Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
Parents,
We have a great God-given responsibility to rear our children according to God’s Word and to see that they are ready to “leave the nest” when the time comes. Until then, parents, we must remain vigilant in teaching our children biblical precepts that they will live out after they have left our homes. One of these important precepts was taught to me as a child in the form of a simple children’s song. The first verse ended with this phrase: “O be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love. O, be careful little eyes what you see.”
Today’s culture has pressured us as parents to place digital devices into the hands of our children when they are really young. These devices are helpful and needful, and in today’s time, most of us consider them necessary. But they can be very addictive and very destructive if not monitored VERY closely.
We learn in the Bible, God’s Holy Word, that “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” The devil would love to “devour” our families and our children. Satan would love to see our families destroyed, broken, and ineffective. One of the most common ways that the devil gets into our homes, into our families, and into the eyes of our children is through our devices, our internet, and our media. Please consider the following statistics about children and the internet:
*Taken from the article “Kids and Pornography: The Statistics Every Parent Needs to Know And How You Can Protect Your Kids Online” www.perfectionpending.net
In 2015, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health (link is external) ranked internet safety as #4 in the top 10 health concerns for children, ranking ahead of school violence. According to TopTenreviews.com, the average age of first Internet porn exposure is 11 years old. 35% of total downloads on the Internet are pornographic in nature. One out of 7 kids has received a solicitation of porn, and there are 100,000 websites that offer illegal child pornography. The Crimes against Children Research Center says that 1 in 5 teenagers have received a sexual solicitation via the web.
and “about 25 percent of the youth who encountered a sexual approach or solicitation told a parent.”
According to LDSLiving.com, “79 percent of young people’s unwanted exposure to pornography occurs in the home.”
“Nearly 60 percent have received an e-mail or Instant Message from a stranger, and half responded to the stranger’s message,” according to the Bureau of Crime Prevention and Youth Services, City of Los Angeles.
Wow! These statistics are astounding! Parents, do you know what your children are viewing? How much are they viewing digital media daily and weekly? What our children are seeing and how much they are seeing is our responsibility. We must be proactive and knowledgeable of what our children are doing on the internet.
Parents, on a personal note…we must be careful what we view digitally as well. The temptation is even greater for us and the consequences far reaching. We must lead the way in our homes and make sure that what WE view is pleasing to the Lord and edifying to our families.
For those of you considering a cell phone for your child, the American Association of Christian Schools with which our church-school ministry has partnered, recently recommended a cell phone device that is perfect for children—the Gabb cell phone. For more information on this “kid-friendly, kid-safe” cell phone, follow this link– https://gabbwireless.com/.
Parents, we must do all that we can to protect our children and our families from the attacks of the devil. Know what your children are seeing by holding them accountable, and do all you can to keep them away from the devil. If you would ever like to sit down and discuss ways to address issues like these with your children, please contact me. I would love to help.
May the Lord strengthen our families through our parental leadership.