About a year ago, a friend’s mom asked her, “What’s this term “mommy porn” that I’m hearing about?  She is a mentor mom for a young mom’s group and was surprised that this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

As my friend and I discussed her mother’s question, we both immediately thought of the best-selling book, 50 Shades of Grey.  I had heard enough to know that I needed to stay away from it, but was having trouble understanding this question –

How had that level of content become so mainstream? 

About that time, a suggested book appeared on my Amazon page because it’s by one of my favorite parenting authors and I knew it would help me find the answer.  Pulling Back the Shades:  Erotica, Intimacy, and the Longings of a Woman’s Heart, by Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery, deals with this subject from a Christian perspective.

After reading Pulling Back the Shades,
I think it’s important for Christians to be aware of the “Fifty Shades” genre for several reasons:
*Many (mostly women…of all ages) have been sucked into this genre and are as addicted as if it were visual porn.
*It absolutely can affect marriages, particularly in relation to unrealistic (fictional!) images of what men should be.
*We parents need to not duck our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not out there luring our preteen, teenage, college aged, single, or married daughters.  We need to encourage them to avoid it just as we would teach fleeing any other type of pornography.
*If you or anyone you know is struggling in this area, Pulling Back the Shades, could be a helpful resource.

Teachable Moment:
My tween daughter has seen us fast-forwarding through a preview of the upcoming Fifty Shades movies and asked about it.  I plan on using that as a launch pad for a teachable moment to discuss this issue at an age appropriate level.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23

Being familiar with Scripture and helping our kids know how to regularly apply it to our lives, helps us in all areas of our lives!  My hope and prayer is that regular use of my book will help you remember look at all issues, such as today’s, from a spiritual standpoint. 
Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments