Protecting Your Kids' Innocence

tyrashow.warnerbros.com

My six year old came home from school the other day and declared that a boy on the bus said some really bad words!  I got really panicked trying to figure out what the bad words could be.    It didn't help that my ten year old and eight year old chimed in agreeing with their younger brother.  At that moment, I was a little freaked out thinking about how I couldn't protect my kids' innocence any longer.  Of course I remained calm and asked my son what the words were.

He proceeded to whisper in my ear that the boy said to him, "Shut up, you idiot!"  I had to control myself from cracking a smile.  Instead, I was so relieved, but I wanted to agree with my son that those were bad words.  Why did I decide to go along with it?  I wanted to protect his innocence.  Sooner or later, he will learn those words were not that bad and that there are other words out there much worse.  I'm cringing now thinking about it.  Maybe my kids have already heard those cuss words.  I'm not sure.

The best place to protect your child's innocence is obviously in your home.  We make sure we don't watch the movies and TV shows we enjoy until the kids are in bed.  Until then, it's all about the Disney channel and Nickelodeon and sometimes the food channel!  We also should be aware of what comes out of our own mouths around our children.  They are our best imitators!  For example,  I heard my preschooler the other day say, "What the beep?"   I admit I say that and avoid the bad cuss word that completes the sentence, but hearing my three year old say it was an eye opener.  I did laugh at the time.  Still, if he says that around his fellow preschoolers and other adults it wouldn't be good, right?   I also  have to especially watch what I say when I'm driving!  You know what I mean?  No, I don't suffer from road rage, but I can get carried away sometimes when someone cuts me off or drives really slow.   My kids will say, "Did that car make you mad, mommy?"  LOL.

Of course we also need to make sure we censor what we talk about in front of our kids such as arguing in front of them and discussing mature topics.  For example, don't bad mouth your neighbors or friends in front of them.  Kids pick up on everything.  Not only that, they may repeat what you say to someone else and you could get yourself into trouble.  Not that it's ever happened to me.  LOL.

While it's healthy to show disagreement with your husband in front of your kids (there's no such thing as a perfect marriage), please be sure to hold off on the blow ups until after the kids are in bed or out of earshot.  Early on in parenthood, my husband and I really worked hard to make sure we did not argue in front of our kids but we have gotten lax about it lately.  Now that my kids are older, they understand a lot more and I don't want them worrying about issues they don't need to as a child.    They should enjoy their childhood and not be concerned with grown up issues yet which may cause them anxiety.

There are good tips offered on www.ehow.com which talk about the above as well as offer other ways on protecting your child's innocence.  Maybe your kids are too young now, but as they enter elementary school you'll find yourself worrying about this a lot!

Comments

[Jinnie]

This may be a little too much but we try hard not to use negative words such as stupid, fat or ugly because I don't want my 4 year old to say it to her teachers or friends.

I'm sure soon enough, she'll pick up even worse...