high school musical...
this nifty little film has infiltrated the osborne home. lovingly given to my daughter by gramma, we have viewed 'hsm' numerous times over the last few weeks. in addtion, the soundtrack has been in constant rotation at the ranch. now, initially i was resistant to this -- i'm not a fluffy, fun, teeny-bopper movie type of guy. i like my cinema dark, twisty, and not predictable (for the most part). there are no elements like this in 'hsm'. but...i got sucked in. the songs are so darn catchy! the movie is cute (gasp), and offers up a good point about being who you are, resisting labels and roles that people/society put on you, and embracing some talents that might exist in you that appear to some as outside the box.
i bring all this up as i ponder the kind of faith i hope will live in our kids. personally, i don't want to limit my kids to just 'christian' types of entertainment. in viewing 'hsm', there are some great themes that speak to us about the kind of life God desires for us -- to embrace who we are, living like we are wired up to, etc. granted there are filters that need to happen -- but that is our job as parents, isn't it? to help our kids learn to navigate the waters of the everyday in a way that keeps Jesus as the main thing but also allows them to be people who are engaged and relevant to the world around them...
i've got lots of thoughts on this topic...how about you? what sorts of things do you allow/not allow for your kids with regards to this? what do you do to help them learn to filter, look for God, and navigate the waters?
this is a discussion that has potential to be lengthy and passionate. let's feel free to discuss, disagree, and allow for other's point of view...
reply away!
1 comment:
Well...I still think in terms of what we DON'T allow, so it's hard to flip that around. Mostly because I don't allow it so much as I tolerate it and, as you put it, navigate it.
Non-christian tv and movies are allowed, within limits. If it gets too hairy (sex and other topics beyond their maturity), we turn it off. Otherwise, we spend a lot of time saying, "Wow, that's not appropriate, is it?"
We do Santa. I guess that's not right for some families. But it's not our entire focus. We go through an Advent calendar, bake a birthday cake for Jesus and all of my kids will tell you it's "Jesus' birthday." But they still love Santa (and so do I)! We do the Easter bunny too. But again, we talk about the true meaning of the holiday as well.
The kids go to public school. I encourage them to pray silently before lunch and whenever they feel the need. I don't think they do. But I am so pleased when I see papers come home on which they've written about their faith and Jesus.
So I guess we are still focused more on protecting than anything. But as we deal with and in the real world, we try to help them see God and what's right.
jamie
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