Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
There are wolves out there that want to hurt your grandchildren. This is sad but true.
Maybe you are thinking that you want to protect your grandchildren from wolves, but how?
You must take precautions:
Does this mean that you should never trust anyone? No!
Does this mean that you should never allow anyone around your grandchildren? No!
Does this mean that you should never allow your grandchildren to be alone with anyone else? Yes!
Does this mean that you should do your homework and monitor any relationships outside of your home? YES!
Here are some suggestions for protecting your grandchildren while they are being mentored or when they are entered into extra-curricular activities.
Be Present - Be at the same activities, be at the same places where your grandchildren are getting mentored, or being taught things outside of your home. Don't be a helicopter grandparent, but try to be as present as possible.
Never Let Them Be Alone - Never let your grandchildren be alone with another adult, anywhere. Make sure there is a group going.
Trust Your Gut - If you get a weird feeling about someone then that is probably for a reason.
Protect Your Grandchild’s Innocence - One of the worst things that can happen to a child is when they lose their innocence. It is so sad. Keep them away from dirty movies, evil music, nasty language. Tell the people in your life that you don’t want that junk around your grandkids!
Be Careful with Sleepovers - Dr. Dobson from Family Talk said something to the effect that sleepovers shouldn’t be something parents let their children attend because of the high rate of sexual abuse that occurs during them. Tim Challies shared about this in a post on his website from 2014: "James Dobson believes that children should not participate in sleepovers. The world has changed, he says, and has become too dangerous to allow your children out of your sight for so long. In his book Bringing Up Girls, he says: "Sadly, the world has changed in the last few decades, and it is no longer a safe place for children. Pedophiles and child molesters are more pervasive than ever. That is why parents must be diligent to protect their kids every hour of the day and night. …Until you have dealt with little victims as I have and seen the pain in their eyes, you might not fully appreciate the devastation inflicted by molestation. It casts a long shadow on everything that follows, including future marital relationships. Therefore, parents have to think the unthinkable in every situation. The threat can come from anywhere—including neighbors, uncles, stepfathers, grandfathers, Sunday school teachers, coaches, music instructors, Scout leaders, and babysitters. Even public bathrooms can be dangerous today…He believes the threat is so pervasive that parents should not allow their children to participate in sleepovers"."
Only let your grandchildren around solid dedicated Christians that have a strong testimony of their faith - but even then make sure to be cautious. Sadly even in the Christian world, there have been many wolves in sheep's clothing.
Is this a foolproof plan? No!
Abuse could occur literally anywhere. The moral of the story is for you to be aware and watching and knowing that your foremost responsibility as a grandparent raising your grandchildren is to protect, provide, and care for them.
If anything comes between your protection, provision, or your caring for your grandchildren then question it, analyze it, examine it, and decide what is best for your grandkids.
Don’t put anyone's opinions, wants, or needs above your grandchildren’s. They need you to look out for them!
Want your grandkids to succeed? Protect them from people and things that will hurt them!
You can do this and God will help you! Pray for His protection over them and guidance to help you and them succeed!