“Don’t eat that! It’s poisonous,” I yelled across the playground.

The Warning

“They aren’t poisonous,” the second-grade boy replied. “I eat them all the time. See . . .” And he popped a shelled acorn into his mouth.

I stood there. Mouth gaping. I looked at one of my coworkers and said, “My mother has lied to me all these years.”

Later that day, I told my mom what had happened. Of course, she found it hilarious. “You mean, you actually believed me?” she asked in between chuckles and snorts.

“Of course, I believed you. You’re my mother. Mothers aren’t supposed to lie to their children. When your mom says acorns are poisonous, you believe her. What else did you lie about?”

Still laughing, “Nothing. I swear.” There was a pause and a giggle. “Well, I may have told you mushrooms were roast beef your whole life.”

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

~Proverbs 22:6 ESV

The Truth

We do that don’t we? In good faith, we say things to our kids, hoping to point them away from dangerous stuff or convince them to branch out and try something new. I’m just as guilty. When my oldest started losing his baby teeth, I told him he had to try every food all over again because his new, grown-up teeth might like that food better than his baby teeth did. And it worked. Sometimes, it’s not pretty, but all parents and grandparents do it.

But as we warn them and guide them in the simple things, we must take time to point out the real dangers. We must openly discuss the perils of drug and alcohol addictions while modeling healthy moderation and sobriety ourselves. Warning them about pornography, setting limits on their electronic devices, and modeling good behavior by watching appropriate movies and shows and visiting acceptable websites are also essential.

Additionally, we must protect them by setting curfews and paying attention to the friends they hang out with while being mindful of our own circle of friends and time management.

Further, we must choose our words carefully or we teach them that filthy and degrading language is acceptable.

Children must see the truly poisonous things in life. We shouldn’t expect them just to figure it out as they go.

It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.

~Matthew 15:11 ESV

The things we learn in childhood follow us into adulthood, whether they’re good, bad, or debilitating.

Think of ways you can guide your children away from the poisonous things and to the right and healthy ways.

Father, give me wisdom to guide my children in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2024: Don’t Eat That: Christy Bass Adams: All Rights Reserved