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?