My Daughter: “You know what Michelle called me at school? Right in front of everyone at the lunch table!”
Me: “No, what did she call you?”
My Daughter: “A goody two-shoes!”
Me: “Hmm well what did you say?”
My Daughter: “I said, what’s wrong with that?!”
Me: “Really? In front of everyone?”
My Daughter: “Yep!”
Boom, Score! (We do too many sports, can you tell?)
Oooh the pressure, the pressure, the pressure that kids have to fit in and be like everybody else. I can hardly stand to hear some of the stories that my kids tell me. It’s heartbreaking.
Then all of a sudden you have this conversation with one of your kids and your heart soars.
We have three people that are not allowed to come to our home. Yes, you read that right. They are simply not allowed to cross the threshold of our door. They are people that disrupt our home and do everything imaginable that I wouldn’t want my kids doing.
They try to break the rules, undermine our authority as parents. and give the illusion that boundaries should not exist. When I see them, I boldly tell them that they are not welcome and that my kids are not allowed to hang out with them.
Sometimes my kids will balk and fuss because they want to hang out with these people. Then other times they know it’s right not to give in to their whispering call.
I’m not a bit ashamed to immediately give them the boot when they come calling!
You may think I’m mean, ungodly or unchristian, but I’m not; I’ll bet these types of people come to your home also… have you spotted them?
Everyone, everybody and nobody are the people that knock at our door and tempt our kids to beg, plead, balk, disobey and pout!
These are actual people that exist in the mind of kids!
- Everyone gets to do it! Why can’t I?
- Everybody has this or that, I should too!
- Nobody has to do that! Why do I?!
I almost crack up when I hear these imagined “friends” mentioned in a conversation with my kids because remember that everyone, everybody and nobody …mean like EVERY SINGLE PERSON!
Are you kidding? Every single person in the world is doing that? Hmm…I’m going to do some calling and see if that’s true, because I’m pretty sure NOT!
Peer pressure can be tough, even excruciating but raising a goody two-shoes is a blessing that sometimes will only be seen in the fruitful life of a child that can stand up and say…
“What’s wrong with that?!”
Every child is different and not all are bold enough to say what they are feeling to another peers face BUT their lives will reflect that the goody two-shoes you are raising will do great things for God, you can be sure of that.
Parents, I encourage you not to give into peer pressure either. It’s ok to have boundaries and not let your kids hang out with Everyone, Everybody and Nobody.
Umm..I’m pretty sure they don’t exist! Aren’t you!?
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Eph. 6:1~3 NIV
“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” John 15:19 NLT
