We were watching a preview about the movie, S.W.A.T., and how the original weekly drama was cancelled because it showed a lot of gun shooting–which many in the industry felt was “too violent.” If you grew up in the 70’s you would realize that the original S.W.A.T. wasn’t violent, but rather consisted of the daily dealings of real S.W.A.T. officers and while there was gun shooting, there was no blood and guts. In fact, in just about every show they tried to handle the situation without bringing in the “BIG GUNS.”
Honestly, we can’t shelter our children from everything in life. If we did, they would go into the world and face its ugliness naively and could ultimately find themselves in situations they didn’t need to be in. Instead, we should use some of the ugliness portrayed in films as a way to break the ice and speak to our children on topics we might not otherwise have found a way to talk about.
For instance, just last week we were watching the show, “Without A Trace.” This week’s issue dealt with bullies and a child who tried to hang himself because of the torment he kept locked inside. It was a very serious show and one that left my entire family in tears. When the show ended, my husband and I hugged our kids tightly. Thanked God that they feel they can open up to us whenever they are put in an awkward or harmful situation (see
School Bullies), and then sat down to discuss why bullying is wrong, what to do when they see someone being bullied, reinforce what they can do if they are ever bullied or feel threatened, and confirm how wonderful they are as human beings and children of God.
Do I suggest we allow our children to watch inappropriate shows just to educate them? Absolutely not! But if we find ourselves in the middle of a show that we felt was “age appropriate” only to be shocked by some of the scenes, we should use that time to talk to our kids about our beliefs and how they can handle things if they ever find themselves in that kind of situation. If we do this, we’ll not only have stronger children, but we’ll have built bonds that last a lifetime.
About the Author
Alyice Edrich is the author of Build Upon A Firm Foundation: Financial Help With A Biblical Twist, and the editor of a national publication for BUSY parents. Subscribe to her free e-newsletter at http://thedabblingmum.com/joinezine.htm to win a free book!