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Not in the sand because we don't want it washed away.
When we were much younger parents we were so careful about what we allowed our kids to watch and playing online wasn't much of an option.
However, years of dealing with trauma after trauma can wear a body down. It gets easy to just try and keep the peace at the expense of your standards. But it hasn't been the peace that Christ speaks of. It's been the peace of laying down and giving up.
We know it will be a fight.
We'd like them to put violence away from them as an answer to taking care of the world.
We want them to grow up knowing that s*x was meant for a husband and wife - after the vows are said, that it isn't cheap.
Ironic isn't it that we have to fight for peace? That's what my wise young daughter said.
The fighting started last night.
Four of the six embraced the new regime with only a little pouting. Two of our kids have overly fond attachments to their screens. One of them has embraced violence with his whole-heart and to him this means we've taken everything away from him, there is nothing left in life. His life story didn't begin the same way as the others so we knew it would be a tough thing for him. Violence and dis-engaging are his way of coping.
I have to admit that there have been days when the fight to hang on to grace, to stay at rest in the middle of the storm has been lost. There have been days when we've just wanted to abdicate all authority and hide in the corner.
There have been many desperate days.
There will be many more.
We all have to learn this grace-full discipline to extend our lives into the world on this side of the screen, mom and dad included. We need to remember what to do when we're all together. We need to remember how to imagine and dream and play. We want to encourage creativity and building and life-giving pursuits.
We love those on the other side of the screen and we will continue to participate in the ministries that have developed because of our online life. But the beast has to go into it's proper place.
We will not let it have control of us.
It will become our servant.
We will win...
or die trying!
3 comments:
Fight on mom! I am so proud of you for this decision. We also made a decision similar to this in January and we have seen significant results. Stay strong. You guys are amazing!!!
The #1 thing of parenting that leaves me the most stressed and frustrated is dealing with the kids and their electronics and media time. It is so hard to stay on top of because yes they do wear us down so. You are doing a great thing here momma, you can do this!
We habe gone through cycles over the years. NO TV! Some TV...guilt TV...survival TV. of course you can add computer, Dsi, x-box in place of "TV".
I used to guilt over it way more. My boys at home are older now and so their gaming is a way they connect with their friends...especially in the winter. Not to mention it is a common ground for them to connect with new kids at Scouts and stuff.
As a home schooling family, I am interacting with my kids all day long...some days it seems like there are about a thousand hours in the day 0_0.
Since I realized the amount of time I actually spend talking with my boys at home, I have been able to let go of my anti-tech mentality because by comparison they do spend so much time with me and the Dad.
THAT being said....I STILL think we spend too much time wasting away the evening hours and I SO miss the days when we would sit about the living room and I would read aloud some fantastic book we discovered at the library....or through the Sonlight catalog!
GOOD for you sticking to what you KNOW is best for your fam! YOU can do it!!! <3
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