Babies and Santa

I knew this day would come... Josh asking about babies... and sex... and Santa. However, knowing it was coming still hasn't prepared me for it. Well, actually, Drew has asked about babies too. He knew he was in my tummy and wanted to know if I "pooped him out."

(bwa ha ha.. who can't laugh at the thought of your kids thinking you poop them out?) I want my children to know -- when it's time for them to know. I'd also prefer my children to know the FACTS rather than the assumptions their friends make and share with them.

The whole baby/sex thing gets brought up more frequently than not because of the over abundance of it's inclusion in every form of media there is. This is primarily why I a) don't like television and b) don't like non-family-friendly radio stations. We watched Marley and Me, for instance, a seemingly benign movie not too terribly long ago. Josh told me that his friend Shane learned where babies come from just from watching that movie. I was like... what? Oh it's about a DOG... ok... so the dog probably has puppies... nature in it's purest form. That can be an educational lesson then, okay. Little did I know it was about Jennifer Aniston and her husband trying to have a baby all the time. UGH... talk about awkward! So, Andy has been banned from movie selections at our home now. They all must be run through me. I did, however, have and he shouldhave checked this resource called Kids In Mind. It's a fantastic resource and leaves nothing to chance with it's screen by screen listing of important aspects of movies that parents want to know. Topics like sex/nudity, violence/gore, language, alcohol/drugs, etc. It's listed for the parents to decide if the content is acceptable. The sex/nudity for this show 5 and below are some of the situations seen in this feature:

SEX/NUDITY 5 - A husband and a wife kiss in bed and it is implied that they have sex (we hear squeaking springs). A husband and wife kiss, she sits on his lap, she stands up and takes off her dress in front of him (we see her bare shoulders and the side of her breast), she jumps into a swimming pool, her husband takes off his shirt (we see his bare chest) and jumps in too, and they kiss and hug.

► A dog tackles a woman and thrusts on her leg rapidly (the woman yells). A wife jumps into her husband's arms and kisses him. A husband and wife kiss in several scenes throughout the movie. A young man and a young woman kiss on a beach. A man flirts with women and uses a dog and a baby as lures to get into conversations with women.

► We see a nude baby boy and his genitals are visible. A dog jumps into a shower where a young woman is bathing and she pulls the curtain down to cover herself (we see her bare shoulders). A dog pulls a towel off a young woman just out of the shower (we see her bare legs). We see many women in bikinis and men in swim trunks in several beach scenes. A woman wears a low-cut wedding gown that reveals cleavage and the skirt is hiked up to her thighs.

And while some parents/people/liberals may feel that we, in America, take things to the extreme (i.e., there are some countries where soft-core porn is shown on daytime TELEVISION?) I certainly don't feel that protecting my children from the over-sensationalized sex industry is being over-protective. I want both boys to have a healthy respect for women, their bodies, their minds, and to know their role in relationships. I don't expect them to become monks and take a vow of celibacy but I do expect them live for the Lord and remember that everything they do has a consequence.

So, something the other day gets brought up and Josh says, yet again, that he wants to know where babies come from. I'm really struggling with feeding him too much information or approaching this from a scientific-based basis. Should I approach this from a biblical standpoint? Should I intertwine the two? What books should I use as a reference... should I let him read books and come to me with questions? I'm going to pray about this... (and seek the counsel of friends with older boys!) :)

The other topic that has come up is Santa... is he real? While I understand many weird-o's (just kidding -- geez, chill out!) out there think that you're lying to your children and are just showing them that you can't be trusted for giving them this fun and fantasy to believe in during the holiday season... I think it's just good, old-fashioned fun. I see no harm in letting children believe... this year, however, I will tell Joshua the truth SO LONG AS he swears an oath that he will not spoil it for his younger siblings (both here and in Iowa.) I intend to have him read a book with me called The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn. We will then have a special lunch (in December) where we will discuss this whole issue... about how he was a real man but now his spirit is kept alive by all who believe in the very spirit of selflessly giving -- which ... isn't that a true example of showing Christ's love of others? Call me crazy, but I feel that it does! I'll also tell him that as long as he believes in the SPIRIT of Christmas, Santa will still visit him. :)

Just a couple of random topics that were on my brain today.