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      Mom: The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat foolishness, and neither should we.

      We’re not suggesting that people should be labeled as stupid, but even highly intelligent beings can do stupid things (Albert Einstein did some doozies). The truth is, all of us are capable of foolish behavior. We aren’t doing our children any favors by ignoring that fact.

       It’s in the Bible

      The Bible talks a great deal about stupidity (often referred to as “folly”) by repeatedly contrasting foolishness with wisdom. The book of Proverbs in particular wades in deep on the subject:

       Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

       …fools hate knowledge. Proverbs 1:22

       The complacency of fools will destroy them. Proverbs 1:32

      A foolish woman is clamorous. She is simple, and knows nothing.

       Proverbs 9:13

       …a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Proverbs 10:1

       A prating fool will fall. Proverbs 10:10

       The mouth of the foolish is near destruction. Proverbs 10:14

       And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. Proverbs 11:29

       He who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:1

       The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. Proverbs 12:15

       The heart of fools proclaims foolishness. Proverbs 12:23

       A fool lays open his folly. Proverbs 13:16

       The companion of fools will be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

       The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down withher hands. Proverbs 14:1

       A fool rages and is self-confident. Proverbs 14:16

       What is in the heart of fools is made known. Proverbs 14:34

       The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the fool doesnot do so. Proverbs 15:7

       Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool. Proverbs 17:7

       A foolish son is a grief to his father. Proverbs 17:25

       A fool’s mouth is his destruction. Proverbs 18:7

      The Bible doesn’t mince words when it comes to foolish actions. Neither should we.

       What’s a Parent to Do?

      Every person on Earth is capable of foolish thoughts, decisions, words, and behavior. We’ve all heard from encouraging teachers or consultants, “There’s no such thing as a dumb question.” But we all know, as they do, that their maxim isn’t always true. There are not only unwise questions, but also unwise answers. (If you don’t believe us, watch a Miss America pageant.)

      Kids need to know what stupid looks like, so they can avoid it.

      1. Stupid uses flawed thinking.

      The world is filled with opinions and behaviors that don’t pass the common sense test. Parents need to teach their children how to recognize flawed thinking as soon as possible. Here are a few examples:

      Christian parents allow their daughter to date a non-Christian young man, but not “get serious” unless he first becomes a Christian. Wrong! If you teach your daughter not to marry a non-Christian, why on earth would you let her date one? Only foolish parents allow their child to play with fire. The vast majority of the time, Christians who marry unbelievers date them first!

       Mom: Dangerous, foolhardy behavior ought to be regularly identified so no one in your home (including Mom or Dad) is tempted by it.

      “We just look away during the sex scenes!” That’s what some families say to justify watching movies with graphic depictions of sex, violence, language, or nudity. They explain, “It has a great story! It just has a couple of bad scenes in it.” Our family had some great discussions on this topic. We concluded that you are still watching a movie that does not cut the muster of Philippians 4:8, even if you occasionally look away. And, you are still watching a film containing sexual and violent themes even if you don’t watch during the most explicit scenes. It is crazy to believe such storylines are harmless simply because you avert your eyes before the characters take all of their clothes off. We also concluded that it would be hypocritical for us to claim to uphold Christian morals and then immerse ourselves in films that flaunted ungodly themes. Far better to find an activity that would not require us to rationalize our participation afterward.

      As an aside, much of the “stupid thinking” our family grappled with was not promoted by non-Christians. Often, it was practices endorsed by members of our church. We never intended to become a holier-than-thou family. But neither did we want to accept bad thinking by those around us just because we were afraid of appearing judgmental. Our discussions generally occurred at home as we worked out our own beliefs. We didn’t find it productive to argue or debate with other families about their practices.

      2. Stupid is manipulative.

      I (Carrie) found myself at a crossroads when I started third grade. Our small town was growing rapidly, and that year my grade was split into two classes to accommodate the influx of students. To my dismay, my best friend Rebecca and I ended up in opposite classes. I was a shy kid, so the prospect of finding myself in a classroom full of strangers was as appealing as being chased by a pack of rabid dogs.

      I was relieved on the first day of school when the girl assigned to the desk next to mine, Kristen, invited me to play with her at recess. Every recess Kristen and her group of friends played “Pony Pals,”² a game that involved galloping around the school playground neighing. I wasn’t a huge fan of horses, but pretending to be one was better than playing alone. So I brushed up on my horse terminology and joined them.

       Mom: If we want our children to avoid being manipulated, we have to teach them what manipulation looks like.

      At first I had fun, but I soon discovered Kristen had a lot of rules for girls who wanted to be Pony Pals. For one, we had to play Pony Pals every recess (and play the way she wanted). Second, we could only play with other Pony Pals. I didn’t like how demanding Kristen

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