Monday, May 16, 2016

Why We're Doing the Hard Unpopular Parent Thing....And Why I'm Choosing to Write About It.


He brought home the note yesterday. 

They would be showing a movie to the entire 1st grade class to celebrate the end of a fabulous school year. #rockon

But the reason for the note revealed the reason the note was needed. Although school policy was to show only G-rated movies, as long as parents said it was ok........PG could be shown.

Ok, ok. I'm still in. After all, he's seen some PG movies.
We've TAKEN HIM to some PG movies. 
We're good.
But.
The picture.
The small faces of three chipmunks staring us dead in the face.
No.
No, no, no.
Of all the movies.....please not that one.

You see, months ago I caught an episode of the New & Improved "Alvin & The Chipmunks" cartoon that currently airs.
I was speechless. 
Ok, that's not exactly true. I had a lot to say. 
But I didn't.
Could I be overreacting? Am I being overly sensitive? Am I such a Jesus freak that I can't even watch a simple kids show without ripping it to moral shreds?
I quietly turned the channel the next time it appeared, and continued to bite my tongue. <ouch>

But then.
   A few days later.
        My husband.
Should you not know him, let me tell you that he speaks 1/100th the words of his female counterpart. Over the years, he has rarely injected his thoughts on the majority of media matters. (with the exception of "The Bachelor"...."my daughter is NOT going to be raised believing it is ok for a guy to claim to love her and then make out with no-less-than-a-handful of barely-dressed bods in a matter of a few hours and hope to be 'picked' as the winner) #rockondaddy

So said husband says to me one morning, "I watched the new Alvin & The Chipmunks" with Jack yesterday Tera........ummmm, ya....NO. In addition to some seriously crude humor, I can't take all those "shut up"s and their little talk-back attitudes to that Dave guy that I think is supposed to be like their....Dad?"

I knew right then and there that Alvin and his brothers would need to find a new home in which to showcase their stardom.
I also knew that God had seen to it that each of us had individually heard his message to us as mom and dad...loud and clear.

So we talked to our little man. 

We explained all of the reasons why we didn't like this particular tv show. We told him how we believe in the power of our words and the impact of our actions. We talked to him about respect and lack thereof, how what we watch and listen to can become the way we see and speak in and to this world, and we told him how much we loved him. 
And we meant every word.

But when I saw the note lying on the counter this morning, can I be all-out honest? 

My first reaction was "Ugh, ok, so it's not what I would have picked, but Jack is old enough to understand, we will just talk to him ahead of time, and explain it to him afterwards, I mean, we don't want him to get teased or miss out." #bikerodeofearsalloveragain

I dropped the kids off and returned home to finish getting ready for work.

God would NOT let it go.

Verses flooded my head.
 #FLOODED

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
 
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

......To name a few.

Now..............before I start receiving hate mail, or messages telling me that I have no business condemning movies or schools or anyone's choices...........Hear me.
That is NOT the reason for this post.
And no, I don't believe that every child that sees this movie or any other like it is going to grow up to be alcoholic ax-murderer because they watched a smart-alec chipmunk shout "Buzzkill". (I watched the trailer)

<And I will also say that I believe that schools and teachers all around this world, including in my very own small town, are doing a seriously incredible job. They love our kids and they show it. And it's beyond admirable.>

Here IS why I share this story with you (and it goes far beyond one simple little rodents film)- 

Don't let the world decide what's best for you and those you love. 
 
Don't let the world convince you that you'll stand out <in a bad way>  if you don't fit in <according to their way>.

and

Don't let the world's voice be louder than the voice of the God who loves you best and loves you most.

I almost did this morning.

In an effort to save my first-grader alienation and embarrassment, I almost blatantly went against everything I knew and everything God was speaking to BOTH me and my husband....just to fit in...and I ain't just talkin' 'bout the first-grader.
<good gravy, forty-five years old and still too-often worried about pleasing and appeasing the world>

Can you imagine the message it would have sent to the small boy who knew it was something mommy and daddy did not agree with?
#ThanksfornotlettingitgoGod

The best part?

I told our little man Jack after school today that he wouldn't be seeing the movie with his class tomorrow. 
I braced myself for the tearful response, the small tantrum, the cries of "why mommy? why??"....

"Ya, I didn't think so. We've talked about that lots around here and I know you and daddy don't like that for me."

Rock on little man.
Rock on.