This is a great sign… There are many times when I see these kids running around with their oblivious parents nearby and I am like… uhhh… your kids are about to destroy _________, or your kids are about to fall off that cliff there, you may want to get over there. We have a rule at Voice about kids throwing rocks into our ornamental waterfall and pond. One day, this lady was standing there chatting it up (next to the sign that says please keep your children with you at all times) while 50 feet away, one kid was seriously chucking rocks into the little pond and the other practically had his head in the water trying to … well, I’m not sure. Anyway, I saw this sign and thought this would be a funny solution… kind of a serves them right type thing. (Not that this is a good attitude nor one of grace!)
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! Can we get several of these????
It is indeed needed sometimes. I must say I miss my kids there at Voice. I can tell you a million stories of parents and children. Muahahaa! Okay, I won’t and just pray for them instead. Thanks again for being such an awesome friend Joshua!
>Darc-
Ha! That’s funny! Can I be a kid and get the espresso??? 🙂
yep, being a parent is overwhelming, especially at church or other settings where kids are supposed to be “contained.” sometimes I have to count mine to keep track of them, so…oblivious, maybe…totally stressed and in desperate need of a break…more than likely. I’ve found it so difficult to bring my kids to church that mostly I don’t come anymore. but I guess that’s the life of a musicians wife…I am not bitter…haha
K… I’m tired of seeing this picture when I go to your site! UPDATE already! 🙂 Love you my friend! What funny thing did you say today??? I forget… 🙁 Whaaaa! I want to remember… OH WAIT!!! “The more less involved I can be….” HAHAHAHA!
Wow!!! That hurt….Surprized that you would actually put Voice…and say something like that….Yeah….my husband and I are a little stunned….hmmmmm….I’ll try harder….Maybe leave earlier….
Ouch!!!!!
I thought you couldn’t leave anonymous comments on here, anyway (anonymous) don’t be discouraged. We all (parents) have times when are children are unruley. Everyone seems to have an opinion about everyone elses kids. Really the best solution is to not allow kids, or stay home with them until they are at an age where they can be responsible. There is absolutely no way to please everyone. Many people have ideas on what the right way is to watch them, especially those who have not experienced the joy and frustration of raising children. I ask the question, why even go somewhere where you have to watch them like a hawk, just so you don’t tick off or offend anyone. That’s not fun. I wish we could find a way to not just say that it’s all about raising the kids and actually put them in high regard. And, not see them as an inconvienence. To all those who don’t have kids, ask your parents how well you listened to them when you were little and if you ever caused them to have an embarressing moment. My guess is we were all kids once, and we learned through society how to act. Jesus says we need to come to Him like kids. I think we all need to think about what that means before we decide to put our stake in the ground about how kids should act. I know as parents we need to watch them. But just as we are Gods children, He lets us make decisions and deal with our consequence. So I guess to nonparents, unless you see neglect on a high level, hold your opinion. Because you really have no clue what it’s like. And no this is not to rip anyone, it’s just my perspective.
I prefer it when people don’t leave anonymous comments – the whole point of comments is so that discussion can occur, opinions can be offered, and perhaps minds can be changed.
My thought on what I wrote is this: because I do not have children of my own, it doesn’t disqualify me from the experiences I have had with children, the experiences of my own childhood, and what I have read and seen in life. For some reason, people with kids are often very dismissive of those without children as if we have no experience therefore, no common point of reference. More than once I have been on the receiving end of the knowing smile and the “oh, well when you have children, we will just see how things are for you then.”
I have watched many parents of children and have seen some with very well mannered, disciplined, and behaved kids. Spirited, yes. But also obedient. I have noticed that the parents of these children have played a very active role in knowing where their children are and watching constantly. So, because of that… I know it is possible to do.
I also have watched the struggle of a single mom with three kids and no father figure to help out and tantrums and screaming and so on…I know that without team, stability and discipline, it is a hard row to hoe. (I just wanted to use that phrase in a sentence.)
As far as opinions go, regardless of whether or not they should be shared (apparently several feel that mine should not have been in this instance), we all have them. We all think them and even say them to our friends sometimes. So, much of what I write on here is opinion based. I’m just trying to be transparent here…or is that not preferred? Perhaps the opinion should be couched in more sensitive words so as not to ever step on any toes? The last line of my post (referring to a “serves them right attitude”) was “not that this is a good attitude nor one of grace!” You see, i knew that this was not a graceful attitude, yet I still felt it.
What I found it ironic was this person was standing next to a sign that read “keep your kids with you at all times” and her kids were in a dangerous position. The sign was put there so that 1. Children would not get hurt because they wandered off. (If they do get hurt as children do, at least their parent would be right there to pick them up.) 2. We don’t get sued for negligence.
To make an assumption that people without children do not like kids, are intolerable, or just love making up rules to limit any sort of fun that a kid could have is absurd. If anyone reading this knew me at all, they would know how much I love the woods, the rocks and the stream. I am an outdoor, nature-loving freak. Where I grew up, that was all open territory for my brother, sister and I. We essentially lived outside. It was a kid’s paradise. Voice is the same way – there are great climbing rocks, miles of stream, pond, trails, acres of trees… the only problem is that it is not everyone’s backyard. We live in a litigous society where people constantly sue each other over ridiculous issues. Suddenly all that cool stuff becomes a liability because we have to safeguard ourselves against the possibility of lawsuit. Thus there are signs that need to state the rules, there are waiver forms and people who have to constantly watch out for parentless children. It is no fun to go and tell a kid who is having fun in the stream that he can’t be there. But it is also no fun to have to confront parents. Because honestly, in my view, when it is little kids, it is not their fault… they are just doing what is fun and interesting to them…after all they are kids!
All this to say…anonymous, don’t fret, this situation was not about you. If it were, you already know I would have come to you about it. It was just a funny sign that I am sure a frustrated shop owner put up because he or she had to deal with parents who weren’t looking out for their kids.
This is your site Josh and we love the opinions, thats why we all come back to it to read. I was definitly not making an asumption about “not liking kids” or putting those words into anyones mouth. My perspective was that most people believe their opinion in raising kids is the right way, especially those without them. But believe me, when a couple has kids those perspectives and rules change. As a parent, I will say that my ideas change as I learn from circumstance, it’s a learn as you go process. One that is more challenging then any experience I’ve had. I personally don’t get upset if someone thinks I doing something wrong, I take the comment and role with it, just like I do in the rest of my life. If I listened to everyones opinion and tried to follow them I’d be running around in circles drooling, laughing and talking to myself. I think the real thing here is that we all believe we know what’s right. We all think we know what’s best. And most of the time people tend to find fault in others to feel good about themselves. I’ve done it, and if you say you haven’t, then your doing it now. All in all a sign will not solve the problem of parents not watching their kids. It is there as a reminder and liability purpose which parents can choose to follow or not. The camp is a conversational paradise. It is very hard to sneak in and sneak out, unless it’s 2:00 in the morning 🙂 Please know Josh that I was not combating you in an opinion war because my opinions’ worth is not much. And that I know you are pro-kids having fun. My thought was to those that gossip and talk bad about parents that for some reason or another had a bad day with the kids. I would rather really listen to those speak from wisdom than opinion. Uhhhh……on this subject anyway.
josh you really got in trouble for this one, you should know better than to ever critcize a mother because they are like bears and they get mad if you start talking about there kids.
i was just laughing at the mental picture of eric running in circles drooling while talking to himself.
Yeah I get the joke. Honestly being in ministry myself—let alone full time ministry with kids running around all day– (We have a pre-school in our church.) there’s a different way to see this. I have to think about what’s said in Matthew and how Christ rebuked His disciples for rebuking the little kids. They were messy, loud, and probably without a doubt raising chaos around the disciples. Kids are…kids. Yet Jesus didn’t yell at them or talk to their parents or find a nice time out corner for them… He welcomed them. (Makes me think Jesus would have rocked as a baby-sitter. Can you imagine what the kids would have said when the parents came home? “Mom, we walked on water, played with a burning bush, and Jesus turned water into Kool-Aide!”)
If you’re not a kid-person (And some aren’t and there is nothing wrong with that.) or you know… a parent; kids are a hassle. But remember first, Jesus welcomed them. He told us unless we’re like them running around sticking our head in the water and generally being a child then heaven doesn’t belong to us. Kids are curious and so trusting and they get what we don’t anymore. Secondly, remember (I speak from LOTS of experience.) if you’re not a parent—you will never really get it. I am around kids and youth all day and I still don’t get everything. Parents aren’t perfect—they are just trying (most are) to do the best they can in a world that doesn’t give them anything. Yeah, parents need to discipline but they also need a break.
Well, this is just my slightly biast opinion. Like most things in this life- ya’ll can take it or leave it…
But other than that—cool site.
Peace in Christ,
Erica
WOW!!! Looks like someone is feeling guilty about how they are raising their children. If the shoe fits, wear it. Some people at Voice really need to get over themselves. How could you POSSIBLY know Josh is talking about YOU?