Empower Your Children

After I wrote the post regarding MTV’s ‘Skins’ I felt pretty depressed.  Depressed because our children are losing their innocents, wonder and awe at an earlier age.  It kind of makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy saying this.  I’m sure I looked at my elder’s in a funny way when they would talk about where my generation was headed.  But the morals of our society really suck!  Does anyone care that our daughters are degrading themselves and their sexuality all in the name of popularity, keeping the guy, or whatever other hang-up is involved!

We need to empower our daughters to believe in themselves and where they are going in life.  Help them find out who they are, where they want to go, what they want to do. Help them develop their integrity so they know that they can go to a place inside themselves when making tough decisions and from this place they are able to make the right choice based on this firm belief. That’s what it is to feel empowered!

So what will you do today to instill some integrity in your children?  Just pick one thing today and you will be on your way to giving your children the best gift you can.

MTV’s 'Skins' -The Demoralization of our Children



MTV premiered its American remake of Skins last Monday and it has stirred up a lot of controversy!  The Parents Television Council (PTC) called on the Feds to open an investigation regarding child pornography and exploitation of MTV’s Skins, the network itself is also concerned.  Sexual content includes 42 depictions and references to drugs and alcohol in the 41 minute premiere episode alone, as reported by the PTC.

Skins depicts a group of drug taking, hard partying, sexually obsessed teenagers who disrespect authority figures, use strong language, and use age inappropriate flirting (can you say Cougar).  With a rating of TV MA, of the 3.3 million viewers, MTV’s target audience of 12 to 34 year olds made up 83%.  12 year olds! I could not imagine letting my 12 year old watch Skins.  I wonder how many MTV execs let their children watch the show!

Taco Bell, GM and Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., have all ditched their advertising for MTV’s racy drama.  Let’s see who else steps up to the plate and takes notice.

Could this be teen porn?  You decide:



If you let your teenager (hopefully not anyone younger) watch this drama, I challenge you to sit and watch it with your child.  If you do not feel the least bit uncomfortable while watching, I suggest you immediately search for help!  Society has done enough to demoralize our children.  I keep hearing and reading teenagers (and may I gasped, younger) are all experimenting with sex, drugs, and overall racy behavior.  Does it surprise me? No.  Should it? Yes.  It’s time parents stand up and take back the control they have given away.  It’s hard enough keeping track of all that is going on in our children’s lives, constantly keeping vigil of who they’re hanging out with, where they’re going, what they’re doing, watching, googling, texting, Tweeting, posting on Facebook...  The list is dizzying!

Lead actress Sofia Black-D'Elia, who plays a lesbian teen on Skins, said in an interview, "It's the way teenagers believe, I think, especially you know in certain situations when you come from home lives where your parents don't really support you or really listen to you. That's what most of these kids are going through.”

So, if you take the back seat when it comes to monitoring and engaging with your children, then don’t be surprised when the choices they make don’t reach your expectations.  Whether you want the job or not, you are the PARENT, not the FRIEND! 

Daily Affirmations

Your day will be so joyful after you watch this video!

Sexuality…It’s more than sex!

As part of my son’s catechism, a speaker came in to our church to talk to them about sexuality.  The parent’s had the opportunity to listen to him speak in a separate session while the children were going through their lesson in another room.  Dr. Timothy Hogan is a licensed psychologist who presented this touchy subject in an enjoyable and humorous manner that put a whole new twist on my definition of what sexuality really is.

When I googled sexuality, many of the postings had variations on how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings.  How we are attracted to other humans and how our sexual thoughts, desires and longings, erotic fantasies, turn-ons and experiences is a complex aspect  of our personality.

But when you flip this over into a more sacred space, sexuality takes on a different meaning.  When you truly love yourself, your self-confidence and self-esteem soar!  Your whole persona permeates your being and effects the way your carry and conduct yourself.  You may think that this is a more subtle form of sexuality, but in actuality it is a powerfully positive presence that flows through your being and is carried forth to everyone around you, attracting the like back to you.  I posted awhile back about teaching my children to love themselves.  This lesson is starting to take some effect, but I believe it is a life-long process to constantly remind ourselves and our children who we are made in the image of and that we are all worthy of loving and being loved.

When teens dress provocatively and use crude language or other means outside of themselves to draw attention, it is false, it has no substance. As Dr. Hogan says “What you put on the hook determines the fish you catch. “ In other words, how you dress will teach others how to treat you.  We need to teach our children that modesty and humility are positive qualities that will garner much more self-confidence and self-acceptance.  They need to leave something for the imagination instead showing their “goods” to everyone around.  Where has the mystery gone?

We all know that our children learn first and foremost from their parent’s or caregivers.  What is practiced in the home is what they pick up.  How do you respond to various TV shows and movies?  When someone on TV dresses provocatively or treats someone of the opposite sex inappropriately, do you use that as a teaching moment or do you quickly change the channel?  You are at the front line.  You need to continually lift up your children, even repeating the same positive phrases over and over.  They are watching and listening!