I just need to vent about something.
I'm a convert married to a cradle novus ordo Catholic. With upbringing, N.O. and temperament, my H is content being a purveyor of worldly interests and entertainments. Even before my conversion, once we had children, my perception about everything changed. Not overnight, but steadily and consistently through my children's baby and toddler and childhood years.
I stopped listening to rock & roll, I stopped drinking alcohol (personal choice, I know it's not a moral issue necessarily), I stopped watching garbage t.v. and films. I sought out and provided my children with decent things to watch and read and brought as much classical music into their lives as I could.
I talked and talked and talked to my H about all of these things. I begged and pleaded to put a stop to his listening to rock music, watching junk films. He agreed to a point ... but felt I was overreacting and that my acting upset about a scene during a film just made things worse and more likely for the kids to notice the scene.
I've spent hundreds or thousands of hours reading up on movies checking for content ...but it was a constant battle between H and myself. Apparently, I went about it all wrong....rather than a meek and quiet spirit, I continued being argumentative and critical and judgmental. I was so afraid of these influences on our kids and I was very emotional about it, rather than prayerful and hopeful.
Well our son unfortunately began going off the path of righteousness in earnest about 4 years ago. He watched his father and I disagree and seeing as his father seemed to think I was overreacting, he made his choices in music, that's where it started, music. And listened to the worst garbage ever. He also had bad friends and aquaintances and other family members who influenced him.
He began listening to the WORST music you can imagine. I talked to him about it, but it fell on deaf ears. He expected his MOTHER to have a problem with it ... and maybe that was part of the point, the interest.
My H would never listen to me. He wouldn't take me seriously. And now our son doesn't go to Mass, doesn't practice his faith and continues to listen to the worst kind of music and watch any and every movie that comes along. No discernment no guidelines, nothing.
Now of course it is my fault. Because I wasn't doing as much as I could with prayer, I wasn't fasting, I wasn't giving enough alms, and I wasn't being a quiet and respectful wife to my H. Our differences, and the public airing of them in front of our kids, has led to this circuмstance.
I just want to remind everyone that what the two parents believe and practice matters tremendously and it matters how the wife treats her husband, especially the husband who is not devout in the practice of his faith.