Last week at the grocery store I was busy putting my cart load of groceries on the moving conveyer belt for the checker who was checking me out. As I lifted the eggs and bread my beautiful four year old daughter said," Mom look, she is not modest." She pointed at a very inappropriate magazine cover in the check out line. It was the kind of picture that you see and then feel sick that we live in such a crazy world that people view it as normal. I turned her head and quietly talked to her and explained that I agree, she is not modest and suggested we look the other way so that we don't have to see that picture.
How sad, why do our children have to be so exposed to such pictures at a young age?
This morning while getting ready I listened to a podcast on Power of Moms, entitled "Pornography: A Totally Doable Plan for Protecting Our Kids." It was an excellent discussion about how as mothers we can protect our children by teaching them when they are young the difference between good pictures and bad pictures. The discussion was with Kristen Jenson, author of Good Pictures Bad Pictures. I have not read the book, but it sounds like a great resource to help our children. This is a serious problem in our world today that is affecting so many people, ruining young minds, and damaging families.
Our church has a mormon message regarding the pain and heartbreak that can be caused by pornography.
So what can we do as mother's to protect our children? We can teach and talk to them. I knew what I needed to do. This morning I called the manager of our local grocery store, I explained my concern of the magazine covers with women with very little clothing on and the manager was so helpful. He explained that they have plastic covers that they can put in front of the magazine to cover the photo. He said that he would get right on it to make sure that inappropriate pictures are not right at eye level (and are covered with the plastic cover) for my innocent four year old to see next time I am in the check out line. I am grateful that he was so willing to understand and willing to help me protect my children.
Following this experience we took time to talk with all of our children about pornography and how to avoid it and what to do when we happen upon something that is a "bad picture." It our technological world it is a subject that needs to be clearly addressed at home.
4 comments:
Thank you so much for being an advocate about having those magazines pictures covered-- and just in general protecting families against pornography! It's so nice to know that there are other mothers/people out there fighting against pornography when I feel that it is so mainstream in our society anymore. Thank you!
There is also a great website against pornography called http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/
It is so fascinating the effects it has on the brain. But educating our children about what to do if it does happen (like your daughter seeing it in the store) and talking to her about it right then is so important. Kids need to know they can come to their parents and talk to them about it without feeling shame. Keeping an open relationship is a huge step in fighting it.
Read the part called "get the facts."
I listened to that podcast and want to get that book as well! I tried to do my civic duty by emailing Delta a few weeks ago in response to being required to watching an ad before video that showed in modest and inappropriate dancing. Great job calling to grocery store manager! I know how to spell M modest but for some reason my keyboard speech recognition is not working :-)
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