Being Involved Means You Care
Check out areas of your kid's interests

Love is in the air in February, but what is love when it comes to children and young adults? Is it letting them do whatever they want whenever they want? Of course not. Love means that we are involved enough with our children that we will take time to train & to show how it's done. To check out their friends and make sure they are good influences.  To check out their music, T.V., Internet surfing, books they read and make sure they are being influenced for good, and not otherwise.

Parenting is involvement. It is not a part time job. Yes, it can be work. It can be grueling. The rewards, though, are well worth the effort! Set the stage now, take time with your baby, your toddler, your adolescent, your teen.

Books: Books shape our minds. Even if you do not read now, you can surely remember when your mommy or daddy read to you. The books you read to your little ones can help shape the mind of your teen. Be careful what you choose; a little discretion goes a long way into setting the stage for the future. Do they contain violence? Are they too scary for little ones? Are the values I want my children to support underlined or undermined? Take a look at what your adolescent is reading. A little trickier with teens, but you can tactfully make suggestions.

Movies: What do you allow at those birthday sleepovers? Make sure that again the choice is according to the standards you wish your teen or adolescent to follow.

TV: Are those T.V. shows age appropriate? Be aware of what teenagers are watching around younger siblings. It doesn't take an adult to realize some programs are just not appropriate for certain age groups.

Music: Listen to the lyrics. Make sure they are not undermining your ethics. Let your children know you do not approve of certain inclusions in their literary, cinematic and musical choices. Don't be silent on this issue. It's best to let them know where you stand.

The Internet: Be careful where they go on the net. You can check in your history file. Let them know you will be checking. Also, check into Internet software with parental controls.

Consistency is important when we display love to our children. We love enough to care what goes into their bellies. Let's make sure we are just as careful about their minds!

Love takes time. It takes commitment and dedication. It takes follow-up and a "full-time" attitude. This is not a part-time job!

Excerpt from www.familycorner.com