Have you ever heard words coming out of your mouth that didn’t sound like you? Most likely, you had been around someone who constantly used the same phrase or maybe they used curse words in every sentence. One day those words start coming out of your mouth.
That is often how ungodly speech patterns begin. Either we are constantly around someone who has them or we just get lazy about monitoring our speech.
Your kids may also pick up bad habits from ignorance – repeating friends, not realizing what they are actually saying. Or maybe they look up to someone famous or listen to the music of someone who degrades others with their speech.
One of the saddest things to watch is a parent trying to force one of their kids to have a career or participate in an activity for which it is obvious their child has no gift or interest. The dynamic not only makes the child miserable, but puts an unnecessary strain on their relationship. If pushed too long and too far, the strain can often cause irreparable damage, as either the child rebels in the opposite direction or submits to a lifetime of what they believe is pure misery.
If you aren’t actively overseeing which movies, shows, books and games your kids use for entertainment, you are possibly allowing them to be swayed by those who want them to believe ideas that run contrary to God’s commands and principles.
What’s the last movie you took your children to see? What are your kids’ favorite shows or games? What books do your kids read for pleasure? It would seem like entertainment marketed to their age group would be appropriate for your kids. Or if it is a “hit” all of your kids friends have seen, then surely it must be fine. Right? Not so much.