School Rocks

READY… “Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.” ~ John W. Gardner

AIM… How many of you remember the School House Rocks jingles that were played on Saturday mornings in-between our favorite cartoons? You know the ones like “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?” How about “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly get your adverbs here” or “I’m just a bill.” I have to be honest; I loved those little jingles and can still sing most of the choruses to them. Even though, at the time, I probably had no idea I was learning valuable lessons, I realize now what a brilliant idea it was to show those School House Rocks commercials during kid TV time because I really DID learn something.

Too bad our children’s TV time doesn’t have those great little songs or educational commercials. Now during commercial time, our kids get to learn about the best dating websites, finding their perfect soul mate, what type of medications to take for depression and the glories of male enhancement drugs. Wow, aren’t they lucky! Wonder if they’ll grow to be thankful that they really learned something during those commercial breaks? Even if we are diligent about the shows are children watch, it’s hard to censor family television time due to all the questionable advertising attacks.

The truth of the matter is, regardless what your children watch on TV, it’s up to you, their parents, to really teach your children what they need to know. Yes, they are required to go to school to learn the basics of education. However, the schools are not required to teach your children common sense, or about making good decisions and how to grow up with morals. It is not the teacher’s job to instruct your children in the ways of good manners, how to treat other boys and girls, and sexual responsibility. It’s time that we, their parents, realize that the best teachers in the world are the ones our children look at every single day when they wake up and right before they go to sleep. It’s time to take responsibility for making sure our children know how to behave in public, how to treat other people with respect and how to become responsible young people. If WE aren’t setting a good example, then how can we expect them to grow up and be any different? Remember, school does rock, but great parents blow the socks off school any day!

FIRE! Take time to talk to your child this week. Don’t just ask him about his day, ask direct questions about how he gets along with the other students and what he’s most excited about or what he’s most afraid of this year. Be encouraging and use your time together as a teachable moment for both of you to learn something new.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Our Cherished Gifts

READY8 “All children are a gift from God.” Psalm 127:3 AIM8 Oh, what joyous gifts children are in our lives. It is so true. God gives us the miracle of another human being to care for, teach, nurture and love. My kids are getting older and I’m recognizing that it’s getting harder for me to let them grow up. Being a good parent is finding the ability to walk the fine line of holding on and letting go. When your children are young, they need lots of attention and direct care from you, their parents. As your child grows older, he needs the space to grow and the age-appropriate freedom to exercise his independence. Our job, as parents, is simply to monitor our child’s progress and manage the consequences of his or her choices. How else will she really learn the relationship of cause and effect? It’s like the baby birds who try to fly for the first time, but instead, fall straight to the ground right out of the nest. The mother birds nudge them and help them get up and try to fly again. Eventually, the baby bird puts it all together, figures it out and goes soaring off on his next adventure in the great, wide open world. As you love, teach, correct and nurture your children, be sure to recognize that your time with them is limited. Relish in every moment, silly antic, crazy memory, awful accident and cherished hug and kiss. Our job is to be responsible to raise well-adjusted, mature and capable, young men and women who are able to leave their parents and handle life on their own. Don’t fret if your kids don’t “need” you as they get older. See their independence as a reward that you have taught them well and have prepared them for the chaotic adventure ahead. Oh, and in the meantime, thank God for the blessing of your most cherished gifts, your children, and enjoy this crazy ride called parenting. FIRE!8 Plan to do something special with your children this weekend. You can have a family game night, watch a movie together (complete with popcorn and snacks,) go for a bike ride, meet for coffee, read stories together or simply make a phone call to chat and catch up on life. The time you invest in your children will be a true gift to them. Be Excellent! Lori