In trying to decide what to write about, recent memorial events kept 'popping' up in my mind. Which lead me to think about these events in light of being a parent. Yesterday, my husband allowed my tenderhearted son to watch images of the 9/11 tragedy. I began to ponder questions such as these: How much should we show our children the things that occur in this world? Should we talk to them about such things? At what age would they be able to handle them?
These are questions that every parent should face. There are extremes to this line of thinking. I once knew a woman who had – at the time – children ranging from 10 to 20's, one of whom was married with a child on the way. This woman admitted to me that she had never talked to her children about abortion and even shielded her children from hearing about it. This was a homeschooling “Christian” mother. I was shocked. Why would you shield your children from such things. They need to know what is going on in the world. If you don't tell them, the world will give them their slant on it and they might believe a lie.
I also know a mother who took her young children (how young, I can't recall) to an anti-abortion rally. Her son grew up to be a strong advocate for pro-life.
These are two very extreme circumstances. While I do not advocate either necessarily, I do think that we need to teach them – using the Bible as our guide – all things about life and godliness. After all, all things about life and godliness are in there. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2 Peter 1:3) Even matters of sex, especially how to avoid fornication, are taught in the Bible therefore we should be teaching these things to them.
At what ages? This is up to the parents to decide. Ask your husband and especially pray for wisdom. In our home, we have gradually introduced new concepts. My son was 3 when I was pregnant with our second. It became a natural thing to talk about the 'seed' which daddy planted and began to grow in a special womb in mommy's belly. In our daily Bible reading together our son was 5 or 6 when he first asked what a 'harlot' was. We explained that there is a special blessing that God designed for husbands and wives to enjoy. A harlot, then, was a woman who allowed men who were not her husband to have that special blessing with her. In doing this thing, she and the man sinned because it was not God's plan for them to do this.
There have been little tiny bits of information given since then, but this is what we have discussed with our son so far and he is almost 10. As a mother, I often yield to my husband more for dealing with matters of discussions with our son. My daughter has not been as inquisitive as our son has been. Every family is different and every child is different.
In matters of tragedy, teach your children that sin brings pain and suffering. When people choose not to live by God's laws there is tragedy. Sometimes that means consequences are suffered on both sides – by evil people and good people. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45) When someone chooses to drink and drive, for example, sometimes the good people get hit by that drunk driver and die. Our job is to teach our children such things as love, forgiveness and living righteously for God's glory despite our circumstances. Pray for wisdom in dealing with such matters and use the Bible as your teaching tool.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
Simply a Christian. "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1) "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)