Setting Kids straight

godslanguage · Post by **godslanguage** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:42 pm

How do you set kids straight these days. I mean, I have the impression that kids these days are becoming brainwashed by all the media (ie: tv, friends etc...). I have two nephues and one of the older ones has completely lost it. Whatever his friends find cool, he must follow, maybe even down the cliff....and thats what I'm afraid of. He doesn't have a dad to set him straight, give him the discipline, but I don't even think that would help.

Kids these days don't appreciate what they have in life, they usually want more and more. Friends in school and outside of school I feel are the secondary cause of this, the primary cause would be the influence the media has on them. I am a little worried and amazed at how kids are turning out these days. Once you stop enforcing rules and let them have it they're way, they will turn out to what media imposes on they're thoughts.

How do you keep kids in line these days, especially when they have a mom who seems to only worsen the situation by not enforcing any strict rules and even supporting (out of the goodness of her heart) the situation.

When I say media, I mean, MTV, cartoons etc... and friends as well who have differant beliefs (non-christian). For example: a friend who is buddhist came to visit on sunday, she doesn't go to church. My nephue asked why he should go to church since she doesn't. Now you get the idea--> your not cool if you go to church is what the message in the end will be.

This ofcourse, doesn't apply to religious beliefs, this also applies to everything in they're life. But it seems the friends and especially the media will impact kids the most, they're thoughts, they're beliefs. How do you handle the situation as christians?

I mean, taking the belt is not a popular choice as it used to be, since this isn 't even legal in some places as a disciplinary act. And on top of that, how do you know if the message will get in they're head. Next thing you know, they're doing drugs or commiting crime.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 2:47 pm

How very interesting... I was just thinking about this today.. It seems that the younger generations are becoming more and more influenced by the media and all this hip-hop gangster garbage they see on the tv..

This might sound a little nasty but it seems that the next generation out does the next one it line. Some kids these days are much more demanding and are very prideful. In the workplace it is very evident. They think that they can walk on water and everyone should bow to them and give them respect. Never could the word "humility" enter their minds. It is a foreign word to them... It's even funnier when they think they know it all.. Like God is going to reward them for their abundance of knowledge or word salads... We'll see how much they really love God when their toys get taken away from them... Ok, I'm going off the deep end here. I'm sorry but this is frustrating for me too.

Unfortunately, I think you are right. My brothers and sisters kids are much the same, (except one). I think it gets back to all this junk they watch on TV with no adult supervision.. On top of that the worship of God is not a cool thing to do.. To be cool it you have to wear a lot of tattoos and ear piercing to get noticed. Like a walking billboard or something looking for affection.. A cool rebel type flipping people off.. Against the norm.. Wow..

I also think schools and adults have taught their children that the church is corrupt or that Christian morals do not belong on this earth. Now I don't blame the two for everything, but sometimes parents are just too scared to voice their authority. Like they don't want to hurt their feelings or something.

My sister is also raising her kid alone. He has no father figure and is very rebellious. In a way she has to play two parents and sometimes she doesn't have the time because she is the bread winner for the family. This can be hard, but someone has to take the higher ground here somewhere..

The problem is once these kids become adults, they think the whole world owes them something.. And when they don't get their way, watch out because their tantrums become very violent. I won't mention any schools here.. I mostly blame the parent(s) for this.. They need to pay more attention to their kids and bring them up in the discipline and power of Christ instead of the power rangers...

godslanguage · Post by **godslanguage** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 6:25 pm

Hey Gman, thanks for the reply.

Im questioning whether this is even a problem in secular society these days. I mean, us being christians, we know what God demands of us and how we should feel about certain issues, obviously the case is not the same for others in society. It looks as though its just a matter of process of which you go through growing up. Younger people easily get manipulated into certains things while later on in life at a certain point realize how dumb some of things they did were. Basically, everyone goes through this process, but never in history has society have been so influential. The problem ofcourse is money as well, the media which is a business machine will do anything to get they're hands on it. So they aim at the younger, more dumber people who don't know what to think yet.
What I don't get is how can we as Christians say something is wrong when the rest of society waves they're hand as though its okay to do. The other problem is that so called "Christians" don't even know why they are Christian, and that is the fault of the parents.

Ofcourse there are sources for kids to turn too, Christian music, Sunday school, reading the Bible etc.. Christian music is amazing by the way, but kids feel its not cool to listen too. I'm not saying to be flanders here, but atleast the kids can decided where they're roots as Christians are coming from.

I just don't know the answer. The only way would be to enforce discipline upon the kids, that means security from looking, reading, watching things, being with friends they're not supposed be etc... I just see no other way,
but then that would be another problem because that might require taking out the belt once in a while and that would be causing physical harm (very light by the way) to a kid which is illegal. In worst case scenario, you might even have the kid taken away from the parents.

How can Christianity itself survive this? That would be the next question to think about since its just gonna get worse and worse.

Birdie · Post by **Birdie** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 7:44 pm

Gman wrote: Some kids these days are much more demanding and are very prideful.

What's wrong with pride…

If kids had pride they wouldn't be following everyone else and become influenced as easily.

On top of that the worship of God is not a cool thing to do

The majority of people are Christians. Where I'm at pretty much everyone is. Being anything but Christian is un-cool, but still it's as if is cool to believe in God, but not really get into it, it's cool to go to church but not be knowledgeable about the Bible. Hard to explain but yea.

The other problem is that so called "Christians" don't even know why they are Christian, and that is the fault of the parents.

Yep, maybe their parents don't know why THIER Christians?

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:13 pm

Birdie wrote:What's wrong with pride… If kids had pride they wouldn't be following everyone else and become influenced as easily.

Hi Birdie.. I'm talking about the bad pride not the good pride in people. This type of pride is most often elaborated as arrogance, haughtiness, being rude, conceited, pomp, presumptuous, or a boasting type of attitude. I think everyone gets exposed to it at least sometime in their life..

Oops, wait a minute.. We all have it in us.. Just look within and you will find it..

The majority of people are Christians. Where I'm at pretty much everyone is. Being anything but Christian is un-cool, but still it's as if is cool to believe in God, but not really get into it, it's cool to go to church but not be knowledgeable about the Bible. Hard to explain but yea.

Not where I'm from... Also, if we are talking about public schools, teaching religion is not allowed. Therefore it would be un-cool or against the law to teach it...

puritan lad · Post by **puritan lad** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:39 am

Boy could I say a ton here.

The problem isn't "public schools", "evolution" etc. (at least not directly).

The problem is our families and churches. Our families are all messed up, and are churches have become "seeker-sensitive, doctrinally neutral" sideshows of entertainment, pop-psychology and mushy sentimentalism. Preaching the whole council of God is a lost art, as we seek to grow the church through feel-good sermons on self-improvement. (Preaching on Hell or God's Law is viewed as heretical today). We're even telling our kids in youth group that the best Christians are "radical, not given to intellect". Then we are surprised when 70% of our "christian" young people lose their faith within the first year of going to college. It can be traced back to what Gene Edward Veith refers to as "Stupid Church Tricks". Good Article...

This is one reason that I, as a former youth pastor, am no longer a big fan of Youth Ministry in churches. I'm not philosophically opposed to it. I've just never seen a good one.

I'm sure that there is more to come on this...

God Bless,

PL

Angel Cake · Post by **Angel Cake** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:25 am

The problem isn't "public schools", "evolution" etc. (at least not directly).

The problem is our families and churches. Our families are all messed up, and are churches have become "seeker-sensitive, doctrinally neutral" sideshows of entertainment, pop-psychology and mushy sentimentalism.

I could not agree with you more. Before becoming a college professor, I taught at two different CHRISTIAN schools. The kids had absolutely no respect for authority. They were no different from the public school kids I taught.

Birdie · Post by **Birdie** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:14 pm

Angel Cake wrote:
The problem isn't "public schools", "evolution" etc. (at least not directly).

The problem is our families and churches. Our families are all messed up, and are churches have become "seeker-sensitive, doctrinally neutral" sideshows of entertainment, pop-psychology and mushy sentimentalism.
I could not agree with you more. Before becoming a college professor, I taught at two different CHRISTIAN schools. The kids had absolutely no respect for authority. They were no different from the public school kids I taught.

I have been to both public and private schools. I think the private school kids behave better towards the teachers than the public school kids, probably not because they're Christians, but because a parent is actually paying for their schooling and the parents won't put up with failing grades or detentions when it's costing them money.

Also, if we are talking about public schools, teaching religion is not allowed. Therefore it would be un-cool or against the law to teach it...

When did kids start thinking that things against the law are un-cool?

Angel Cake · Post by **Angel Cake** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:23 pm

I have been to both public and private schools. I think the private school kids behave better towards the teachers than the public school kids, probably not because they're Christians, but because a parent is actually paying for their schooling and the parents won't put up with failing grades or detentions when it's costing them money.

That wasn't the case where I taught. Here are just two examples:

1. The only time I have ever had a kid use the F-word to me was at a Christian school.

2. At the first school, three students put a bomb in the principal's mail box. He wasn't hurt badly, but he could have been. Did the media find out about it? No. Oh, and by the way, a PARENT helped the kids in their "caper" by driving the getaway car.

Just to make sure that there are no misunderstandings about the locale of the two schools where I taught, they were both in rural NC, not a big city.

puritan lad · Post by **puritan lad** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:41 pm

Also,

Keep in mind that, when a kid gets booted out of public school for certain behavior problems, guess where he is most likely to end up...

Angel Cake · Post by **Angel Cake** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm

Also,

Keep in mind that, when a kid gets booted out of public school for certain behavior problems, guess where he is most likely to end up...

Exactly!! Several of the kids I taught were kicked out of more than one public school.

Birdie · Post by **Birdie** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 7:30 pm

puritan lad wrote:Also,

Keep in mind that, when a kid gets booted out of public school for certain behavior problems, guess where he is most likely to end up...

Well I was in the elementary school year when I attended. Not sure if the high school ones would be different if that was what you were teaching. What religon (like Baptist or Catholic) was the private school you taught at? Not that I'm suggesting that it would have anthing to do with the behavior of the kids, but isn't Catholic schools usally the cheapest private schools?

Angel Cake · Post by **Angel Cake** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:27 pm

Sorry to throw a wrench in your theory about the problems I encountered, but both schools were Baptist schools.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:13 pm

Birdie wrote:Well I was in the elementary school year when I attended. Not sure if the high school ones would be different if that was what you were teaching. What religon (like Baptist or Catholic) was the private school you taught at? Not that I'm suggesting that it would have anthing to do with the behavior of the kids, but isn't Catholic schools usally the cheapest private schools?

If you are Catholic it's practically free. If you are non-Catholic you must pay a tuition. I think the Catholic schools are the best when it comes to education. It sure beats the pants off the public system.

Birdie · Post by **Birdie** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:43 pm

Angel Cake wrote:Sorry to throw a wrench in your theory about the problems I encountered, but both schools were Baptist schools.

The private school I went to was a Baptist school too. I think there was one kid that was there because of being expelled, the rest (except me) have been gonig to that school thier whole lives. In fact I think I was the worst kid there.

At least I wasn't putting bombs in peoples mail boxes.

If you are Catholic it's practically free. If you are non-Catholic you must pay a tuition. I think the Catholic schools are the best when it comes to education. It sure beats the pants off the public system.

My mom wanted us to become Catholic because of all this, and she liked all the rules. But my dad didn't want to have to take the classes. Besides the teachers disliking me in my private school, I liked the education, wouldn't have mind being Catholic if I was able to go to a better school, even with uniforms.