me the same year we began the Jesse Tree devotions so they think it’s all one big thing to do together. I’m not complaining, after all who doesn’t like a kiss before bed?