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	<title>Comments on: Values Versus Pop Culture</title>
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	<description>Timeless Parenting Advice for Toddlers through Teenagers</description>
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		<title>By: Dee S.</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-47834</link>
		<dc:creator>Dee S.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:33:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-47834</guid>
		<description>We made the decision when our son was a baby to get rid of cable TV. The only channel we do get is PBS and we are comfortable with the programming there. 
We also decided not to get any sort of video gaming unit. We want him to use his imagination and not get sucked into images all the time. Of course he does get the occasional exposure to TV at grandparents or friends houses. But because we&#039;ve never had it he doesn&#039;t complain. My husband and I are very anti-mainstream and like to think outside the box. So our son has learned to do the same.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We made the decision when our son was a baby to get rid of cable TV. The only channel we do get is PBS and we are comfortable with the programming there.<br />
We also decided not to get any sort of video gaming unit. We want him to use his imagination and not get sucked into images all the time. Of course he does get the occasional exposure to TV at grandparents or friends houses. But because we&#8217;ve never had it he doesn&#8217;t complain. My husband and I are very anti-mainstream and like to think outside the box. So our son has learned to do the same.</p>
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		<title>By: Misty</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-35188</link>
		<dc:creator>Misty</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:34:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-35188</guid>
		<description>Dearest Mislead Yvonne,
Apparently you did not read my post carefully or you would have realized that you have falsely accussed me of reffering to a breast as dirty. I even stated that no one had evet said that in my household. We were made in God&#039;s image so of coarse we are a beautiful creation. Adam and Eve sealed our fate of covering ourselves in Genesis. ( maybe they dont cover that in Europe)
I would like an apology for generalizing me and falsely accusing me when you do not know me.
i would also like to inform you that it was not a shower gel commercial it was an adult type ( not saying porn of coarse) that had a naked lady- Probably from Europe,Yvonne I am sure you would be familiar with the program.

I feel sorry for you for attacking people here when this is a terrific source of information. THe real God from the bible ( you know, right?) says to keep our minds pure and free from unholy things. He also says we are born unclean with a sinners heart until we give our lives over to him and he gives us a new heart full of his fruits of the spirit. I would be happy to talk more about this with you Yvonne.

It is sad that you have left your soul up to yourself. You will fail everytime. Please trust your soul to Jesus. He is God who came to Earth as a man, lived here sinless, died and was buried for our sin. And being God, rose agian and ascended to heaven so we could have faith in knowing that he will joyously return to Earth one day to claim his throne and call up to heaven all the souls who believed and committed to God our loving father.
Please do not feel sorry for me. I would love to hear from you when your children have graduated high school or college and compare their experiences to my own childrens&#039;. It is my opinion that you almost can not shelter a child enough these days from the filth on TV ( yes commercials Yvonne) and the worldliness that my children live in but are not of.( that is from the bible too Yvonne in case you are not familiar.
You are precious to God.
Everyone sins. Jesus suffered much and died for your sins. Anyone can ask Him to forgive them and that they want Him in their lives forever. This is the way to true peace in God. I Have that, do you??

Phil. 4:13</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dearest Mislead Yvonne,<br />
Apparently you did not read my post carefully or you would have realized that you have falsely accussed me of reffering to a breast as dirty. I even stated that no one had evet said that in my household. We were made in God&#8217;s image so of coarse we are a beautiful creation. Adam and Eve sealed our fate of covering ourselves in Genesis. ( maybe they dont cover that in Europe)<br />
I would like an apology for generalizing me and falsely accusing me when you do not know me.<br />
i would also like to inform you that it was not a shower gel commercial it was an adult type ( not saying porn of coarse) that had a naked lady- Probably from Europe,Yvonne I am sure you would be familiar with the program.</p>
<p>I feel sorry for you for attacking people here when this is a terrific source of information. THe real God from the bible ( you know, right?) says to keep our minds pure and free from unholy things. He also says we are born unclean with a sinners heart until we give our lives over to him and he gives us a new heart full of his fruits of the spirit. I would be happy to talk more about this with you Yvonne.</p>
<p>It is sad that you have left your soul up to yourself. You will fail everytime. Please trust your soul to Jesus. He is God who came to Earth as a man, lived here sinless, died and was buried for our sin. And being God, rose agian and ascended to heaven so we could have faith in knowing that he will joyously return to Earth one day to claim his throne and call up to heaven all the souls who believed and committed to God our loving father.<br />
Please do not feel sorry for me. I would love to hear from you when your children have graduated high school or college and compare their experiences to my own childrens&#8217;. It is my opinion that you almost can not shelter a child enough these days from the filth on TV ( yes commercials Yvonne) and the worldliness that my children live in but are not of.( that is from the bible too Yvonne in case you are not familiar.<br />
You are precious to God.<br />
Everyone sins. Jesus suffered much and died for your sins. Anyone can ask Him to forgive them and that they want Him in their lives forever. This is the way to true peace in God. I Have that, do you??</p>
<p>Phil. 4:13</p>
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		<title>By: Yvonne</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-34721</link>
		<dc:creator>Yvonne</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:46:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-34721</guid>
		<description>Dear Ana,

all good things in life come from God, Creator Source, God most High!
It is the art of the human mind to be able to tap into these energies that God has provided each and every soul with. It is how one is able to control one&#039;s mind by only allowing loving and compassionate feelings into one&#039;s mind and therefore one&#039;s actions are also of good nature.

To live life on the God-Level of BEING (within one&#039;self in order to emanate outwards) it means to be healthy in the mind first. When one is healthy in the mind one is able to attract good things into one&#039;s life and therefore is able to give back to others may this be in form of physical help, food, shelter, knowledge and wisdom and even with money! Why not Money? Money in itself isn&#039;t anything bad. It is what one may decide to do with the money that could make things bad, just like with everything else. Money is an energy culminated by a belief system long ago, when it became common to store gold and silver by being given a signed piece of paper over the certain amount from the person that hosted the &#039;store house&#039; of these goods. Back then it was hard to travel with so much metal in one&#039;s pockets. It then became common to trade these papers amongst each other when it so happened that 80% of the gold and silver owners never came to pick up their goods from the &#039;store house&#039; and rather traded with the paper that said: I OWE YOU!
The paper itself doesn&#039;t carry any value, Ana it is the belief that makes it valuable.

So, Energy in all Forms is made by God so therefore Energy including money-energy is not a bad thing as it is neutral, until a person (the ego) decides which thought-emotion will be attached to this energy and therefore which action will result out of this. It is the Law of Cause and Effect!

God loves all the Children (and adults) the same, so God gave everybody equal opportunities to create one&#039;s life via FREE WILL OF CHOICE. 
It is the wisest human being that is blessed and bestowed by God&#039;s Glory by being able to still understand and to live by GOD-LAW despite of all the metaphors and re-written so called &#039;holy books&#039; and not having gotten distracted by the human ego-mind that has been fighting for eons to dominate one&#039;s own peers, and therefore has broken God&#039;s Laws already. 

Once you know all this, none of the so called Tools that are offered to live life abundantly, in health, wealth, love, mental strength and spirituality are intentionally bad, it is what each person decides to think and to feel about them. Every negative thought means to shun what God has brought forth into one&#039;s life, as Everything and All There Is, is of God, because God is Reality, not what we think SHOULD BE! To argue with Reality is insane and to tell God that God made a mistake. God doesn&#039;t make mistakes, only humans do :)

So, if again one feels that the Pop-Culture is something bad, then don&#039;t make it part of your life, or if you make it a part of your life make sure you utilize this opportunity to do Good with it! Teach your kids to dance and have fun with it! Dancing is healthy! Create your own songs that speak of positive messages of love and compassion, and simply help to bring about positive change within the pop-culture itself by bringing in your own ideas for example.

Just a thought.

Love,
Yvonne.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear Ana,</p>
<p>all good things in life come from God, Creator Source, God most High!<br />
It is the art of the human mind to be able to tap into these energies that God has provided each and every soul with. It is how one is able to control one&#8217;s mind by only allowing loving and compassionate feelings into one&#8217;s mind and therefore one&#8217;s actions are also of good nature.</p>
<p>To live life on the God-Level of BEING (within one&#8217;self in order to emanate outwards) it means to be healthy in the mind first. When one is healthy in the mind one is able to attract good things into one&#8217;s life and therefore is able to give back to others may this be in form of physical help, food, shelter, knowledge and wisdom and even with money! Why not Money? Money in itself isn&#8217;t anything bad. It is what one may decide to do with the money that could make things bad, just like with everything else. Money is an energy culminated by a belief system long ago, when it became common to store gold and silver by being given a signed piece of paper over the certain amount from the person that hosted the &#8216;store house&#8217; of these goods. Back then it was hard to travel with so much metal in one&#8217;s pockets. It then became common to trade these papers amongst each other when it so happened that 80% of the gold and silver owners never came to pick up their goods from the &#8216;store house&#8217; and rather traded with the paper that said: I OWE YOU!<br />
The paper itself doesn&#8217;t carry any value, Ana it is the belief that makes it valuable.</p>
<p>So, Energy in all Forms is made by God so therefore Energy including money-energy is not a bad thing as it is neutral, until a person (the ego) decides which thought-emotion will be attached to this energy and therefore which action will result out of this. It is the Law of Cause and Effect!</p>
<p>God loves all the Children (and adults) the same, so God gave everybody equal opportunities to create one&#8217;s life via FREE WILL OF CHOICE.<br />
It is the wisest human being that is blessed and bestowed by God&#8217;s Glory by being able to still understand and to live by GOD-LAW despite of all the metaphors and re-written so called &#8216;holy books&#8217; and not having gotten distracted by the human ego-mind that has been fighting for eons to dominate one&#8217;s own peers, and therefore has broken God&#8217;s Laws already. </p>
<p>Once you know all this, none of the so called Tools that are offered to live life abundantly, in health, wealth, love, mental strength and spirituality are intentionally bad, it is what each person decides to think and to feel about them. Every negative thought means to shun what God has brought forth into one&#8217;s life, as Everything and All There Is, is of God, because God is Reality, not what we think SHOULD BE! To argue with Reality is insane and to tell God that God made a mistake. God doesn&#8217;t make mistakes, only humans do <img src='http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>So, if again one feels that the Pop-Culture is something bad, then don&#8217;t make it part of your life, or if you make it a part of your life make sure you utilize this opportunity to do Good with it! Teach your kids to dance and have fun with it! Dancing is healthy! Create your own songs that speak of positive messages of love and compassion, and simply help to bring about positive change within the pop-culture itself by bringing in your own ideas for example.</p>
<p>Just a thought.</p>
<p>Love,<br />
Yvonne.</p>
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		<title>By: Ana Perez</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-34707</link>
		<dc:creator>Ana Perez</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:12:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-34707</guid>
		<description>Our famiiy takes every occassion to thank God for everything we have.   The bible says, every good and perfect gift comes from God and I believe it...We&#039;re so blessed to have what we have.  We also know that money answers lots of things but it doesn&#039;t cure terminal illness, take away depression, stop problems from coming to our lives.  If we take a good look third world countries have more hospitality, spirituality and community life than us isolated, independent minded westerners...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Our famiiy takes every occassion to thank God for everything we have.   The bible says, every good and perfect gift comes from God and I believe it&#8230;We&#8217;re so blessed to have what we have.  We also know that money answers lots of things but it doesn&#8217;t cure terminal illness, take away depression, stop problems from coming to our lives.  If we take a good look third world countries have more hospitality, spirituality and community life than us isolated, independent minded westerners&#8230;</p>
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		<title>By: Yvonne</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-34397</link>
		<dc:creator>Yvonne</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:19:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-34397</guid>
		<description>Hello Ellen,

this is a comment to Misty&#039;s post.

I am pretty upset how she can depict a woman&#039;s breast as &#039;dirty&#039;.
The woman&#039;s breast in itself isn&#039;t the dirty thing, it is what some people associate with it.
Also, God didn&#039;t have us &#039;enter this world&#039; with clothes on, so if people like Misty screw up their kids head up that nudity is dirty, than what do you think children will think of themselves growing up? .... will they think that people in general are bad, dirty, despicable? 

I do strongly believe in God, God-Source, Creator God for sure, what I am truly feeling sad about is when every time I hear people falling trap to religious dogma, which is man made to control man, so people are feeling bad about themselves and their insecurity can be exploited by others.

I am from Europe and I can tell you that there is a difference between nudity and &quot;nudity&quot;. Nudity is a natural part of a person&#039;s Being and I feel it is better to educate our children about the differences in gender than making a big secret about it by giving them the vibe that there is something &#039;really bad that needs to be hidden&#039;.
How ridicolous is that?
God gave humans a body for a reason! How can she say that God&#039; Creation is dirty? 

The body in itself is loving and beautiful, it is the Adult-Industry that perverts everything and man&#039;s mind that creates the adversities, so I feel it is this lady&#039;s own thought approach right here that is questionable, in my opinion.
I am sure all her little boy saw was possibly some shower-gel commercial and she made a big deal out of it.

I agree, we are to be very careful with what type of thought-vibes we imprint on our kids, most of all the thought-vibrations that stem from our own minds and then &#039;make them believe&#039; what we believe is truth, and all other people that don&#039;t share the same thought are wrong, so this way a child growing up is already stripped of the free will of choice to make their own experiences and to think for themselves. 

Don&#039;t people like Misty know that each human being has their own soul to take care of, to co-create together with God by following guidance through ones&#039; intuitive mind within, and that all people are protected by God through God&#039;s Divine Love, if parents would just stop to over-exaggerate and let their children be, by refraining from becoming so called helicopter parents.
Nudity in itself doesn&#039;t do any harm, it&#039;s those so called overly religious people&#039;s mind saying that the body is dirty, that cause just as much damage in a child than the Adult-Industry.

How can you say that God&#039;s creations are dirty?
Ask yourself this, Misty?
Are you dirty? ... because you walk on this planet within a body?
I am sorry, but this is truly too much ..... I feel sorry for you.
You are a beautiful Spiritual Being having a Physical Experience here on Earth. That having been said may give you some reason to think about What and Who God really is!

Please enlighten yourself with a little more educational things when it comes to the difference between Man-Made Dogma and the Truth of God that God wanted for people to understand, live and perceive according to his/her Divine Will, and not what you THINK God wanted for humanity.

Enough said,
wishing Love, Peace and Light into your Heart my Dear,
Yvonne.

PS: A wonderful Read is THE MASTER KEY SYSTEM, by Charles F. Haanel. You can google it first and get some information before you buy it.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello Ellen,</p>
<p>this is a comment to Misty&#8217;s post.</p>
<p>I am pretty upset how she can depict a woman&#8217;s breast as &#8216;dirty&#8217;.<br />
The woman&#8217;s breast in itself isn&#8217;t the dirty thing, it is what some people associate with it.<br />
Also, God didn&#8217;t have us &#8216;enter this world&#8217; with clothes on, so if people like Misty screw up their kids head up that nudity is dirty, than what do you think children will think of themselves growing up? &#8230;. will they think that people in general are bad, dirty, despicable? </p>
<p>I do strongly believe in God, God-Source, Creator God for sure, what I am truly feeling sad about is when every time I hear people falling trap to religious dogma, which is man made to control man, so people are feeling bad about themselves and their insecurity can be exploited by others.</p>
<p>I am from Europe and I can tell you that there is a difference between nudity and &#8220;nudity&#8221;. Nudity is a natural part of a person&#8217;s Being and I feel it is better to educate our children about the differences in gender than making a big secret about it by giving them the vibe that there is something &#8216;really bad that needs to be hidden&#8217;.<br />
How ridicolous is that?<br />
God gave humans a body for a reason! How can she say that God&#8217; Creation is dirty? </p>
<p>The body in itself is loving and beautiful, it is the Adult-Industry that perverts everything and man&#8217;s mind that creates the adversities, so I feel it is this lady&#8217;s own thought approach right here that is questionable, in my opinion.<br />
I am sure all her little boy saw was possibly some shower-gel commercial and she made a big deal out of it.</p>
<p>I agree, we are to be very careful with what type of thought-vibes we imprint on our kids, most of all the thought-vibrations that stem from our own minds and then &#8216;make them believe&#8217; what we believe is truth, and all other people that don&#8217;t share the same thought are wrong, so this way a child growing up is already stripped of the free will of choice to make their own experiences and to think for themselves. </p>
<p>Don&#8217;t people like Misty know that each human being has their own soul to take care of, to co-create together with God by following guidance through ones&#8217; intuitive mind within, and that all people are protected by God through God&#8217;s Divine Love, if parents would just stop to over-exaggerate and let their children be, by refraining from becoming so called helicopter parents.<br />
Nudity in itself doesn&#8217;t do any harm, it&#8217;s those so called overly religious people&#8217;s mind saying that the body is dirty, that cause just as much damage in a child than the Adult-Industry.</p>
<p>How can you say that God&#8217;s creations are dirty?<br />
Ask yourself this, Misty?<br />
Are you dirty? &#8230; because you walk on this planet within a body?<br />
I am sorry, but this is truly too much &#8230;.. I feel sorry for you.<br />
You are a beautiful Spiritual Being having a Physical Experience here on Earth. That having been said may give you some reason to think about What and Who God really is!</p>
<p>Please enlighten yourself with a little more educational things when it comes to the difference between Man-Made Dogma and the Truth of God that God wanted for people to understand, live and perceive according to his/her Divine Will, and not what you THINK God wanted for humanity.</p>
<p>Enough said,<br />
wishing Love, Peace and Light into your Heart my Dear,<br />
Yvonne.</p>
<p>PS: A wonderful Read is THE MASTER KEY SYSTEM, by Charles F. Haanel. You can google it first and get some information before you buy it.</p>
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		<title>By: Misty</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-34394</link>
		<dc:creator>Misty</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:21:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-34394</guid>
		<description>Most Important Tip- Family night devotion as many nights a week as you can. Get a simple book on it, read the silly little stories, everyone use their bible to look up the key verse, and pray. It only takes 15 minutes and the dishes can wait!!

TALK not always so good!!!! I wish my parents had censored my life more and talked less!!
I read several of the blogs and saw some great tips. I thought I would add something I didnt see in my reading. 
Limited exposure according to their age is a parents right and duty. 
True you can talk about things you watch on tv together but the images they see are burned into their brains forever.
 Example: When my son was 9 he saw breasts on TV when he was changing the channel to cartoons. I was home but not there at that moment. Several nights later he was crying at bedtime because he couldnt get that image out of his mind and he thougt he was not a saved Christian anymore. No one ever told him that was dirty or wrong and true we did TALK about it because I am definately a communicator. After that i was very careful of things that rely heavy on boy /girl relationships in movies and tv.
I believe in proving a shelter for my children, not sheltering them. 
when their friends were seeing PG movies at 5 &amp; 6 mine were not, playing nintendo or playstation rated T or worse games at age 8 mine were and still arent. It makes a difference!!! 
My son will tell you every dirty word he knows some kid told him at school. I expected that, but I love the fact that he wasnt the one doing the telling. He also respects the fact that it is not allowed at home or anywhere else. When I hear other kids &quot;slip up&quot; and use near curse words, I rest assured that my children speak more positively because their ears were kept pure until it was out of my control.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most Important Tip- Family night devotion as many nights a week as you can. Get a simple book on it, read the silly little stories, everyone use their bible to look up the key verse, and pray. It only takes 15 minutes and the dishes can wait!!</p>
<p>TALK not always so good!!!! I wish my parents had censored my life more and talked less!!<br />
I read several of the blogs and saw some great tips. I thought I would add something I didnt see in my reading.<br />
Limited exposure according to their age is a parents right and duty.<br />
True you can talk about things you watch on tv together but the images they see are burned into their brains forever.<br />
 Example: When my son was 9 he saw breasts on TV when he was changing the channel to cartoons. I was home but not there at that moment. Several nights later he was crying at bedtime because he couldnt get that image out of his mind and he thougt he was not a saved Christian anymore. No one ever told him that was dirty or wrong and true we did TALK about it because I am definately a communicator. After that i was very careful of things that rely heavy on boy /girl relationships in movies and tv.<br />
I believe in proving a shelter for my children, not sheltering them.<br />
when their friends were seeing PG movies at 5 &amp; 6 mine were not, playing nintendo or playstation rated T or worse games at age 8 mine were and still arent. It makes a difference!!!<br />
My son will tell you every dirty word he knows some kid told him at school. I expected that, but I love the fact that he wasnt the one doing the telling. He also respects the fact that it is not allowed at home or anywhere else. When I hear other kids &#8220;slip up&#8221; and use near curse words, I rest assured that my children speak more positively because their ears were kept pure until it was out of my control.</p>
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		<title>By: Autumn Hicks</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-33794</link>
		<dc:creator>Autumn Hicks</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:13:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33794</guid>
		<description>Just in the 8 years I have been a mom if there is one thing I learned my 2 boys see and hear every little conversation that we have. If I am tearing someone down or spending on the next best thing then they are going to learn that habit.  That is not of God that is this pop culture.  If we model the best way we can God&#039;s values then we teach them the God&#039;s Values.   I am not saying it is easy because it is not.
They know that we put God first and we are there for each other day by day.  To answer the questions that you have asked about pop culuture and American values, I have no idea because I fail everyday at trying to the perfect mom, not letting my kids watch certain shows, don&#039;t buy the bigger and better thing that out etc. We can try every possible thing but God knows that as long as we keep him in sight and our heart is right with him that in the end he wins either way.  We just need to keep trying to do the best we know with God at our side and we will be okay in the end.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just in the 8 years I have been a mom if there is one thing I learned my 2 boys see and hear every little conversation that we have. If I am tearing someone down or spending on the next best thing then they are going to learn that habit.  That is not of God that is this pop culture.  If we model the best way we can God&#8217;s values then we teach them the God&#8217;s Values.   I am not saying it is easy because it is not.<br />
They know that we put God first and we are there for each other day by day.  To answer the questions that you have asked about pop culuture and American values, I have no idea because I fail everyday at trying to the perfect mom, not letting my kids watch certain shows, don&#8217;t buy the bigger and better thing that out etc. We can try every possible thing but God knows that as long as we keep him in sight and our heart is right with him that in the end he wins either way.  We just need to keep trying to do the best we know with God at our side and we will be okay in the end.</p>
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		<title>By: Paula</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-4/#comment-33583</link>
		<dc:creator>Paula</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:51:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33583</guid>
		<description>When standing in line at the checkout, especially the grocery store, I ask my 11 year-old-daughter what her observations are in response to the headlines on magazines.  She&#039;s learned to make the observation that most magazines positioned at the checkout make assumptions that we don&#039;t wear the &quot;right&quot; clothes or makeup or don&#039;t weigh the &quot;right&quot; amount among other negative messages.  We talk about these messages and how they affect the reader and that WE make the decisions about what is &quot;right&quot; for us--that the decision does not come from a publisher.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When standing in line at the checkout, especially the grocery store, I ask my 11 year-old-daughter what her observations are in response to the headlines on magazines.  She&#8217;s learned to make the observation that most magazines positioned at the checkout make assumptions that we don&#8217;t wear the &#8220;right&#8221; clothes or makeup or don&#8217;t weigh the &#8220;right&#8221; amount among other negative messages.  We talk about these messages and how they affect the reader and that WE make the decisions about what is &#8220;right&#8221; for us&#8211;that the decision does not come from a publisher.</p>
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		<title>By: Principled Discovery &#187; Lower education</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33471</link>
		<dc:creator>Principled Discovery &#187; Lower education</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33471</guid>
		<description>[...] Raising Small Hands poses an interesting question: How do you prevent American values (i.e. that beauty, wealth, and power are the keys to happiness and success) from taking hold in your children’s mind? [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Raising Small Hands poses an interesting question: How do you prevent American values (i.e. that beauty, wealth, and power are the keys to happiness and success) from taking hold in your children’s mind? [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Principled Discovery &#187; Lower education</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33472</link>
		<dc:creator>Principled Discovery &#187; Lower education</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33472</guid>
		<description>[...] Raising Small Hands poses an interesting question: How do you prevent American values (i.e. that beauty, wealth, and power are the keys to happiness and success) from taking hold in your children’s mind? [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Raising Small Hands poses an interesting question: How do you prevent American values (i.e. that beauty, wealth, and power are the keys to happiness and success) from taking hold in your children’s mind? [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Kathy</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33441</link>
		<dc:creator>Kathy</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:40:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33441</guid>
		<description>Many Americans today consider shopping to be a recreational activity.  One of the main things that I have done with my children is to help them differentiate between wants and needs.  If we truly need something, then we go shopping.  But hanging out at he mall, or &quot;just window shopping &quot; is not done at our house.  As far as beauty goes, I purposefully express to my children that so-and-so has abeautiful spirit, smile, laugh etc.  We talk about God&#039;s beauty expressed in many ways around us, by kind actions, words and unselfishness.  Transmitting our values to our children and counteracting the societal influence is something that must be done conciously and on purpose.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many Americans today consider shopping to be a recreational activity.  One of the main things that I have done with my children is to help them differentiate between wants and needs.  If we truly need something, then we go shopping.  But hanging out at he mall, or &#8220;just window shopping &#8221; is not done at our house.  As far as beauty goes, I purposefully express to my children that so-and-so has abeautiful spirit, smile, laugh etc.  We talk about God&#8217;s beauty expressed in many ways around us, by kind actions, words and unselfishness.  Transmitting our values to our children and counteracting the societal influence is something that must be done conciously and on purpose.</p>
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		<title>By: Paula</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33425</link>
		<dc:creator>Paula</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:55:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33425</guid>
		<description>To embrace everything that they feel and think and experience when they make the choices that they make.  Only they can decide for themselves what they experience based on what they choose about what is out there.  I want my children to be empowered by who they are and they know that by being reminded that they are in charge of their choices.  I encourage them to embrace what the media is, what America represents with all of its many quips and what they want to do knowing all that.  Teach them to be honest particularly with themselves.  Never judge their choices but offer them the space and support they need to live out and experience those choices.  If we can teach them to love themselves for all that they are they can learn to love others for all they are (including America) without judgement.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>To embrace everything that they feel and think and experience when they make the choices that they make.  Only they can decide for themselves what they experience based on what they choose about what is out there.  I want my children to be empowered by who they are and they know that by being reminded that they are in charge of their choices.  I encourage them to embrace what the media is, what America represents with all of its many quips and what they want to do knowing all that.  Teach them to be honest particularly with themselves.  Never judge their choices but offer them the space and support they need to live out and experience those choices.  If we can teach them to love themselves for all that they are they can learn to love others for all they are (including America) without judgement.</p>
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		<title>By: kathy gallegos</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33422</link>
		<dc:creator>kathy gallegos</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:51:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33422</guid>
		<description>Make the littlest things matter. I have my grandchildren make cards to family members instead of buying them, doing crafts that cost little or nothing,collecting flowers, rocks etc, but let them know that hard work gets you things that you want,and that things are not given to you unless you do work hard, and let them know that they are somebody that you will listen to; their opinion matters.And by all means listen when they talk to you.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Make the littlest things matter. I have my grandchildren make cards to family members instead of buying them, doing crafts that cost little or nothing,collecting flowers, rocks etc, but let them know that hard work gets you things that you want,and that things are not given to you unless you do work hard, and let them know that they are somebody that you will listen to; their opinion matters.And by all means listen when they talk to you.</p>
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		<title>By: Marietta Mckennis</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33420</link>
		<dc:creator>Marietta Mckennis</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:01:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33420</guid>
		<description>In my home we have monthly family meetings where we discuss personal, religious or worldly issues. Each person gets an opportunity to express their views on whatever is on their mind or they get to comment on something someone else says. This has been very effective for peace,unity and understanding in our home. We pray before we start because sometimes things can get a little heated. lolol</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In my home we have monthly family meetings where we discuss personal, religious or worldly issues. Each person gets an opportunity to express their views on whatever is on their mind or they get to comment on something someone else says. This has been very effective for peace,unity and understanding in our home. We pray before we start because sometimes things can get a little heated. lolol</p>
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		<title>By: Patricia</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33409</link>
		<dc:creator>Patricia</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:15:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33409</guid>
		<description>Excellent little Book Barbara ... 
http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf
if you haven&#039;t taken a look at this book .. it&#039;s worth it. 
So true.. and you know; apologizing to our kids is so beneficial!  Letting them realize we are learning right along with them is empowering for us all.. when making mistakes ask for forgiveness  - This is a must!  And smile at your kids, laugh with them.. hug them.. enjoy them.. even when you don&#039;t feel so hot yourself.. SMILE all the time if you can.. be thankful to them for just being beside you in the walk of life we are in :)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Excellent little Book Barbara &#8230;<br />
<a href="http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf</a><br />
if you haven&#8217;t taken a look at this book .. it&#8217;s worth it.<br />
So true.. and you know; apologizing to our kids is so beneficial!  Letting them realize we are learning right along with them is empowering for us all.. when making mistakes ask for forgiveness  &#8211; This is a must!  And smile at your kids, laugh with them.. hug them.. enjoy them.. even when you don&#8217;t feel so hot yourself.. SMILE all the time if you can.. be thankful to them for just being beside you in the walk of life we are in <img src='http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>By: Nikki</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33351</link>
		<dc:creator>Nikki</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:59:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33351</guid>
		<description>I have two children, ages 8 and 12.  We address all of these issues (beauty, wealth and power) to them in very practical ways, every day.  I always tell them that I love them just the way they are and if someone makes fun of them for the way they look, I reassure them that the opionion of one is not the opinion of all and I think they are just perfect.  As far as wealth and money, we teach our children valuable lessons about the worth of objects by making them save their own money to buy things they want such as, I-Pods or DS&#039;s.  They take much better care of their things than their friends do and they appreciate them more.  As far as power, we always encourage our children to do their best, but also instill in them they they can&#039;t always be the best at everything or win everything (contest, ball game, spelling bee, etc.).  As long as they had fun, learned something and did their best then they are already a winner in our eyes.  I know it is sinking in, because I hear them tell other people, sometimes even their friends things such as, &quot;I did my best and had fun, but somebody else won this time.&quot;  It&#039;s very refreshing!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have two children, ages 8 and 12.  We address all of these issues (beauty, wealth and power) to them in very practical ways, every day.  I always tell them that I love them just the way they are and if someone makes fun of them for the way they look, I reassure them that the opionion of one is not the opinion of all and I think they are just perfect.  As far as wealth and money, we teach our children valuable lessons about the worth of objects by making them save their own money to buy things they want such as, I-Pods or DS&#8217;s.  They take much better care of their things than their friends do and they appreciate them more.  As far as power, we always encourage our children to do their best, but also instill in them they they can&#8217;t always be the best at everything or win everything (contest, ball game, spelling bee, etc.).  As long as they had fun, learned something and did their best then they are already a winner in our eyes.  I know it is sinking in, because I hear them tell other people, sometimes even their friends things such as, &#8220;I did my best and had fun, but somebody else won this time.&#8221;  It&#8217;s very refreshing!</p>
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		<title>By: Janet</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33346</link>
		<dc:creator>Janet</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:05:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33346</guid>
		<description>My original post #91 provided a peek into what goes toward the parenting of my children. I will expand on that based on what #94 Barbara added. I am a product of a broken home and a &#039;victim&#039; of the foster care system (7 different foster homes)I survived abusive parents, an abusive husband and abusive foster homes. I work two to three jobs regularly. I have shown by example that you can not use your past as an excuse or a crutch. I have instilled in my children (with help from God) the knowledge that they are capable of more than they realize and that you can only control yourself - no one else; That they can make a difference in this world by leaving every situation a little better than they found it. The small things count and little miracles happen everyday; you just have to keep your eyes open to see them. I feel that I have armed my children with self control - something not expressed by the Pop stars of today. That is a topic we do discuss - yes, the other think I have provided my children is the permission to ask, to explore and discuss respectfully, any differences in opinion or view point. They are encouraged to think - often outside the box. It creates a more thoughtful adult capable of problem solving and accepting differences. It also allows them to take responsibilty for their choices and to accept the consequences. I do believe that the pop stars have not had to deal with any of that, so they do make a great study for how NOT to behave. Just my humble opinion.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My original post #91 provided a peek into what goes toward the parenting of my children. I will expand on that based on what #94 Barbara added. I am a product of a broken home and a &#8216;victim&#8217; of the foster care system (7 different foster homes)I survived abusive parents, an abusive husband and abusive foster homes. I work two to three jobs regularly. I have shown by example that you can not use your past as an excuse or a crutch. I have instilled in my children (with help from God) the knowledge that they are capable of more than they realize and that you can only control yourself &#8211; no one else; That they can make a difference in this world by leaving every situation a little better than they found it. The small things count and little miracles happen everyday; you just have to keep your eyes open to see them. I feel that I have armed my children with self control &#8211; something not expressed by the Pop stars of today. That is a topic we do discuss &#8211; yes, the other think I have provided my children is the permission to ask, to explore and discuss respectfully, any differences in opinion or view point. They are encouraged to think &#8211; often outside the box. It creates a more thoughtful adult capable of problem solving and accepting differences. It also allows them to take responsibilty for their choices and to accept the consequences. I do believe that the pop stars have not had to deal with any of that, so they do make a great study for how NOT to behave. Just my humble opinion.</p>
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		<title>By: ruth mallia</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33343</link>
		<dc:creator>ruth mallia</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:13:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33343</guid>
		<description>Personally, I find that the easiest way to pass on these values is by setting an example yourself as a parent. I am mum to a five year old boy. I constantly ask myself, &#039;where do my priorities lie? do they lie in the material things? do I transmit the message to my son that materialistic things are more important that him or me??&#039;. The example has to be set from a very young age. I find it very unfair to label people by what they look like. For example, I never refer to anyone by adjectives that describe a person in any negative light whatsoever. If I am talking about one of his classmates and don&#039;t know his/her name and am trying to make him tell me the name I do not tell him: The chubby girl, the fat boy, the naughty boy. Apart from that whenever we are talking with our children, if we say anything towards the fact that materialistic stuff is important, I think we will be sowing the wrong seeds. Eg: If one tells his child, &#039;What a lovely car Uncle has bought! I wish I could afford a car like that!!&#039; that I believe imparts the wrong value. Whereas if one points to positive qualities in people, Eg: I am so lucky to have you as my child, Or I really enjoy the moment when I see you coming out of the school gate towards me... these little statements make the child aware of his value. Does it sound difficult?? It really isn&#039;t I can tell you. I am not at all a perfect mum....I have much to work upon, but I can say one thing: Work on the things that are difficult for you, work and work to achieve them. The things that come easy, (whatever that is for you as long as it is positive for the child&#039;s growth and perception of you) then do it as often as you can. The ways for showing love to our children are so numerous and varied its a joy discovering them one by one and acting upon them. I wish us parents all the luck...for the sake of our precious children.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Personally, I find that the easiest way to pass on these values is by setting an example yourself as a parent. I am mum to a five year old boy. I constantly ask myself, &#8216;where do my priorities lie? do they lie in the material things? do I transmit the message to my son that materialistic things are more important that him or me??&#8217;. The example has to be set from a very young age. I find it very unfair to label people by what they look like. For example, I never refer to anyone by adjectives that describe a person in any negative light whatsoever. If I am talking about one of his classmates and don&#8217;t know his/her name and am trying to make him tell me the name I do not tell him: The chubby girl, the fat boy, the naughty boy. Apart from that whenever we are talking with our children, if we say anything towards the fact that materialistic stuff is important, I think we will be sowing the wrong seeds. Eg: If one tells his child, &#8216;What a lovely car Uncle has bought! I wish I could afford a car like that!!&#8217; that I believe imparts the wrong value. Whereas if one points to positive qualities in people, Eg: I am so lucky to have you as my child, Or I really enjoy the moment when I see you coming out of the school gate towards me&#8230; these little statements make the child aware of his value. Does it sound difficult?? It really isn&#8217;t I can tell you. I am not at all a perfect mum&#8230;.I have much to work upon, but I can say one thing: Work on the things that are difficult for you, work and work to achieve them. The things that come easy, (whatever that is for you as long as it is positive for the child&#8217;s growth and perception of you) then do it as often as you can. The ways for showing love to our children are so numerous and varied its a joy discovering them one by one and acting upon them. I wish us parents all the luck&#8230;for the sake of our precious children.</p>
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		<title>By: Da</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33340</link>
		<dc:creator>Da</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:42:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33340</guid>
		<description>I see so many good things above this, and I don&#039;t presume to expand on them; but I offer my observations.  One way to counterweight is to live a good example for them, and instill the value that they should try to influence more than be influenced.  Not influencing through elitism or bombast, but living out of simple, deep respect for self and others (which requires love).  We must earn &amp; keep a place as the prime source of moral authority in their lives.  Also, it recently occurred to us that children often enjoy a lot of love from us, but also we should show how to *be* loving - the little sweetnesses of touch and favors done, and thoughtfulness.  The power of love demonstrated in a positive way.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I see so many good things above this, and I don&#8217;t presume to expand on them; but I offer my observations.  One way to counterweight is to live a good example for them, and instill the value that they should try to influence more than be influenced.  Not influencing through elitism or bombast, but living out of simple, deep respect for self and others (which requires love).  We must earn &amp; keep a place as the prime source of moral authority in their lives.  Also, it recently occurred to us that children often enjoy a lot of love from us, but also we should show how to *be* loving &#8211; the little sweetnesses of touch and favors done, and thoughtfulness.  The power of love demonstrated in a positive way.</p>
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		<title>By: Barbara Gilbert</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33336</link>
		<dc:creator>Barbara Gilbert</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:35:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33336</guid>
		<description>I am so moved by the number of comments that reveal how deeply parents out there are committed to building strong and meaningful relationships with their children.  I particularly loved comment number 16 by Mark S. Merritt because of his emphasis is on attachment with our children.   I co-facilitate a parenting group for mothers, many of whom have had their children removed temporarily by Child Protective Services, because of allegations (sometimes unfounded) of neglect and/or abuse.  Having listened to these mothers for some time now I believe there are deeper issues that subsume the issues of religion and family values.  We all want and need strong loving families and meaningful communal connections.  Many of us have deep commitments to a religious way of life.  The moms that come to me all  share these values.  However, the differences are, if there are differences, that sometimes in their struggle with overwhelming stresses such as, being a single parent, getting or keeping a job, keeping a roof over their heads, putting food on the table, being caught in an abusive relationship with a partner from which they cannot easily extract themselves, and last but not least, the reality that they themselves were subjected to too much abuse and neglect as children, too often then, their children get caught in the turbulent back water of these stresses.  I think the reality is that many, if not most, of us are vulnerable to being abusive or neglectful of our children if we are under enough of those stresses.   The challenge is to keep ourselves focused in a compassionate way so that we continue to relate to our children out of love, not fear.  We need to remember that much of what we find distasteful or threatening about “Pop Culture” is about young people crying out in rage, or grief, or both, that enough of the meaningful connections and nurturing they yearned for as children was not available to them when they were small, through no fault of their own.  I want to refer you all to an incredible parenting book, Children and Grownups are Different: A Book for Grownups Who May Have Forgotten About Being a kid, available free on line by Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.  To find it go to http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf .  or go to www.sanctuaryweb.com then go to Contents and scroll way down to Documents/Parenting points.pdf which is right under Attachment &amp; Trauma. Another website besides this one, that has excellent supportive material - www.beyondconsequences.com
As adults, as parents,we are all accountable for our actions now – no matter what nightmares we may be experiencing in the present, or have come from in the past.  Building a network of love and compassion, relating / parenting out of love, not fear is an on-going challenge for all of us.  May we all join together to support each other in this process and be blessed with success.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am so moved by the number of comments that reveal how deeply parents out there are committed to building strong and meaningful relationships with their children.  I particularly loved comment number 16 by Mark S. Merritt because of his emphasis is on attachment with our children.   I co-facilitate a parenting group for mothers, many of whom have had their children removed temporarily by Child Protective Services, because of allegations (sometimes unfounded) of neglect and/or abuse.  Having listened to these mothers for some time now I believe there are deeper issues that subsume the issues of religion and family values.  We all want and need strong loving families and meaningful communal connections.  Many of us have deep commitments to a religious way of life.  The moms that come to me all  share these values.  However, the differences are, if there are differences, that sometimes in their struggle with overwhelming stresses such as, being a single parent, getting or keeping a job, keeping a roof over their heads, putting food on the table, being caught in an abusive relationship with a partner from which they cannot easily extract themselves, and last but not least, the reality that they themselves were subjected to too much abuse and neglect as children, too often then, their children get caught in the turbulent back water of these stresses.  I think the reality is that many, if not most, of us are vulnerable to being abusive or neglectful of our children if we are under enough of those stresses.   The challenge is to keep ourselves focused in a compassionate way so that we continue to relate to our children out of love, not fear.  We need to remember that much of what we find distasteful or threatening about “Pop Culture” is about young people crying out in rage, or grief, or both, that enough of the meaningful connections and nurturing they yearned for as children was not available to them when they were small, through no fault of their own.  I want to refer you all to an incredible parenting book, Children and Grownups are Different: A Book for Grownups Who May Have Forgotten About Being a kid, available free on line by Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.  To find it go to <a href="http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Documents/Parenting%20points.pdf</a> .  or go to <a href="http://www.sanctuaryweb.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.sanctuaryweb.com</a> then go to Contents and scroll way down to Documents/Parenting points.pdf which is right under Attachment &amp; Trauma. Another website besides this one, that has excellent supportive material &#8211; <a href="http://www.beyondconsequences.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.beyondconsequences.com</a><br />
As adults, as parents,we are all accountable for our actions now – no matter what nightmares we may be experiencing in the present, or have come from in the past.  Building a network of love and compassion, relating / parenting out of love, not fear is an on-going challenge for all of us.  May we all join together to support each other in this process and be blessed with success.</p>
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		<title>By: Laura</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33335</link>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:12:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33335</guid>
		<description>If you always stress to your little ones that faith and family can get you through anything and share examples they will come to know this. Pop culture holds nothing but empty rewards when compared to your family and faith. I have 3 children from the ages of 22, 15, and 6 and they have all faced things I didn&#039;t have to in my early life so it is even more important for family values like faith and togetherness to place first in our life. Even in our small town these pop culture values can cause strife for parents. Hang in there!!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you always stress to your little ones that faith and family can get you through anything and share examples they will come to know this. Pop culture holds nothing but empty rewards when compared to your family and faith. I have 3 children from the ages of 22, 15, and 6 and they have all faced things I didn&#8217;t have to in my early life so it is even more important for family values like faith and togetherness to place first in our life. Even in our small town these pop culture values can cause strife for parents. Hang in there!!</p>
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		<title>By: Bubba</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33334</link>
		<dc:creator>Bubba</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33334</guid>
		<description>The best way to teach children this lesson is to believe it yourself and live it.  This is not easy, live with one car, without cable TV, tell jokes, don&#039;t go to movies, dress cleanly and simply, be honest, work hard and enjoy it, pray, respect the good in others, need shelter and food not leather seats or air conditioning, understand the difference between wanting something and needing it, cook you own meals, do your own home maintenance, don&#039;t expect perfection, learn to love.  Realize that none of this has to do with how much money you make, it has to do with what time of person you are and what you value.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The best way to teach children this lesson is to believe it yourself and live it.  This is not easy, live with one car, without cable TV, tell jokes, don&#8217;t go to movies, dress cleanly and simply, be honest, work hard and enjoy it, pray, respect the good in others, need shelter and food not leather seats or air conditioning, understand the difference between wanting something and needing it, cook you own meals, do your own home maintenance, don&#8217;t expect perfection, learn to love.  Realize that none of this has to do with how much money you make, it has to do with what time of person you are and what you value.</p>
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		<title>By: Janet</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33331</link>
		<dc:creator>Janet</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:20:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33331</guid>
		<description>As a single mother, a teacher, a student and a leader in my church; I have taught my 5 children to value the virtues. My children like some of the &#039;things&#039; they see but they know to weigh the true value of &#039;things&#039;. They volunteer with me at Special Olympics, are involved in our church activities and enjoy sports because of the team atmosphere. Teaching a child that they need others and they are relied on by others, places value on people - not things. They share abilities they were blessed with to help others and they look for the abilities that others can shine with as well. If we are all busy minding our own actions and thoughts, we have no time to deal with the garbage out there.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a single mother, a teacher, a student and a leader in my church; I have taught my 5 children to value the virtues. My children like some of the &#8216;things&#8217; they see but they know to weigh the true value of &#8216;things&#8217;. They volunteer with me at Special Olympics, are involved in our church activities and enjoy sports because of the team atmosphere. Teaching a child that they need others and they are relied on by others, places value on people &#8211; not things. They share abilities they were blessed with to help others and they look for the abilities that others can shine with as well. If we are all busy minding our own actions and thoughts, we have no time to deal with the garbage out there.</p>
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		<title>By: Darrell</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33330</link>
		<dc:creator>Darrell</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:16:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33330</guid>
		<description>My three children grew up in the late 80s and through the 90s. Its already a different world now compared to then, mainly due to the mass media available.

During supper time, we always had the TV off and talked about whatever was brought up. It could be about somebody&#039;s day, it could be a funny story, it could be sports or the arts. It was always noted that no one could be ridiculed for their comments or topic of discussion.

One of the many things we did for our children was to not allow any pop (soda) drinking until after 4 p.m. each and every day. They could drink water,juice,or milk and they were encouraged to do so. Now that all three are in their 20s, they still maintain the &quot;no pop rule&quot;. As parents, we also followed this rule.

As the children grew older, we always told them to express their farewells or greetings in public and to not feel embarrassed about it...such as a hug and a kiss before leaving. Many of their teen friends were envious of them when they seen this display of family affection.

Another thing we did was to go snowshoeing in the bush and find a place to roast weiners. It served a multitude of purposes;family bonding,excercise,
outdoor cooking skills (for eventual camping).

With young children, family bonding is so important, it has to start from birth and continues. A parent can not wait until the child is almost a teen to start getting involved...well you can try but I&#039;m almost postive that the &quot;pop culture&quot; will be the &quot;parent&quot; and maybe too late to intervene.
When I worked with Young Offenders in the Vancouver,B.C. area, I asked this question almost a thousand times; &quot;If you could live your young life over what three things would you want different?&quot;  I then told them to think about it before answering.

The most common answers were...
1. To have more time with the parent or parents.
2. To be disciplined with love and not anger.
3. To be told,&quot;I love you.&quot;

The many many Young Offenders I worked with in that Institution wished for family values that they weren&#039;t taught.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My three children grew up in the late 80s and through the 90s. Its already a different world now compared to then, mainly due to the mass media available.</p>
<p>During supper time, we always had the TV off and talked about whatever was brought up. It could be about somebody&#8217;s day, it could be a funny story, it could be sports or the arts. It was always noted that no one could be ridiculed for their comments or topic of discussion.</p>
<p>One of the many things we did for our children was to not allow any pop (soda) drinking until after 4 p.m. each and every day. They could drink water,juice,or milk and they were encouraged to do so. Now that all three are in their 20s, they still maintain the &#8220;no pop rule&#8221;. As parents, we also followed this rule.</p>
<p>As the children grew older, we always told them to express their farewells or greetings in public and to not feel embarrassed about it&#8230;such as a hug and a kiss before leaving. Many of their teen friends were envious of them when they seen this display of family affection.</p>
<p>Another thing we did was to go snowshoeing in the bush and find a place to roast weiners. It served a multitude of purposes;family bonding,excercise,<br />
outdoor cooking skills (for eventual camping).</p>
<p>With young children, family bonding is so important, it has to start from birth and continues. A parent can not wait until the child is almost a teen to start getting involved&#8230;well you can try but I&#8217;m almost postive that the &#8220;pop culture&#8221; will be the &#8220;parent&#8221; and maybe too late to intervene.<br />
When I worked with Young Offenders in the Vancouver,B.C. area, I asked this question almost a thousand times; &#8220;If you could live your young life over what three things would you want different?&#8221;  I then told them to think about it before answering.</p>
<p>The most common answers were&#8230;<br />
1. To have more time with the parent or parents.<br />
2. To be disciplined with love and not anger.<br />
3. To be told,&#8221;I love you.&#8221;</p>
<p>The many many Young Offenders I worked with in that Institution wished for family values that they weren&#8217;t taught.</p>
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		<title>By: Casey Stokes</title>
		<link>http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/comment-page-3/#comment-33328</link>
		<dc:creator>Casey Stokes</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:29:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/values-versus-pop-culture/#comment-33328</guid>
		<description>As parents of a kindergartener and both being teachers, we see far too often the negative incluences today&#039;s society has on children both young and old. The younger children are listening to lyrics and bringing it into their everyday language while the older children are playing video games that teach you to kill and do drugs. My husband and I strive each day to spend time and answer questions our daughter has. She asks many questions about why kids say or do things and get into trouble at school. We also spend time together as a family everyday and have special nights of games, reading, and outings. Staying true to our faith through church and actions are extrememly important to us. We know the world will be worse before better and with that we can use ourselves as vessels to help the next generation.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As parents of a kindergartener and both being teachers, we see far too often the negative incluences today&#8217;s society has on children both young and old. The younger children are listening to lyrics and bringing it into their everyday language while the older children are playing video games that teach you to kill and do drugs. My husband and I strive each day to spend time and answer questions our daughter has. She asks many questions about why kids say or do things and get into trouble at school. We also spend time together as a family everyday and have special nights of games, reading, and outings. Staying true to our faith through church and actions are extrememly important to us. We know the world will be worse before better and with that we can use ourselves as vessels to help the next generation.</p>
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