“Be careful little eyes” is more than a children’s song, it is a reminder for us that God wants us to bring good ideas and images into our minds. Let your eye be a light for your entire body! Let’s find out how.

I’ve been singing the children’s song “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes” to my toddler. He enjoys it and asks me to sing it over and over again. Thankfully there are a few different verses (be careful little ears, hands, feet etc).

After singing it, I really started thinking about the things we “consume.” What we watch, what we listen to, what we do.

My son has become very interested in watching things on TV (or our iPad). I try to choose shows or videos that are appropriate for him. He especially likes tractors, so that’s what he has been watching lately.

These are good, somewhat educational videos, but I often have to find them on YouTube. We use the YouTube kids app, but it still makes me nervous. There is so much junk out there that they pass off as “kid friendly.” If I have to leave the room for a few minutes I don’t want something else to pop up that isn’t wholesome.

And what we watch really does make an impact on us. We all know that scary movies before bed can set us up for nightmares.

Be Careful Little Eyes

My husband and I watched the movie “Bird Box” with Sandra Bullock a few years ago. We didn’t realize what the movie was about and of course once we started we had to finish. I had nightmares for weeks and I’m a grown woman!

There is a reason God asks us to be mindful of what we are watching. Not just because he doesn’t want us to be scared but because there is a lot of wayward stuff out there.

Subliminal messaging, inappropriate storylines, immorality and time wasting videos. And it’s hard for kids to discern what is good and bad, because so much of it seems fun. That’s why we need to coach them along.

As adults we also need to be careful that these things don’t creep into our lives and become part of our “normal.” Sometimes we forget how much of an impact it can have even on a mature brain!

That’s why it’s so important to be careful what our eyes see! We need to fill our minds with good things and do the same for our children. Matthew 6:22 makes this plain, our eyes are the lamp for our body. If we fill our eyes with light, we fill our body with good things.

Of course I’m not talking about shining a light directly in our eyes, this verse refers to what we consume, in the form of media.

Media Literacy

Being mindful of our media consumption and teaching our children to use discernment is known as media literacy. It’s being able to watch or read something and think critically about it, decide if it is good or bad.

It’s important that when we teach our children this, we include Biblical principles too. Let the Bible guide our choices!

God wants us to consume good things that honour him. When we sing the song “be careful little eyes what you see,” we want to teach our children to make choices that would make God happy!

For more on this, check out Media Literacy from a Christian Perspective.

Challenge for This Week!

So be careful little eyes what you see. This week as you watch TV or spend time on social media don’t watch absentmindedly. Watch things with a critical eye, think about what the story is trying to tell you.

Do the same for your kids. Talk to them about what they are watching. If it’s educational, let them teach you! I’m learning a lot about tractors right now. It’s a great time to encourage your kids to think about what they are watching and how it affects them!

Should Christians Watch Disney? Find out HERE.

Teach your children how to make good choices with this resource: Media Literacy from a Christian Perspective