{"id":1944,"date":"2015-01-20T10:39:24","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T15:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/davewillis\/?p=1944"},"modified":"2019-08-09T14:17:27","modified_gmt":"2019-08-09T19:17:27","slug":"ten-ways-parents-must-protect-their-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davewillis\/ten-ways-parents-must-protect-their-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways Parents Must Protect Their Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

My wife Ashley<\/a>\u00a0and I recently got a home security system. Previously, my only \u201chome security\u201d was keeping a Louisville Slugger under my bed! When people would ask me \u201cDo you own a gun?\u201d I would smile, flex my relatively miniature muscles and say, \u201cYeah, I own two guns!\u201d Needless to say, it was time for an upgrade in our home security.<\/p>\n

The high-tech system alerts us whenever a door is opened. We wanted the added security for two reasons: We wanted to keep bad things out of our home AND we wanted to keep good things (our kids) in our home. Now, we\u2019ll know\u00a0if our toddler decides to unlock the front door and wander outside in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n

The system makes us feel safer, but we\u2019ve come to realize that the most important things we can do to protect our family can\u2019t be done by a high-tech security system, the protection must come through our actions as parents.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Below are the ways every parent must safeguard his or her family\u00a0(in no particular order):<\/p>\n

1. Be consistent in your parenting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kids crave consistency. Especially in the areas of discipline, values and expectations, it\u2019s vital that we clearly communicate the standards and stick to it. When we don\u2019t, we\u2019re sabotaging our kids\u2019 sense of security and stability. For more on this, check out my most popular parenting post on\u00a07 ways parents harm their children without even realizing it.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Be\u00a0aware of what your kids are watching.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In our on-demand, tech-savvy culture, kids have instant access to a world of entertainment and some of it (maybe most of it) isn\u2019t good for them. Most kids (on average) are exposed to pornography before they turn twelve-years-old<\/em><\/strong>. For tools to help protect your kids from exposure to dangerous content\u00a0online,\u00a0check out iParent.tv.<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Steer your kids towards healthy friends.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teach your kids to love everybody and show respect to all people, but also them that they need to be highly-selective when it comes to choosing their inner circle of friends. This has nothing to do with popularity or cliques, but it has everything to do with recognizing that our character is either strengthened or weakened by our closest friends.<\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t allow disrespect, drama or sarcasm in your home.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The tone of your words will create the tone of your home. If you want to safeguard your home from negativity, then don\u2019t allow a negative tone to rule under your roof. Be encouragers; not critics. For more on this, check out the\u00a07 keys to a drama-free home.<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t argue with your spouse in front of your kids.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One way we can harm our children is by exposing them to adult problems too early which makes them feel overwhelmed and powerless over their lives. For more on keeping peace in your marriage, check out this popular post on\u00a0\u201cThe ten reasons why couples argue.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Don\u2019t just teach \u201crules,\u201d teach \u201cvalues.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Protecting your kids means showing them corrective discipline, but it also means encouraging healthy values which can be a compass to guide them through life. Here are the\u00a07 Values every parent must teach their children.<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Eat together.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was may sound overly simple, but research and life experience suggests a strong link between sharing family meals and the emotional health of kids. Sit down around the table and reconnect with food and laughter daily.<\/p>\n

8. Teach your family history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I recently read a study that said the most important thing parents can to to create emotional stability in their children is to teach them their family history. The study said that a richer sense of the past gave kids a greater feeling of identity and optimism for the future. I\u2019m not convinced it\u2019s the \u201cmost important thing,\u201d but definitely important.<\/p>\n

9. Pray with and for your kids.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Giving your children a foundation of faith will help them weather the storms of life and will give them a solid foundation for life. If prayer is new to you, or you\u2019re not sure where to start,\u00a0try praying this \u201cPrayer for Today\u201d<\/a>\u00a0or your own version of it with your family.<\/p>\n

10. Love each other.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No parent is perfect, so you\u2019re bound to make mistakes, but love has the power to cover over all those places where we mess up. Love is our most important duty and privilege as parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.\u201d<\/em> 1 Peter 4:8<\/strong><\/p>\n

For ongoing encouragement to help you build a stronger marriage and family, you can\u00a0connect with me on twitter<\/a>, check out\u00a0my books<\/a>, and visit\u00a0my wife, Ashley\u2019s blog.<\/a><\/p>\n

If this post has helped or encouraged you, please share it on social media using the links below so we can help others too!<\/p>\n

\"Dave<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My wife Ashley\u00a0and I recently got a home security system. Previously, my only \u201chome security\u201d was keeping a Louisville Slugger under my bed! When people would ask me \u201cDo you own a gun?\u201d I would smile, flex my relatively miniature muscles and say, \u201cYeah, I own two guns!\u201d Needless to say, it was time for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2136,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[34,172,173,174],"class_list":["post-1944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-and-parenthood","tag-dave-willis","tag-how-to-be-a-better-parent","tag-how-to-protect-my-kids-from-bad-influences","tag-how-to-protect-my-kids-from-porn"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Ways Parents Must Protect Their Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My wife Ashley\u00a0and I recently got a home security system. Previously, my only "home security" was keeping a Louisville Slugger under my bed! 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