GODLY PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
by Benjamin Anabaraonye
It
is the duty of parents to bring up their children in the way of the
Lord. In our digital age, godly parenting has become so important in
raising up a godly generation that will walk in integrity and
dignity.”Training” requires a lot of efforts on the part of the parents
and co-operation on the part of the children. Thus, the bible also
admonishes ”Children,obey your parents in the Lord,for this is right”. Ephesians 6:1(NIV)by Benjamin Anabaraonye
THE DIGITAL AGE
Media
technology is here to stay and has become a permanent part of our
lives. In our digital age,there is great concern about how it may be
affecting our kids and youths.I believe parents can learn to embrace
its advantages,reduce its adverse effects and raise children who can
still relate heart to heart with people,appreciate and participate in
the beauty and wonders of nature and grow up to be well
rounded,healthy,caring and compassionate adults.
The
challenge for parents is to understand the benefits and pitfalls of
media technology in the lives of their children and to help them create
balance in their lives.
THE INTERNET AND ITS PITFALLS FOR KIDS AND YOUTHS
The
chief information media in our digital age is the Internet.The Internet
can be a useful tool for preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
and disseminating sound,edifying materials to the body of Christ and the world at large.
However,we also
find gangster films,erotic music,weird and vile ideas,pornography,etc.
now common on the internet.These can affect our kids and youths
negatively if they are not properly educated.
Thus,parents must evaluate their efforts at controlling what
their youths consume on the internet.Parental
care and control measures must be established to shield their children
from the negative impact of the Internet and Media technology. Such Measures include:
EDUCATION ON SEX ISSUES:
A child’s sex education often comes through schools or churches.But a
Christian parent should always be the first person to speak with their
child about sex related issues.The appropriate age to discuss these
matters varies from child to child but if a parent is going to err,it
should be sooner than later.
Sooner
or later,a child in curiosity may get to learn from the wrong sources
about sex and may lead to addictions to pornography and other forms of
sex abuse if they don’t get the right education on time.
For those wanting to learn more, ”How and when to tell your kids about sex” by Stan and Brenna Jones may be helpful.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
Parents should keep the environment safe for their kids.This requires a proper training on emotional intelligence for the parents.
Routine checks should be carried out to ensure that erotic and offensive materials are never found in the custody of their kids. Children are never to be left with people who are not fully trustworthy.If your child plays at a neighbor's home,make sure you know who is there and that a trustworthy adult is in charge.
Routine checks should be carried out to ensure that erotic and offensive materials are never found in the custody of their kids. Children are never to be left with people who are not fully trustworthy.If your child plays at a neighbor's home,make sure you know who is there and that a trustworthy adult is in charge.
ENCOURAGEMENT:
As you share God’s standard and your concern, lavish your children with
affection and encouragement. Children need large doses of affection
from their parents to grow up physically, emotionally and spiritually
healthy.
Many
youths in their search for true love have fallen into pits of despair,
addictions, sex abuse and pornography. It’s so wonderful to let them
know that true love can only be found in Jesus Christ. But even if they
fail,Parents can still offer a helping hand.
When
offering encouragement,Parents should speak frankly-but not
crassly-with biblical wisdom like the Parents in Proverbs. Take care to
never shame or embarrass your child, but treat them respectfully as an
emerging fellow adult.
EMPOWERMENT:
Parents need to empower their kids with the right materials that will
edify the mind and enhance their spiritual growth. Introduce your kids
to Christian websites where inspiring articles, poems and biographies
are regularly posted. Encourage them to watch Christian channels and to saturate their laptops, smart phones,
i-pad with good,edifying sermons and music.Parents should also make it a
point of duty to pray for their kids daily.This will go a long way in
building them up.
EVANGELISM:
Parents should evangelize to their children and lead them to the saving
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ while they are still tender. Our
youths should also be encouraged to participate in Internet evangelism.
In this way, they will be using their time productively while online. They should also learn to volunteer to do tasks that will help in positively building up the society.
We
should always be reminded of our constant need for the infilling of the
Holy Spirit to live a life of purity,faith and victory in our digital
age.
For more inspirational articles feel free to visit my blog: www.benjypoetry.blogspot.com
For feedback and contribution,feel free to e-mail: getbenjyu@yahoo.com
