Raising children is a monumental task and everyone is afraid that they will make a mistake. This is particularly difficult for Christian families trying to insulate their children from much of the secular noise that goes against their core values. This is not talking about ultra-conservative Christian values, but about normal parents who take their children to church on Sundays and want them to have a good moral compass and not be corrupted by a society that seems increasingly obsessed with the love of money. and sex. Here are some tips for Christian parents to help buffer some of the outside influences.

monitor the monitors
Half the battle is knowing what your children are doing. You can’t know what they’re doing 24 hours a day, but there are certain things, like watching TV and the computer, that you can control. Television is not a babysitter and if you are using it as such, stop. You need to know what your child is watching and help him choose the programs. Many “kids” shows have a lot of violence and innuendo that are not appropriate for children. Knowing about healthy programs and networks will help minimize exposure to violence. Limit the time the TV is on so your kids don’t turn into zombies heading straight for the TV when they get home. Having a plan that the child will watch a specific program and then turn off the TV when it is over will prevent excessive television consumption. Use whatever parental filters are available so that your child doesn’t accidentally turn to any inappropriate material. This same policy applies to the use of the Internet to monitor content and time spent online. Placing computers and TVs in public areas like a living room instead of a bedroom helps a child avoid the temptation to seek out content she shouldn’t be seeing.

listening to sources
If your child says or does something that is not in line with the value you are trying to instill in them, you should try to get to the source. Many times if a child says something, it is best to tell him firmly that “we don’t talk like that in our house.” So they know that there are expectations and that they are held to a higher standard in their home. When asked where they heard a particular word or action, many young children will proudly tell you where they heard the word. Just make sure you maintain high standards as well or you could be on the receiving end of the question.

By monitoring what you can and by talking and listening to your children, you can help them avoid some of the outside influences that other children may be picking up. You will never avoid all bad influences, but by starting at a young age, your child can have a good moral compass and hopefully be able to avoid bigger problems later on by holding himself to the high standards that were instilled in him growing up.