I just found this article that I wrote a long time ago about our experiences of raising our children. Home computers were fairly new, so we had a new option for our children's time to cope with. It really took effort to encourage our children to lead active lives instead of just sitting at the computer or playing video games. Hope our experiences are a help to you.
Our children were always busy doing something. I have been asking myself why they didn’t just sit in front of the TV or computer all day. I think the major reason was our family policy. Watching TV or playing on the computer were considered rewards, not rights. Play time was earned.
Though I’ll admit it was tempting, especially since I was often ill, to consider using the TV as a babysitter to keep the children quiet and passive, we didn’t. TV was mainly limited to an hour or two in the evenings. As parents we were conscious of our example, so we didn’t just turn on the TV every spare moment to amuse ourselves or just keep us company.
We tried also to set an example of spending our time doing good things, and included our children in these projects. Our children helped rewire the house, learned to cook, washed cars, planted gardens, and picked fruit. Besides projects, we provided regular work for them to do. We divided the upkeep of the house and yard and made assignments according to ability. Even toddlers were given small jobs to do.
Showing posts with label Teaching Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching Children. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Family Evenings Together
We’re not sure how it happened. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we tried formal family home evenings. Some went well, and some didn’t. At the same time we were reading scriptures and stories to our children most nights. They loved it and kept asking if it was “reading time” yet. We were amazed!
Gradually, what had begun as family scripture reading, evolved into something much more. We were spending more and more time discussing what the scriptures meant and how to apply them in our lives. We talked about Joseph of Egypt’s integrity, and forgiveness; Daniel’s keeping the Word of Wisdom; Esther’s courage; Nephi’s faith; Alma the Younger’s repentance and humility; and of course, the example of love and perfection of the Savior. Abraham and Job made us ponder the purpose of trials in life. The Pearl of Great Price provided deeper perspectives into the Plan of Salvation. The Doctrine and Covenants showed us the way to the Celestial Kingdom.
As we studied the lives of people in both ancient and modern times, we came to better understand the commandments; the joy of keeping them and the consequences of disobedience. Our love for the scriptures and for each other grew as we shared our experiences, insights, questions, and testimonies in a safe, informal, environment. Finally, we realized that we were having family home evenings not just once a week but five to seven times each week! We were simply using the scriptures as our manual.
Gradually, what had begun as family scripture reading, evolved into something much more. We were spending more and more time discussing what the scriptures meant and how to apply them in our lives. We talked about Joseph of Egypt’s integrity, and forgiveness; Daniel’s keeping the Word of Wisdom; Esther’s courage; Nephi’s faith; Alma the Younger’s repentance and humility; and of course, the example of love and perfection of the Savior. Abraham and Job made us ponder the purpose of trials in life. The Pearl of Great Price provided deeper perspectives into the Plan of Salvation. The Doctrine and Covenants showed us the way to the Celestial Kingdom.
As we studied the lives of people in both ancient and modern times, we came to better understand the commandments; the joy of keeping them and the consequences of disobedience. Our love for the scriptures and for each other grew as we shared our experiences, insights, questions, and testimonies in a safe, informal, environment. Finally, we realized that we were having family home evenings not just once a week but five to seven times each week! We were simply using the scriptures as our manual.
Serving Children
When I started volunteering at our local elementary school, I was just trying to give myself something meaningful to do as my last child set off on his own, but soon my service became more than just an attempt to fill an empty nest. As the year progressed, my health quickly deteriorated. Spending the day with a class of energetic eight-year-olds certainly helped divert my attention from a nearly overwhelming sense of anxiety and from the exhaustion I felt due to not being able to sleep well. I also had to deal with considerable pain, and the knowledge that the doctors were not only unable to discover what was the matter, but could not give me any help or hope. Under these stressful circumstances, I found the warm, supportive atmosphere in the classroom very comforting.
Though I received a lot of emotional strength from being at the school, I came home completely exhausted. My husband understood how important this service was to me. He knew that I had an elementary teaching credential, but had given up a career in teaching to raise our four children. He also knew that I had dreamed of having a class of my own when our children were raised, and that this volunteering might be as close as I would ever come to realizing that dream. Because he understood, he said, “A teacher has to teach”, and he cheerfully got our dinner and helped keep up the house.
Though I received a lot of emotional strength from being at the school, I came home completely exhausted. My husband understood how important this service was to me. He knew that I had an elementary teaching credential, but had given up a career in teaching to raise our four children. He also knew that I had dreamed of having a class of my own when our children were raised, and that this volunteering might be as close as I would ever come to realizing that dream. Because he understood, he said, “A teacher has to teach”, and he cheerfully got our dinner and helped keep up the house.
Reading Scriptures As a Family
As our youngest asks, "Can we have The Reading now?", we realize that he really enjoys our family scripture reading. We also look forward to reading the scriptures with our children because it gives us a great opportunity to teach them the gospel and assist them in building their testimonies. There are several things which help us to create this atmosphere for learning and closeness.
One thing we attempt to do is set a casual atmosphere where our children feel our love for them. So we try to not push them beyond their attention span, expect them to hold perfectly still, automatically understand Old English, or grasp new concepts on their own. As we relax, our children ask more questions and everyone feels more at ease in sharing personal experiences. One question frequently asked by our youngest is, "What does that mean in other language?" The "other" language is words he knows. As our younger children draw, do a craft, or some other quiet activity, we use questions directed just to them to bring them into the discussion. We gradually increase their involvement as they mature. We begin with simple plot questions of "and then what did Ammon do?" and ease into questions which help them discover basic principles in the stories - such as courage and honesty. Another way we keep our reading time more relaxed and enjoyable is by following our scripture reading with reading from other good books. We are careful, though, to clearly distinguish the "real" scriptures from the "pretend" stories. This gives us more time together as a family, replaces most TV watching, encourages a love of good literature, and gives the children an extra incentive to remind us to have "The Reading", so we are more consistent.
One thing we attempt to do is set a casual atmosphere where our children feel our love for them. So we try to not push them beyond their attention span, expect them to hold perfectly still, automatically understand Old English, or grasp new concepts on their own. As we relax, our children ask more questions and everyone feels more at ease in sharing personal experiences. One question frequently asked by our youngest is, "What does that mean in other language?" The "other" language is words he knows. As our younger children draw, do a craft, or some other quiet activity, we use questions directed just to them to bring them into the discussion. We gradually increase their involvement as they mature. We begin with simple plot questions of "and then what did Ammon do?" and ease into questions which help them discover basic principles in the stories - such as courage and honesty. Another way we keep our reading time more relaxed and enjoyable is by following our scripture reading with reading from other good books. We are careful, though, to clearly distinguish the "real" scriptures from the "pretend" stories. This gives us more time together as a family, replaces most TV watching, encourages a love of good literature, and gives the children an extra incentive to remind us to have "The Reading", so we are more consistent.
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