Explain to your child the consequences of drugs and alcohol and apply these to their daily life. How would being high affect extra-curricular activities or academic performance? Will drug and alcohol use stop the pursuit of personal goals?
It becomes so easy for us to rest in our piety… assuming that we are right. We may flail about with our our voices shrieking like nails on a chalkboard, but it won’t make a difference in the end if we are right. For not only are our voices silently echoing back at us, but more often than not, others (the people of this world) are quietly ignoring us (the people of the Church). The question for us as Christian parents is this: How, then, should we live?
The essence of the American dream is that if you work hard enough, move fast enough and dream big enough you will achieve your goals. “Pursue your dreams and follow your heart,” is the message we have been seduced with, cajoled to reach for, and coaxed to live by from birth – into adulthood – and to death. Inherent to this statement is the assumption that pursuing our dreams and following our hearts produces happiness, peace of mind, success and more. Herein lies the paradoxical problem of living by this principle.
Concerned about protecting your child’s innocence? How can parents protect their children from violent images, sexual content and inappropriate content before they are ready for it? More than ever before, parents must be proactive and be aware of what their children view and listen to. When it comes to selecting age-appropriate movies, I recommend Kids-in-mind.com.
Will your child be able to return home when she comes to her senses? Will your love for your child overcome your disappointment, your need to judge and your desire to control him or her? Or will you hold on to your pain or hold their mistakes over them? The parable of the prodigal son is clear: God, the Father, does not hold it against us. What then, does this say for us as parents?