To Pokémon or NOT to Pokémon... that is the question.
You see when your kids are at your home, at your mercy... you can allow or not allow anything you choose. If you do not want them doing something, you stop it... change the channel, divert their attention... whatever. THEN they begin school. It is a whole new world out there, and there is nothing you can do about it.
Baylor has friends at school that play/ collect Pokémon cards. At first it seems like it is harmless. But, because I do not know anything about Pokémon, we researched it on the computer. We came up with a good site, a site that explained Pokémon and its game. You see the premise is to be a character who captures other characters through casting spells. You also must gain powers and some of these powers include the power to evolve yourself into what you want to be...stronger, fiercer, mightier.
I know that many of you out there might say... it is just a game. But, we just do not feel like anything in our 7 year olds life is "just" anything. EVERYTHING has the potential to capture his young heart and mind. We want him to grow with a firm foundation and a belief that God made him who he is, and what the Bible says is true.
The Bible says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he grows old he will not depart from it." It is our job now to teach him and train him, so that as he gets older, perhaps the paths will be more clear. If we make the paths muddy now... how will he ever know?
Baylor is terribly intrigued by Pokémon. His friends love it and talk about it constantly... thus he wants to participate. Based on our research, we have told him, NO! This week was book fair at school. We allowed Baylor to take some of his money he has saved to buy a book. What does he come home with? A Pokémon book. Not a story book, but a book that explains each character, how they work and the powers they can attain. He thought if he bought it and got it home, we would not make him return it... wrong...but it gets worse. His friends have also evidently been funding his game. They have been giving him cards so that he could play along. We stumbled upon his secret stash on Monday. We were disappointed to say the least. Honestly, I felt like I was looking into my teenagers eyes having just found his secret stash of... you name it... whatever teenagers hide.
After a very long talk and some appropriate punishment he came to the conclusion that he must take the book back and return the cards. It was hard... I know it was. But I praised him for it. Baylor has always been a leader among his peers and this time he just pain followed. He understands why we say no... he understands that not everyone thinks it is bad, and that is okay. But we have to make choices for our family... and this is one we are making. It is in moments like these that I would like to hand in my mommy card... why can't it always be easy?
