Wholesome Entertainment Choices

Turn on any TV, radio, or go online on any device, and you are bound to be only a few clicks away from entertainment that crosses moral lines, contains offensive language, or has lewd sexual innuendos. It is difficult enough for oneself to navigate such a landscape, but protecting our children from stumbling upon inappropriate things while trying to explore entertainment options requires parents to make sure they are being extra careful and attentive for what their kids are exposed to. Here are some wholesome choices that parents can take comfort in providing to their kids amidst all the negative influence out there.

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Music

Most kids these days don’t listen to music on traditional radios, and the music CD sections in stores are getting smaller and smaller each year. Kids most likely will get their music from online streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. Each service has channels dedicated to music for children, but you can still have a say in what your child listens to! Sites like Spotify or YouTube will allow you to create playlists of songs you've specifically added. When they're looking for a change of station, they can always turn to their "approved by mom and dad" library to listen to!  If you’ve ever listened to music through Alexa on an Amazon Echo Dot, which has access to Amazon Music and apps like Spotify, Amazon now makes an Echo Dot Kids edition that makes it even easier to ensure your kids keep their ears clean from inappropriate music choices!

Movies and TV

Going out to the movies as a family is a great activity and you can do research ahead of time to make sure the content is family-friendly, but a regular movie theater excursion isn’t exactly the most frugal option, so most families like to stream content to their favorite devices right at home. While most streaming services offer categories for children’s entertainment, you may feel that some options contain questionable content despite being deemed "child appropriate". Also, most of the more mature content on these services are only a few screens shy from the kid’s categories, so it won’t take a crafty child long to find something they shouldn’t be seeing. PureFlix.com exclusively offers Christian and kid-appropriate movies, shows, old Hollywood classics and more so you can rest easy letting your kids explore the content available without the need to pre-screen or choose exactly what they are going to watch for them.

Gaming

It’s hard to deny that a large portion of the entertainment consumed nowadays is in video games. Kids and adults alike spend much time and money in video gaming, and kids in particular want to be playing the hottest new releases that their friends and classmates are playing. Unfortunately, just like with movies and TV, there is a plethora of content that is violent. When playing games online, children have the risk of hearing other players saying crude language which may even resort to online bullying. Because there are so many options for where or how to play games, find out what your kids are interested in playing, so you can find appropriate alternatives! App stores on phones and tablets have a plethora of games that are fun and often educational, and the Nintendo Switch has great games for kids and most of the titles will even allow you to play along with  your child! Not only will you be playing an active part in the kinds of games they are playing, but you can make it a fun group activity for the whole family!

By communicating the options out there with your children and helping make the entertainment decisions together, you can keep them safe from the stuff you don’t want them to see or hear and create new family memories together!