Friday, November 7, 2008

What am I teaching my children?

Last night I went to a teacher training meeting held by my church. In my church I am part of a presidency that is in charge of teaching the children. Our president thought that it would be a good idea for the three of us and all of the teachers to attend this meeting so that we can learn how to be better teachers for the children in our care. Well, besides us, only one other teacher showed up and so the president was disappointed, but I still believe that it was a very interesting night.
There were lots of different teaching methods shown in the class and lots of great information given. However, the one thing that I really took home with me was the question that I kept on asking myself the whole night. . . What am I teaching MY own children and am I teaching them enough?
I have 5 beautiful living children who are living in such an ugly time. I just get a sick feeling inside whenever I think about what my children are exposed to and what they will be exposed to. I want my children to be able to grow up with a sense of worth and a sense of well being and I just don't think that I am doing enough to give them this. I know that it is now time to sit my oldest two girls down and talk about the facts of life. They are in second and third grade, but I am scared that if I wait too long that someone else will do it first and I believe that I need to teach them about the morals and standards that come along with the knowledge about sex.
I know that my girlies are going to learn about all of the socially acceptable views on sex in school and I want to be able to teach them what WE believe the standards are when it comes to this. I don't want my children to grow up thinking that sleeping around is okay and I don't want my children to think that just because we believe that others have the right to make their own choices that those choices are necessarily the right ones. They need to learn at a young age that just because society says that it is alright that it isn't. I know that my children are being taught about all sorts of things that I don't agree with and I just wish that I had more time until I had to protect my children.
I have been waging a silent battle in my mind for quite a while about this. I have heard and seen children accepting the lack of morals and values for too long. I need to teach my children who they are and where they come from and where they are going. I need to arm them now with the tools that they will need when the time does come that they will be taught something in school that is contrary to what we believe. I need to arm them with the knowledge that just because an adult says that it is true, it may not be true for them. I need to teach my children that the one person who will never lead them astray is the Lord and that they need to ask Him for help when they are faced with two conflicting points of view. I need to teach my children how to love the scriptures and to not just read them. This was not something that I was taught as a child. I was taught that we needed to read the scriptures and I remember being constantly challenged to read the Book of Mormon. However, I was never taught how to STUDY the scriptures and I believe that that knowledge is a great tool in the defence against all of the crap that is thrown at us every day.
I need to teach my children NOW. I feel a sudden urgency. I don't know why I feel it, but I do and I know that it will not be easy and it is going to get uncomfortable for a little bit, but how can I stand before God when I die and tell him that I did my best as a parent when I didn't do everything in my power to protect my children in these days??? These are my children and my family and I need to do whatever I can to protect and help them.

2 comments:

Ashley Dawn said...

I hear you!! I get so panicky and sick feeling whenever I think of my sweet little kids being out in this crazy filthy and horrid world. My sister and I were talking about this the other day with Proposition 8 in California and everything. It makes me break down and cry when I think about the things my kids will have to face. Thank heaven for the gospel in their lives. I agree though, now is always a great time to give them all the armour that they will need. Especially when they're out in the world already. Good luck and please pass on some tips of what works for when I have to do this in the next year or so...
PS - I heard of someone who started it with a prayer...I thought that was a great idea. Good luck!

Lahni said...

Ughh...this is why I don't want my kids to get any older.