When Cassi was in junior high, I enrolled her at the local public junior high school. I had been home schooling her and, frankly, she was bored being at home with a sick mom all the time and wanted a social life. I told her she could go as long as she made good friends. If I saw her going in a direction I didn't like, I would pull her out immediately.
After two months, she started hanging out with this girl. She had a bad attitude and seemed to enjoy the world's ways a little more than I was comfortable with. I pulled my sweet Cassi out of junior high. Yes, we were strict parents.
I have said in past posts that we didn't allow our children to have sleep overs. We didn't allow them to date in high school. We felt they should wait until they were ready for marriage and then date someone they thought they could marry. We were careful what they saw on television and movies. We wanted to protect them.
Some thought we would cause them to rebel by having so many boundaries. I always felt children would rebel because they had rebellious hearts, not because they were given boundaries. God gives us many boundaries for our protection that are good for us.
We always told our children why we made these boundaries. We used scripture to back them up. We wanted the weight of God's Word behind them. They thank us for them now. They are happy we protected them. It helped them to know we loved and cherished them.
Don't be afraid to set boundaries for your children. Fences around homes keep coyotes and other harmful animals out. Fences around your children protect them from evil influences. Build those fences early, parents, and give them lots of love, affection, and have a happy home! They might even grow up and thank you one day.
Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
I Corinthians 15:33
P.S. We eventually put Cassi into the local Christian high school and she met Shannon, a precious, godly friend. That is who is in the picture with Cassi.
