Welcome to LuluBeeandKewi.com – Nurturing Young Minds in the Digital Age
By Catherine Cortes
Along with this blog post, I share a personal sketch I created of my daughter gazing intently at an Apple phone, the iconic bitten apple logo clearly visible. I’ve titled this piece “Food for Thought” — a powerful reflection on what our children consume not just with their mouths, but with their minds.
In Genesis 2:17–18, the Lord commands:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
And in Genesis 3:4–7, the serpent tempts:
“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil… she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”
This is the fruit of perversion — the knowledge that leads to the corruption of innocence. Every time a child is left alone with a device, they risk taking bites of this same symbolic fruit, perverting young minds in ways that cannot be undone. When a young child is exposed to perversion online — be it through explicit images, toxic behaviors, or violent content — a seed is planted: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Suddenly, the child realizes they are “naked,” vulnerable, exposed.
At LuluBeeandKewi.com, we believe parents have the sacred duty to guard and shepherd young hearts in this digital age. To help you do that, here’s an expanded guide on how to keep your child safe.
10 Essential Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online
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Teach Digital Literacy
Help your child understand the online world, including privacy, safety, and respect. Explain why they should never share personal details like their full name, address, or school and why not everything they see or read online is true. -
Set Clear Screen Time Limits
Follow expert recommendations (such as no more than 1–2 hours of recreational screen time per day) and make sure your child balances their time with physical activities, reading, outdoor play, and creative hobbies. -
Practice Parental Supervision
Stay actively involved. Know what apps and platforms your child is using, play online games together, and review their browsing history. Use parental control software when appropriate. -
Adjust Privacy Settings
Go through the privacy settings on each app or platform your child uses. Ensure their profiles are private, turn off location tracking, and limit who can send them friend requests or messages. -
Teach Strong Password Habits
Show them how to create complex passwords (mixing letters, numbers, and symbols) and explain why they should never share their passwords, even with close friends. -
Discuss Cyberbullying
Talk openly about what cyberbullying looks like — mean messages, exclusion, embarrassing photos — and make sure they know they can come to you without fear if something happens. -
Limit Online Friendships
Emphasize the rule: only interact online with people they know in real life. Teach them to be cautious about strangers online, no matter how friendly they may seem. -
Teach Reporting Skills
Walk them through how to report inappropriate content, harassment, or suspicious behavior on the platforms they use. Empower them to stand up for themselves. -
Model and Teach Online Etiquette
Explain the importance of kindness, empathy, and respect online. Remind them that behind every screen is a real person with feelings. -
Keep Open Lines of Communication
Most importantly, create a home atmosphere where your child feels safe sharing their online experiences. Let them know they can come to you without judgment when they encounter something troubling.
5 Warning Signs Your Child Has Been Online Too Long
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Mood Swings or Irritability — They become angry or defensive when asked to log off or put the device down.
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Sleep Disturbances — They stay up late using devices, leading to exhaustion, irritability, or oversleeping.
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Loss of Interest in Offline Activities — They no longer want to play outdoors, do crafts, or hang out with family.
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Physical Complaints — They report headaches, eye strain, or sore fingers from constant screen use.
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Secretive Behavior — They hide screens when you walk in or get anxious if you pick up their device.
Skills Being Lost in the Digital Kid
As children spend more time online, they risk losing crucial developmental and social skills, including:
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Empathy and Emotional Intelligence — Replaced by emojis and instant reactions instead of face-to-face connection.
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Attention Span and Focus — Short-form content (like TikTok) rewires the brain for quick hits, reducing patience for deep learning.
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Creative Problem-Solving — Passive consumption of media often replaces imaginative play and hands-on exploration.
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Physical Coordination and Health — Sedentary screen time reduces physical play and movement.
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Real-World Social Skills — Less practice with conflict resolution, body language reading, and meaningful conversation.
Final Reflection: Guarding the Garden
The tree of knowledge, the malum — Latin for “evil” — symbolizes the fruit of perversion when consumed without guidance or protection. Today, many children sit under their own modern “trees,” taking digital bites that reshape their minds and hearts.
Parents, ask yourself:
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How many hours are your children looking at the Kingdom of God online?
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How many bites are they taking from the fruit of this world?
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What happens when their innocence is stolen — when they are exposed to images, ideas, or interactions far beyond their maturity?
We cannot unsee what has been seen; we cannot unplant the seeds of lust or pride. But we can be vigilant.
At LuluBeeandKewi.com, we stand with parents in this important work: to protect, nurture, and guide young minds so they can grow in wisdom, purity, and truth — not be swallowed by the false promises of the digital serpent.
Guarding the Garden of Their Mind
Parents, you are the helpmeet God designed — the one who can stand beside your child, guiding them away from the serpent’s lies and toward God’s truth.
Remember: the perversions of the online world — violence, lust, pride, comparison, greed — are waiting at every corner, often dressed up in fun, beauty, or curiosity. But once that seed takes root, it cannot easily be unplanted.
Protect your child’s garden. Watch over it carefully. Teach them not just how to navigate the digital world, but why — so they may glorify God even in the smallest of choices.
Final Thought: Food for Thought
“Food for thought” isn’t just an artistic title — it’s a spiritual warning. The world offers its own “fruit,” just as the serpent once offered Eve. But only God’s Word offers life.
Let us pray over our children daily, asking God to shield their hearts and minds from the bites of perversion and to grow them up strong in wisdom, purity, and truth.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
— 1 John 2:15–16
With love,
Catherine Cortes
Founder, LuluBeeandKewi.com
If you would like a copy of “Food for Thought” by Catherine Cortes or want more resources on raising faith-centered children in a digital world, visit our shop and blog.
Together, let’s help our children flourish — body, mind, and spirit.
