Courageous Parenting

"What the world really needs is courageous parenting from mothers and fathers who are not afraid to speak up and take a stand."

I LOVE this quote! Parents these days are too afraid of upsetting their children, or that they will have a big fit. Parents need to be courageous!  I love this story:

"Imagine for a moment that your daughter was sitting on the railroad tracks and you heard the train whistle blowing. Would you warn her to get off the tracks? Or would you hesitate, worried that she might think you were being overprotective? If she ignored your warning, would you quickly move her to a safe place? Of course you would! Your love for your daughter would override all other considerations. You would value her life more than her temporary goodwill."

Of course we would move our child from the train tracks! But what about our spiritual dangers? If your child is going to a party where you know there will be drinking, are you going to let them go? They are putting themselves in serious spiritual danger! You should pull them out of the situation and protect them, just as you would protect them from the train.

"It is vital that parents have the courage to speak up and intervene before Satan succeeds. President Boyd K. Packer has taught that “when morality is involved, we have both the right and the obligation to raise a warning voice.” 

My husband and I have talked about the concern of our kids spending the night at friends' houses. I know that kids are mischevious when they are away from parents. 

Larry R. Lawrence of the Seventy, gave a talk in October of 2010 that answered our question of this. He said: 

"May I express my personal warning about a practice that is common in many cultures. I am referring to sleepovers, or spending the night at the home of a friend. As a bishop I discovered that too many youth violated theWord of Wisdom or the law of chastity for the first time as part of a sleepover. Too often their first exposure to pornography and even their first encounter with the police occurred when they were spending the night away from home.

Peer pressure becomes more powerful when our children are away from our influence and when their defenses are weakened late at night. If you have ever felt uneasy about an overnight activity, don’t be afraid to respond to that warning voice inside. Always be prayerful when it comes to protecting your precious children."

I am so thankful for prophets and apostles that help guide us as we teach our children!

Now, don't get me wrong. If someone decides to let their kids have sleepovers, I have no jdugement against them. I just do what I think is best for my children. 

Here are a few resources of sleepover views.

http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2015/05/avoids-sleepovers
http://evermindministries.com/2014/06/30/sleepovers-helpful-or-hurtful/