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Too over protective of my babies? I don't think so!

In today's stimulus saturated society, I believe that children need watching with eagle eyes. Sex, violence, and drugs are everywhere. I am the mother of three children, two of which are teens. I have a fifteen year old son and a thirteen year old daughter. When they were babies, I couldn't wait for them to grow. First my husband and I eagerly anticipated their first words, then by the age of three, they wouldn't stop talking. Next it was the excitement surrounding the first day of school. Half way into the second month, my daughter came home declaring that she wanted some earrings on her face and a tattoo like her friends mom, and my son had a girlfriend! My husband and I seriously contemplated at that time home schooling our kids, locking them up, joining a commune something! Since the early school years, I have had to explain the purpose of female condoms to my son while intermittently trying to place an order at the Mc Donald's drive through, let my daughter know in no uncertain terms that undergarments are always required and comfort their dad when he realized that his little girl would now need feminine hygiene products.

As a child, my life was not inundated with all of the images and lyrics that are so prevalent today. I couldn't imagine what type of decisions I would make as a fifteen year old whose frame of reference about life and death is largely based on violent television shows and gruesome video games. As a thirteen year old girl, what would I think about my body and how I should relate to boys if I am drawing my information from a reality show where the girl with the least amount of scruples and clothes wins the prize.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the strides made in technology are fabulous. Lives are being saved and changed everyday because of the advances made in this arena. I do however believe the bible when it says in Luke 12:48, " To whom much is given, much is expected." In other words, because we have access to so much information and stimuli, we as parents must be ever diligent to protect our children and keep them from harms way. This doesn't mean that we should or can lock them up in their rooms until they are 30. It does mean that my husband and I must work hard to raise our children to be good productive citizens who fear God and are respectful of others.

I am sure that many of you know that raising kids ain't easy. I must always keep in mind that my main job is to parent my children not always be their friend. This doesn't mean that my children and I don't enjoy each others company. We have lots of fun together and have many common interests. This does however mean that at the end of the day, I must be the responsible adult and make the tough decisions. Kids count on that . While every teenager craves freedom to some degree, they also crave someone to be there for them to help them handle the things they can't. My decisions have been met with steely stares, rolled eyes, heavy sighs and tears many times. There are some things that I have had to put my foot down about that my children still don't agree with. I just tell them what my momma always told me "you'll understand it better by and by." In no way am I stating that my parenting techniques are perfect. I have made my fair share of mistakes and I am sure that I have many more to make, but when it comes to raising my children, I take that job very seriously and try to give it my best effort daily.

Learn more about this author, Karla Hopkins.
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