Last month I wrote about how it is our responsibility to keep our
children away from the indecencies of TV and Radio. You can find
this article at www.Fatherville.com under the stay at home father
section.
For this second part of the article I would like to discuss whether we
are practicing what we are preaching, or are we being hypocrites?
As fathers (and mothers) we want to protect our children. We want
what is best for our children. Our children can see the love we
have for them by our actions. Our children look up to us and want
to follow in our footsteps. Our children also see if we are being
hypocritical or not.
When my sons were younger I always made sure their seatbelts were
buckled. I let them know why they needed to be buckled in and why
it is so important. I let them know that I love them and I want
to protect them in case of an accident. That all said, I never
buckled my seat. One day we were all in the car and I came to
stop sign. My oldest, talking as usual, asked me, "Papa, why
don't you have your seat belt on when you make us have ours on?"
I hate seat belts especially the shoulder straps. My mind was
scrambling to find a lie I could tell my son that his little brain
would accept. I finally told him the truth that I didn't like
seat belts. He said, "Won't you get hurt if we get in an
accident?" I have worn a seat belt religiously for six years
now. I knew right then and there that what I said must be
practiced by me.
In my last article I stated that we need to protect our children from
the indecencies of what is on TV and the radio. Saturday morning
cartoons are not the same quality that I watched when I was a
kid. I watch the cartoons that my sons watch. I screen
everything they watch. I make them turn the station if there is a
girl or a women who is inappropriately dressed. One Saturday
morning they were frustrated because I made them turn off the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles because April had a half shirt on. I let
them know that she was not appropriately dressed.
I am teaching my kids that they shouldn't watch TV that is indecent or
has people dressed inappropriately. Now I need to practice what I
preach.
I love football games. I like to figure out what the coach and
offensive coordinator are going to do and a lot of times I become the
backseat quarterback. I love it when the defensive back tackles
the wide receiver. Than there are the cheerleaders. They make the
game exciting. They supposedly get the fans excited for the game.
The question is, "When we see these cheerleaders are they helping us
guys get excited about the game?" The answer is obvious. It
is "No". Oh sure they get us to cheer for our team, but the way
they are dressed makes sure men's minds are on the girls and not the
game.
The cheerleaders today are basically naked. Most guys can't wait
until the cheerleaders come on for a little bit of skin action.
When the cheerleaders come on I change the channel. I switch the
channel when commercials come on, or when it is on a TV show that may
have sensual scenes or women and men dressed inappropriately. I
want you to know that I do this even if my sons are not watching TV.
I love my wife and I love my kids. I don't want my kids to see me
as a hypocrite. If I am telling my boys that they can't watch a
cartoon or a TV show that has an inappropriate dressed woman, then I
must practice what I preach and turn the station. This is not
just to benefit my kids, but to also benefit me and my marriage to my
wife. Our responsibilities to our wives, in this matter, will be
in my next article.
If our children see us watching sensual or provocative TV they are
going to ask, "Why do you get to watch that when I can't?" What
are you going to tell them? Are you going to lie to them? I
hope not, because kids are smarter than we give them credit. If
we are telling them they can't do something because it is wrong and yet
we do it, even though it is wrong, they are going start to question
what our beliefs are. They will also say, "Well if my dad or mom
are going to watch that inappropriate material or people on TV
than there is no reason why I can't." When you aren't home that
is what they are going to be doing. They will have no reason to
respect what you have to say if you are being a hypocrite.
We, as husbands and fathers, must be leaders in our homes and not
hypocrites. We MUST practice what we preach. If our
children see us enjoying what we told them was wrong, than this only
teaches our children that women don't need to be respected. It
also has a lot to say about or morals. It also tells our children that
what we have to say is wrong won't be taken seriously. What is
going to happen when you tell your kids not to do drugs, or have sex
before marriage? Are they going to take you serious and
respect what you have to say?
This also goes for pornography. We shouldn't be looking up
pornography sites on the web. We shouldn't be buying Playboy or
Hustler, or looking through the lingerie sections in the Sunday paper
or clothes catalog.
Not only are we to teach our children not to watch sensual or
provocative shows, but we are to be their example by practicing what we
preach.
Give your children a hug and tell them that you love them.
Bart Buskey, Meridian, Idaho email at:
