As a parent, have you ever thought about helping your children choose their friends? You may think – that’s not my role as a parent or my child should be able to choose his/her own friends. In my humble opinion, I think that parents should play a huge role in who their children consider as friends and spend time with.
I was always on the look out for good friends for my sons. Since I volunteered in the children’s ministry at my church, I had special insight into the children who attended. I closely observed the child’s and parents’ demeanors. Did the parents bring their children to church every Sunday or just once in a while? Were they on time? Were the children clean and fed? Did they have good manners? Did the parents and/or children use bad words? Did the children tell lies? What did the family do over the weekend? Was reading and doing well in school important to the child and parents?
I took the scripture verse in 1 Corinthians 15:33 very seriously because I knew that bad company has a very negative effect on good character. I wanted to raise two sons who would be Godly young men. Yes, I was called a strict parent, but what is the alternative? I encourage you to play a very active role in your children’s lives rather than just being a spectator.