How to Raise Good Kids in the Current Culture
If you’re a child of the 80s and 90s raising kids today, you know it’s true.
Things are different than they used to be.
And those days were not without their own trouble, but as moms, we are facing a wave of challenges no other moms have faced before us. Internet, social media, virtual reality games, fake news, CRT, perversity in sex ed, boys calling themselves girls, and more. As if parenting weren’t challenging enough!
The current culture is extreme. It is “progressive” and far left liberalism representing a small, yet increasingly loud minority of people in America. It’s infecting our schools, media, corporations and even government.
It seeks to erase color, gender, identity, free speech, religion, and morals. It is a disease eating away at our society and infecting the minds of our children.
So, how can we as parents counter this attack on our culture? How can we protect our children and raise them to be strong, patriotic, freedom-loving, liberty-defending young men and women who know their value?
Here, we’re sharing are our tips on how to raise good kids in the current culture.
1. Pour Truth Into Their Hearts
This culture we’re living in is devoid of one thing – TRUTH.
But you, mama, are the source of truth in your child’s life. What you pour into their hearts is more important than what you may ever know. What you spend time teaching them matters. It will far outweigh what they hear in school if you start early and keep pouring in continually.
Spend time teaching them the Word of God. Talk about it when you’re driving, talk about it when you put them to bed, when they wake up and when they’ve had a hard day. The Word of God is truth.
Beyond that, teach them the truth about our country. What is taught in schools anymore isn’t even reality – it’s what some people wish would have happened. It’s an edited version that doesn’t even resemble the truth anymore. So, you, mom, need to be the teacher of patriotism in your home. (Find 7 Ways to Raise Patriots HERE)
Tell them the truth about gender, about sexuality, and about God. Teach them what the Constitution says and what our Founding Fathers believed. Teach them about the brave men and women who have sacrificed for this country. And above all, teach them what freedom looks like and why it is so important.
Pour truth into their hearts. Remind them that they are created in the image of God. Boys are not inferior – they are strong and courageous and should rise up to be who God made them to be. Girls are precious and created for a great purpose. They do not have to oppose boys to succeed in life. And confusion should never be part of their lives.
2. Mind What They’re Watching
As you’re pouring truth into the hearts of your children, it’s important that you also guard their hearts against the things that will come against that truth.
In today’s culture of devices that bring up any subject at the push of a button, us moms are facing greater challenges than ever before. It can be exhausting and time consuming to keep up with it all, but moms, here is one area you can’t afford to slack off. You’ve got to mind what they’re watching.
Here are some ways to guard the hearts of your children against “progressive” ideologies and immoral teachings:
- Use the parental controls on the television and streaming services
- Use a free service like Plugged In to assess the content of movies, TV, and video games before your child is exposed.
- Resist the urge to give young children devices. Many parents wait until age 16 to allow their child to own a smartphone.
- Use a whole-house internet filter, such as Gryphon, to keep pornography and other content out of every device.
The Proverbs 31 woman “watches over the affairs of her household” (verse 27). This is one very important area in which to do so.
Beyond media, be sure to also pay attention to books your children are reading, as well as their school curriculum and the company they keep. “Bad company corrupts good character” is the warning found in 1 Corinthians 15:33.
Don’t let your hard work be tainted by media, curriculum, or bad company when it comes to your precious ones.
3. Eat Dinner Together
This one small thing can make a huge impact in raising good kids in the current culture.
Nothing affirms your family values more than taking the time to break bread together. That’s why Ronald Reagan said, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”
When you connect with one another over a meal, share from the heart what is going on in each other’s lives, and discuss the core values of your family, you are imprinting the heart of your child more than you may ever know.
Studies show that families who eat together three times per week or more have stronger bonds and significantly reduce depression, anxiety, and the tendency to smoke, drink or try drugs among children and teens.
Founder and President of Moms for America, Kimberly Fletcher, has created a perfect resource for this purpose. You can find her book Table Talk Sampler: 31 Days of Stories, Quotes, and Questions to Spark Conversation at the Dinner Table in our online store!
As you pray over your meals, include a prayer for our nation, the healing of America, and for righteous leaders to be at the head. This will plant a seed in those little hearts that will last a lifetime and help you raise good kids in the current culture.
In addition to sharing important conversations about your faith, take the time to make your children aware of stories of courageous and strong heroes in history – people they can emulate and aspire to be like in the area of patriotism.
In these consistent, small moments and activities that you anchor in your children a desire to live freely according to the values you are instilling.
4. Pray
Every generation of moms has been able to find peace, direction, and wisdom on her knees.
Today is no different.
Mama, this is the hour for you to pray – even if you never have before. Your kids need your intercession. Pray that God will guard their hearts against wrong teaching, immoral ideas, and the attack against all that is good and right in this country. Pray that they will have the strength to stand their ground against persecution and that they will always remember what is right.
If you need ideas about how to pray for your children, you can get started by purchasing a book like this one.
5. Find Character-Building Programs for Your Kids
If your child is in public school, you’re likely looking for some solid, character-building programs for your kids to support what you teach at home.
We recommend a youth group at your local church, as well as organizations like American Heritage Girls, which is a character development program for girls, and Trail Life USA, a faith-based scouting program for boys.
It is so important to help your kids build their faith, restore their hope, and raise strong, courageous young men and women who can face the world with confidence.
And if you need to build your confidence in taking a stand in today’s culture so you can teach your kiddos to do the same, we invite you to join one of our Cottage Meetings!
6. Keep the Conversation Going
It’s time to engage in more conversations at home. What did you talk about at school today? Do you have any questions about what you learned?
Schools and media are feeding into your kids. This is your chance to pour in truth and also dispel all the wrong thoughts and ideas others are trying to use to cause confusion.
Let your kids know that you’re available to talk about anything, anytime. And you’ll likely have to be the one to get the conversation going! Talking over a fun snack or at night in the privacy of their room is usually a great way to get kiddos to open up.
For more help, check out our podcast about raising boys in the current culture HERE.
7. Make Family a Priority
Above all, make family a priority. A strong marriage and a solid family life does more for kids than anything else in this world.
Resist the urge to let a hectic life take over and set boundaries in your life that give you plenty of margin to sit down to dinner, go on vacation, volunteer at your kids’ school and just be present.
We hope these tips have helped you feel more confident that you can raise good kids in a woke culture. Your influence will always be greater than the world’s, but your diligence will be required. May God bless you as you seek to raise good, strong, God-fearing, patriotic kids who will grow up to influence their world.
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