Thoughts

OK, I will get past it, but it's bothering me right now, at THIS minute, so I am going to write about it, becuase I can.

My two oldest have been hanging out with some very nice young ladies who live nearby. This was a good situation for everyone as it gave them friends to spend time with,e tc. However, something happened recently that has made the other girls parents feel that my girls (or our family) are a bad influence on them and we are causing them to not act as good Chirstian girls should. This was not said to Derek or I though, oh no, this was brought up in front of one of my girls. Yes, I am taking it with a grain of salt since I am hearing it second hand, but it syncs up with the vibes I have been getting from their family recently. My response is to tell the girls not to make any forward gestures. If the other girls want to spend time with them, AND their parents approve, then we will be alright, but other than that, I am NOT going to let my girls be hurt again. I am not sorry that they do not approve of how we are raising my children. I know my kids are good kids. Perhaps they are not perfect Christians. Perhaps they make mistakes, get mouthy, get in trouble, etc, but I expect that of two teenagers. In fact, I think they need that. They need to make some mistakes. They need to learn the hard way. They need to be allowed to do things on their own, without 100% adult supervision over every detail of their lives. Both girls felt like they were "bad" people because of what was said, which I DO NOT APPRECIATE! It's hard enough to be a teenager without adults making you feel bad becuase you are not "good enough" for them. This type of holier than thou, judgemental attitude is why Derek and I both have trouble going to church or finding a church we like. These people are not people we met through church, but they are devout in their beliefs. I have no problem with that, but I do not think I deserve to be judged or for my children to be judged. I am hurt and angry, both for myself and for my kids. Sadly, I think these people are hurting their own children by "protecting" them. They even said they were happy (originally) that their kids had girls their age to hang out with.