The Place to Hang-out

My uncle once told me that his home was "the place to be." He talked about how there was usually no less then 5 kiddos in their basement on any given day. I didn't have any children at the time, so I looked at him a bit funny...."why would you want all those TEENAGERS in your home?" "Don't you know how messy and destructive teenagers are?" He explained his reasoning to me. He told me how they lived in a pretty small town, and there wasn't much for teens to do there. He told stories of drugs and parties, alcohol and teen pregnancy. He said, "I can't guarantee that my girls will never be challenged by these negative things. But I can guarantee that they won't be allowed in my home. As long as they are here, I know that all of them are safe." It made total sense to me then and now.

Today, my children seem to always be looking for places to go and people to see. We could spend the whole morning at an event, but once we are home for 5 minutes they start asking if friends can come over. They make me laugh. Anyway, I, like my uncle, desire to make our home the place to hang-out. On any given week you will find that we have 2-5 extra children in and out of our home. It is wonderful!

In these busy childhood days, I find that it is often challenging to truly know the parent's of the children my kiddos want to spend time with. I can not be sure what type of TV they are allowed to watch in their home or what type of video games they are allowed to play. If it is a new friend, I certainly don't want to start our relationship by interrogating the parents. I find it much easier to simply say, "Why don't you come visit and play at our place?"

Here is the kicker....my place needs to be a "fun" place to be. It needs to be a place that my own children will enjoy inviting others to. We have intentionally kept extra outdoor toys for our guests. Our playroom contains toys we really no longer play with for friends that are interested in those items. When my husband and I browse through Craigslist, we look for items that may grow with our children (air hockey tables, activity sets etc.) It is a bit more work for us now, but we feel it is truly worth it.

I don't really worry about drugs, alcohol and sex at this age....but by preparing our home now and by continually inviting friends to our home we are developing habits that will continue into the teen years. It will not be easy to have an open home and a revolving door, but my children and their friends are far more valuable to me than a few years of inconvenience.

Let me challenge you today to look at your own home and pray to see if God would like you to make your home "the place to hang-out." May He truly bless us all, as we strive to raise children that bring glory to His Kingdom!