In Florida, a woman was caught on video stealing a box from someone’s porch. This porch pirate had her young daughter with her. Then in Texas, a seven-year-old caught on tape stealing told his mother that his father drove him around and made him take the packages. I’m sure if either child is later arrested for stealing; the parents will be shocked and wonder where they learned such things. I doubt very much either one will look in the mirror and see themselves as a thief who taught their child that stealing is okay.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us that if we Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. If you show your child that stealing is right, then they will also become a thief. But if you raise them to respect and do right, then in most cases, they will grow to be a wonderful adult.
And the best way to raise your kids to be Christian is to be one yourself. Kids learn from actions more than from words. The fact is if you want your kids to grow up in a church, you have to go with them.
And if you want good children, be a good adult.
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Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk. –Carl Jung
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Too many Christians tell their children to believe in Jesus, while the parents themselves are living a life of sin. Until you live according to Jesus, your children will not likely to either.
I feel sorry for the children in these videos. They’ll grow up with confusion thanks to their parents. How are they supposed to understand right from wrong when they have such role models? Hopefully, these parents will be brought to justice, and it’ll show the children there are consequences for these types of actions.
If not, they could eventually find themselves in prison, all because their parents chose not to be good adults.
If you or someone you know is in need of prayer, please let me know in the comment section below. I’ll be more than happy to pray for the situation.
I saw the same type of thing when I worked at a local high school. Kids would get busted for alcohol, drugs, or smoking, and their parents (who showed up for meetings drunk/hungover, stoned, or wreaking of cigarette smoke) would claim “My kid would never do that!” I always had to bite my tongue to keep from asking, “Why not? YOU do.” The most priceless, and scary, one was a kid expelled for jumping another kid and beating him up pretty badly before teachers could intervene, simply for saying something that made him mad. The dad showed up for the board meeting, claimed “My kid would never do that”, and then proceeded to punch a BLOCK WALL when the meeting didn’t go his way.
The meaning of the old adage “monkey see, monkey do” seems to elude far too many people. Kids learn their coping skills, sense of right/wrong, and respect for others (or lack thereof) from their parents. I’ve never understood why so many parents can’t seem to grasp that reality.
So true, Dawn. And then the kids end up in jail and these parents refuse to admit any fault. Instead, they blame the police or the government. So sad.
One of the kids I dealt with who still breaks my heart to think about ended up in prison. His mother was a drunk who had a penchant for violent men. Right after the boy got out of high school, his mom’s latest abusive boyfriend beat him up. When the boyfriend went to bed in one of his drunken stupors, the boy stabbed him to death and ended up going to prison for murder. He killed himself soon after.
When I found out what had happened, I sat and cried for what felt like forever. That boy had been angry and rebellious (no surprise), but in my interactions with him, I’d realized he had a soft heart, was easily hurt, and was very bright. His future could’ve been so different, but he simply couldn’t see it. That hopelessness and despair were built through his childhood. I’d tried to get him into a counseling program at the school, but I was overruled by the school administration in charge of it. He felt the kid was too far gone, so he wasn’t even willing to let the counselor TRY. After that boy killed himself, it took me years to find forgiveness for that school administrator and the boy’s mother. I still get weepy thinking about that poor boy and the very different life he could’ve had.
So sad, Dawn.