You gotta have a plan

So, about a year ago, I really started thinking about pornography. I guess I should rephrase that, I really started thinking about pornography prevention. Pornography is everywhere and I know it is a problem because for 1 full month in sacrament meeting that was the topic. And almost every month in the Ensign there is an article about it. And it has just been on my mind, a lot. How could I protect my family? What should I do? I figured it had been on my mind for a reason and I wasn't going to just sit around and wait for something horrible like pornography to invade my family.

I am a firm believer in prevention and early intervention and so after many articles read, many prayers and a lot of research I came up with the

Allred family anti-pornography plan.

We had a Family Home Evening on pornography and how to avoid it, what to do if you see it and ways to protect ourselves from it. We went over scenarios and talked a lot about it. We came up with a list of rules, typed them up, had everyone sign their names to it and then framed it and put it right beside the computer. We review that list every month in family council. Trevor also asks the kids each month in his father's interviews specifically about pornography.

We encouraged the kids to pray for the ability to resist temptation and every morning in my personal prayers I specifically ask that my kids and husband will be able to avoid pornography. Trevor takes a family picture with him when he travels and puts it on the TV in his hotel rooms. We also installed the K9 protection system on our computer. It is free AND from multiple sources I have heard it is one of the best and most reliable ones. Only I know the password.

And finally, we put this picture right above our computer. A final reminder as they sit down at the computer to act appropriately at all times and in all things and in all places.

(about 2 weeks after this FHE we were at a bookstore for Ashlyn's birthday. With panic in his eyes Ethan ran up to me, desperately pulled at my arm and said, "Mom! Come quick, Ashlyn's looking at pornography!" I got over to her and sure enough there was a very innocent drawing of a little bum in the children's book she was looking at. We praised him for his quick thinking and for telling mom right away and we were able to again teach what is right and wrong. I smiled all the way home, this little plan just might work!)