Making Grown Up Decisions


When will parents grow up enough to know how to deal with peer pressure? I thought we were supposed to outgrow that before we started our families. However, the release of the new movie The Hunger Games has brought to light some of the real problems that we have in our culture: adults who still act like kids.

The movie based on Suzanne Collins best selling book of the same name, includes some graphic details that are inappropriate for children. The entire premise of the story is that children are forced into a life and death situation for entertainment sake. Parents need to consider why it was rated PG-13 before allowing a preteen to watch the movie or even read the books.

However, parents prefer to complain about the movie because it puts them in a position where they have to be the mean parent and tell their child that they cannot see it. One parent complained that if all of the children in her daughter’s fifth grade class see the movie over the weekend then “it will become an issue with her daughter.”

Again, when will adults learn how to deal with peer pressure? The problem is not with her daughter. Children have to learn how to handle peer pressure through the good example that they see in their parents, yet when parents are afraid to tell their child “no” because of how she might feel when all of her friends get to, then they are teaching that it is okay to give in to peer pressure. What comes next? “All my friends have sex as teens.” “Everybody uses illegal drugs, Mom!”

Parents, learn to let your “no” be “no” and your “yes” be “yes.”

Comments

Linda Borneman said…
Bravo! I couldn't agree more!
11:31 AM
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