I grew up on t.v. When I was a child, my biggest past time was watching t.v. I won’t be one to say I grew on these shows and I turned out fine, because I don’t think I turned out fine at all.
I struggled (and still struggle) with anxiety for many years of my life, I gave up my virginity at an early age and became involved with more boys than I am proud to admit (I wanted to wait and I would have been proud to admit one-my husband), for many years I gave up very easily when a pursuit got tough and I struggle with having a good work ethic.
I am trying to become the woman I was meant to be in the Lord.
Sure, I am a good Christian woman, a good wife and mother, and have accomplished much, but I can’t help but wonder the kind of woman I could have become if certain things were different in my life.
I don’t blame t.v completely, but the Holy Spirit has convicted me about the shows I use to watch. Some of the shows I loved as a kid and still love in some cases. I can’t share with my children knowing what I know now.
I want to share shows like Disney’s ”Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Lady and the Tramp,” even “The Lion King,” and many more, but realize they are messages in these films I don’t want my children to receive. These films introduce the topic of romance to children way too early and do not deliver the message from a biblical perspective.
I feel stumped. I feel as though there is not very much I can let my children watch these days, without something being said that I really think the film could have done without. So much kid shows with adult jokes and animations not suitable for children, by my standards.
Am I taking this too seriously? I am sure a lot of people would think so. I am even baffled by the things some Christian parents I know let their kids watch on t.v and on the internet, and the kind of games they let them play, and I wonder if they don’t realize where their kid’s obnoxious behaviors come from. Actually, they don’t seem very worried when obnoxious, disgusting things come out of their children’s mouths at all. Is it only me?
I have been convicted for so long to stop watching so much television, to go so far as to take the t.v out. My husband and I agreed to get rid of cable and take out our t.v. Pick a few shows we like and watch them on Amazon on our computer, when we feel to watch something. We picked “Tanked” (Animal Planet) and “Pond Stars,” for just me was “19 Kids and Counting.” Our kids get to watch “Sofia the First” “Doc Mcstuffins,””Paw Patrol,” and “Team Umizoomi.”
My eight year old daughter really wants to watch shows like “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” “Mia and Me,” “Lalaloopsy” and shows like that. I don’t like some messages in those shows and don’t want her to. She wants to know what is so bad about these shows. How do I explain that?
I try to protect their impressionable minds from worldly nonsense as much as I can, but find this battle getting harder and harder to fight. I am thankful for the fact that my kids watch very little t.v. I want to filter their t.v watching, even more than I already have, but sometimes I hear voices in my head telling me that I am being overprotective or I can’t protect them from everything. These worldly voices that Satan uses to try to convince me that this is hopeless. We can’t win this battle.
Then I look at all the celebrity influences out there, beautiful young woman with beautiful voices like Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, etc and these young celebrities that use to have their own kid shows or started out on shows like “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Barney” like Britney Spears, Jaime Spears, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes and the saddest case of them all Miley Cyrus. I look at their lives and the women they have become and I think, am I really overreacting? The devil has got a big grip on what entertain us and has convince us that this is okay, but it is not okay.
I know there is more work to do, when it comes to filtering what we watch and what our children watch. It is hard. Life without t.v is hard sometimes. Sometimes I really miss it but I have no doubt we did the right thing, but truly, sometimes it is very hard.
I love family movie nights but struggle finding good Godly content that the whole family could enjoy.
I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. Psalm 101:3
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
More bible verses on watching t.v.
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I so agree with you! I have a whole collection of Disney movies I struggle to have my kids watch. So many bad traits that are glorified. Disobedience being the main one. One that I don’t own, but I think it is pretty good is Brave. At first I hated it and was like “What a horrid young woman”./ But she came to understand that obedience was a good thing by the end of the movie.
I can’t stand The Little Mermaid, and Tangled makes me uncomfortable, even though her “mother” is a terrible person.
I have been trying to watch only good shows myself, which makes me a little sad, because I really like some terrible shows, but figure that if God wouldn’t like them, I probably shouldn’t watch them. It is extra hard because my husband does not share this conviction,
Thanks for the great post!
By the way, I found you on the Faith Filled Friday link-up
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for commenting on my post. I understand where you are coming from completely. Finding positive things to watch, especially to watch with your children is becoming harder and harder. I like Disney movies and just think kids are introduced to romance too young through these movies and you are absolutely right about these movies also highlighting disobedience and rebellion from their parents in children. I admire the Duggar’s no t.v lifestyle, it is a good way to keep your children thoughts clean for as long as it is possible, but they are also wonderful things to enjoy and learn from television, it is just that to enjoy those things, other concepts are introduced to our thought process. I pray for guidance in this topic everyday (keeping my thoughts and my children’s thoughts as clean as we can).
Many Blessings to you.
Bible/Religion or not, we don’t really do tv. We have a tv, but we use it to stream Netflix if/when we want. As for restricting what Baby Boy sees/hears, we don’t do that either. But, since our intake of it is so low and we are about moments when they arise, we’re more than willing to talk with Baby Boy (as he ages) about some of what is seen. We also have many conversations, not surrounding tv, about society today. :)
I think my husband said it best the other day when we were talking about this very thing. “We are here to protect their innocence even if people are always asking,”what’s wrong with this or that.” He said, God would want them pure, loving Him, and innocent, not struggling with ideas that are beyond where He has them. That was so good to hear. He is way more vigilant about what they see than I am, and I am not at all careless about what comes before their eyes, but I struggle so much with what’s too much in terms of protection. But there are some things that he is just flat out convinced of and that helps me out soooo much. It gives me the peace that I need to know that we are doing the right thing and that I can trust what we are doing.
I showed them this movie from the 80s the other night called Troop Beverly Hills because both our girls are in American Heritage Girls girl scout which is a wonderful girl scout that focuses on country, community, God, and family. Well this movie was borderline AWFUL to show the kids. I remember watching it and enjoying it, but the more I thought about it, I was 12 and it was still a little much for a 12 year old.
So, I talked to them about it afterwards and asked any questions that they had about anything they saw in the movie and my 6 year old was bothered by the father saying he was “happily divorced.”
To your point, we have to be vigilant because we don’t know what sticks with our kids from these movies. We don’t know what questions are raised that they don’t bring to our attention. We don’t have cable, we have Netflix, so we don’t get the awful commercials, but even still we are limited in what we choose to watch as a family.
Great post and thank you for sharing it!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I know what you mean. We also have a Netflix account, which has replaced our cable t.v and we are limited in what we can watch together as a family. Just recently we watched an animation film called “Bold Eagles,” which had some adult content in it that made me sick to my stomach that my kids watched. They were subtle, so I am hoping they did not understand what they are seeing.
I loved Troop Beverly Hills as a kid, but don’t know how old I was when I first watched. My daughter is 8 years old and there are certain concepts I don’t want to introduce her to yet, but I feel sad that a lot of the shows I love when I was little, I can’t share with her.
We have always tried to protect the minds of our children but I still think there is more to be done. I pray everyday for God’s guidance, because this is not a battle I can fight on my own. God bless you in your parenting adventures.
I would LOVE to say we have never had cable in the 10+ years of our marriage, but that is no longer true. We had it for about 6 months last fall, because it made our internet cheaper (the cable was part of the package). The good thing is that we were so used to not watching it and relying on Netflix or movies that we FORGOT we had it. :)
When we go to visit family (who have regular t.v.) the kids do not understand commercials and what they are. I actually don’t like them watch the t.v. there because of the commercials and not knowing what show will come on next. Even with Netflix, there are many shows we don’t let them watch for the very reasons you stated. Some of the the kids don’t understand, and some my husband says I’m over reacting to … I don’t think he fully paid attention to the show when he turned it on for the kids.
One child of ours seems to react to it like a drug, and gets defiant/rude/selfish if we let him watch too much. Our first view of this was after letting him watch Lassy for a few hours. I thought it would be a wholesome s how to watch, and he liked that it had a dog. Took me about two days to figure out where the attitude came from – not necessarily the show, but just the act of watching t.v.
My goal everyday is no t.v. for the kids and often I achieve that goal. Oh how the weeks go better when I persevere through that hour or two each day of them being a bit cranky while I try to do something else. Keep up the good work. We are not perfect, but every little bit helps.
Sometimes there are different things that are presented to us, that seem like a better route, that causes us to compromise what we stand for. Standing up for what believe is not always an easy route. People will think that we may be “overreacting,” but I don’t agree, I truly believe we need to take what seeps into our children’s minds very serious. The mind is so powerful. I see behaviors and hear things come out of my children’s mouths that I know exactly the source. When I examine the source, I’m amazed, at how such a little bit of influence can go such a long way. I agree, the least tv in a child’s life, the better. So keep on fighting to accomplish your goal, because it is well worth it.
We didn’t have television for five years.. it was such a blessing. We moved to a residential community where cable is a part of the rent, so we have it for the first time in some of my childrens lives. Although we don’t watch it that much, I’m really realizing why we put it away in the first place.. there’s so much- even commercials that I would never feel comfortable with my children being exposed too. Its one thing to get rid of television if you are paying for it, its another if its free. Remember us in your prayers as we make this important decision with our family! Thank you SO much for sharing your heart!!!
Hi Stacy,
My advice is to do what is right for your family. Don’t indulge in something that doesn’t feel right just because it is free. I struggle with that too, with junk food (candy, donuts, gum, cookies) in my home. Grandma lives below us and often buys a whole lot of that stuff. Some things, never get use, but other things we let our kids eat or we eat ourselves because we don’t have the heart to throw them away. Nevertheless, we give sweets in moderation. Stand up for what you believe, because too much or even a little of the wrong tv content can do damage.
They are some educational shows on tv that are safe for kids to watch, but problem is they come with commercials and even commercials these days sometimes introduce certain negative thinking and behaviors in children. I have seen it. That’s the problem with today’s tv viewing. I used to have tivo, so I’d try my best to fast forward commercials, when I can.
I will pray God gives you guidance and strength in doing what is right for your family. Have a blessed day.
Hi,
I found this relatable. Others should too, and my kids are grown!
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Great article! This is so true. So many of these cartoons have adult messages and humor…but I really liked what you brought out about the romance. That occured to me too, the other day.