"Raising Kids In An X Box Generation"

When I was in the fifth grade I learned a hard lesson. I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle in Kansas City, MO. When no one was looking I took a paper clip and stuck it in a wall electrical outlet. Sparks flew and melted the clip in my fingers and left two deep wounds. It blew the fuse and I was found out. I was glad because I was in deep pain. Natural consequences are often the best teachers. No one had to tell me again not to put any kind of wire in a wall outlet.

Parents need to watch out for the time trap.

To raise up your children in the way God wants them to go requires time. Children often get the leftovers of their parent’s time.

Living in the Silicon Valley has its blessing and its curse. Right now the job market is not so great, but in the past and probably the future the Silicon Valley has one of the highest per capita salaries in America. But with high salaries comes a price. With long hours at work there is little time left for the family or for God.

Carollyn sat by a high tech engineer flying from Dallas to San Jose. In their discussion she mentioned that I was serving as pastor of the Willow Vale Church. His response was: “Do people living in the Silicon Valley have time to go to church.” She said, “Yes some people make time to get involved in a local church in the Silicon Valley.”

From time to time we sing the old hymn: “Take Time to Be Holy.” Even so we must take time for our family. When we spend time with our children we understand that each one has different personalities and have different needs.

Boys have different temperaments than girls. By two sons throught it was the greatest time to wrestle with me and roll around on the floor. My girls tired it but more often than not they ended up getting hurt.

Most boys are more competitive then girls. I for one enjoy playing tennis, but I’m not satisfied to just hit the ball. I want to play a game even if I lose. Competition is built into our blood.

A father, Bill Dolan, told about the time one evening at the dinner table that his son, Tom wouldn’t drink his milk and the father made an issue out of it. The father said, “You’re not leaving until you drink your milk! His son Tom said, “I don’t want the milk.” The father said, “That’s not the question. You’re drinking the milk before you leave the table.” It finally dawned upon the dad, I know this kid, and he went and got a glass and I filled the glass with milk. Then he said” “I’ll race you.” He said, “Cool.” And we drank the milk, he put it down and said, “Let’s do two out of three.”

When you get involved with your children you give them your attention. There are some things as parents you should not do:

• Serve as their human quarter machine at the video arcade.

• Read the paper while helping them with their algebra assignment.

• Have the NBA game of the week on while you’re playing Monopoly with them.

• Suggest they take a nap with you on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

To raise up your children in the way they should go means that you give them positive words of affirmation, spend time with them and model authentic Christianity.