Raising children is no easy task.

1. 90

   aDayInMyLife1posted 11 years ago

   Raising children is no easy task.
   
   Do you think it is better to shelter your children from the profanity, sex, drugs, and violence in the world or to allow them knowledge of such things but have open conversations about right and wrong and what is appropriate and acceptable.

   replyreport
2. 61

   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   I'd love to shelter them but I don't think it is possible. If they are going to live in the world and not in isolation, they will be exposed.  I always had open dialogue with my kids.  We talked about appropriate behavior, had a giggle or two over some behaviors we witnessed.  We did the same thing with watching TV, we always used it as a teaching moment (gently of course - no one wants to be beat over the head with it.)

   replyreport
3. 80

   Becky Katzposted 11 years ago

   I want my children to know and understand why these things are wrong. I won't shelter them and the dinner table is where we have many of these conversations. When we are all done eating, we clear, sit down and talk. I always made my children eat at the table, as a family. They are carryiing on with their children.

   replyreport
4. 94

   MsDoraposted 11 years ago

   Even if you try, you cannot shelter the children completely or forever.  So they will gain knowledge of these evils one way or another.  Your responsibility as a parent is to (1) teach in conversation and by example what you want them to know; (2) commend them when they perform admirably (3) discuss situations in the media, neighborhood etc. which are contrary to what you teach.  Do not neglect these teaching moments.  Just showing that you care about what they do, is an antidote to bad behavior.

   replyreport
5. 60

   cakeinthemornposted 11 years ago

   This very topic is one of the reasons why we homeschool our children.  We are not aiming to shield them or shelter them forever, but we want them to learn the information for the first time properly from their parents, not second hand from another child at school.  My kids still are highly involved in community activities, so they are still exposed to a lot of what is out there, but our goal is to raise them with the tools they need to deal with these mature topics so that when they are older and mature enough to really grasp the seriousness of the topics, they can maturely and properly handle themselves and the situation.
   
   The way I see it, would you send your child to the lion's den unarmed, or would you train your child and give him the armor and tools he needs to defend himself?

   replyreport
6. 64

   wetbaknproudposted 11 years ago

   I think it's a matter of timing each child is different and each child should be given knowledge he is able to comprehend and that is the trick to parenting.

   replyreport