Well, not controlling the actual person!...but having control over who exactly your child is friends with?? Who does this and what is your experience with it?
I just asked my son (10 yrs. old) to send home the the neighborhood boy who was here playing with him. They were downstairs in the play area (right below the office where I sit) and I could hear the conversations. There was no cussing going on but the words were most definitely not "building up or encouraging" and they were directed at the 10-yr. old's two younger brothers. I just didn't like the feel of the whole thing and I won't tolerate my kids being treated that way in their own home so that was the end of that.
I've really struggled with the kids that my kids hang out with (the oldest in particular). We live in a rural area and often the only playmates are the kids who live on our circle. Seems we've always had an issue with one neighborhood kid or another. We've gently explained our family ways on occasion, when the situation called for it, but at times (like today) we just needed to remove the boy and his influence.
Do you isolate your children so they have NO friends, or just firmly enforce the rules when needed??? Would love any input that anyone cares to impart!
God bless! | 
• Dec. 29, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Check out my daughter's blog to see a picture of the house. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/profiles/YahwehISAlmighty/
I'm sooo glad I stopped by yours! I have a huge conviction on this very subject! I have always told my kids that I'd rather they have NO friends than to have the WRONG friends. I've stuck by that. No exceptions. I base this on a verse in Proverbs (sorry, can't remember the exact reference) that the wrong friends will corrupt you, bring you down.
I think your "feeling" about those friends may have very well been the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Those friends that were talking the way they were, will either learn to talk the way you believe they should (whether they agree or not) or perhaps their not right for your family (again, the Holy Spirit will lead you).
When my oldest two were little, we had a built in swimming pool. This attracted a lot of neighbor kids. I had kids over that were not from Christian families. I would either hear them talking to each other while I was outside with them, or through the window while I was making their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If I heard them use God's name in vain, I'd run out there and tell them we don't talk like that. I was really really firm on that. I also used each day they were at our home, for a little evangelistic outreach, as in, story time. I'd pull them all together and read them a Bible story. There was one little girl, I know never heard a Bible story ever before she was at my home.
If your kids really want to play with someone and your limited on choices because of your rural area, the Holy Spirit will lead you. You may just want to let them play at your house (so you can correct them and have imput) and majorly limit any time your kids spend at their house.
Your blogger friend,
Antoinette