Mom Makes Periodic Table Battleships To Teach Her Kids Chemistry

https://pulptastic.com/explosive-chemistry/

The classic game of Battleships has been given an educational, but still great fun, update by a homeschooling mom to teach her kids basic chemistry (and military strategy).

Teaching Children How to Face Life's Challenges

This idea comes from Chapter 37 in the book The Christian Parenting Handbook by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.
Used by permission
 
Problems make great opportunities to teach children how to face life’s challenges. There are two kinds of people in the world: solvers and whiners. Whiners complain about life, feel like victims, and believe that others cause their problems. If others would just change, then they’d be happy.

Solvers, on the other hand, look for solutions, recognize that they can impact others, and feel empowered to change life. If they can’t solve the problem themselves, they know where to go to get solutions.

Helping children move from being whiners to being solvers starts in the way they talk about problems or bring them to their parents. The very words they use are important. When Johnny comes into the kitchen and says, “I’m hungry,” try saying, “Johnny, that’s focusing on the problem. Tell me the solution.”

Johnny’s response can be, “Mom, could I please have a snack?” That’s using words to focus on the solution. Don’t wait for the whiny voice to indicate a complaining heart. Look for word cues and you’ll be able to bring about change more quickly and effectively.

When Lori yells, “I can’t find my boots!” that’s focusing on the problem. It would be better for her to say, “Dad, would you please help me find my boots?”

Maybe you think this is only semantics. But the words children use to bring problems to their parents can mean all the difference in the way they view themselves and the world. Whining is often the sign of a victim mentality. Children who believe they’re victims are often angry and resentful because everyone else is the cause of their problems. They don’t believe they can change anything, so they may as well just complain about it.

Remember that frustration can be a great teacher and provides internal motivation to find a solution. When parents solve too many problems, children come to rely on parental solutions because it’s the easy way out.

Philippians 2:14 talks about having a good attitude with tasks when it says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” That’s great advice for the family.

 

Is Satan Stealing Our Families?

by Brie Gowan
http://briegowen.com/2017/07/30/is-satan-stealing-our-families/
Used by permission
July 30, 2017 by brieann.rn@gmail.com

This past year I read a book with my daughter called Little House in the Big Woods. You may be familiar with it. It’s the first book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and it began the popular Little House on the Prairie series. I don’t recall reading it before, and as I read it to my five year old, I think I enjoyed it even more than she did. Something about the way the family lived, it intrigued me. I love my internet tremendously, but the simplicity and closeness this family shared sounded really wonderful to me. The idea of working together for each other drew me into their little world. Many times as I read the pages aloud I yearned for such a time as the ones described.
I look around today and I wonder if we wouldn’t be better taking a step back in time where we could focus more on important matters, and less on trivial ones. I see the things around me that cause so much unneeded stress, and I truly believe that the principalities and powers of darkness wish to destroy what God has created. God favors families. He favors love, time together, and focus on cultivating those relationships. What I see today is in direct opposition of that, yet those things have developed slowly over time, so much so that we don’t even notice them deteriorating the fabric of family.
Our pre-teens and teenagers are so absorbed in their Snapchat and Instagram that they can’t even come up for air. Not that we notice. We’re buried in our Facebook newsfeed or hottest new game app.
The normalcy of public school education with its ever increasing curriculum demands are swallowed like good medicine. The school year gets longer, testing increases, and hours of homework creep into the family time. So children that already spend 8-9 hours away from home are spending their evening hours doing more projects, reports, and extra credit assignments.
Mom and dad are too exhausted to help much. They’re tired because they’re putting in more hours. Dual working parents are the majority. And while the cost of living has definitely increased over time, I wonder how much of our “necessities” are truly that? We work more to be able to buy more, yet we hardly have time to enjoy all our purchases. We save all year long for a week long vacation that leaves us exhausted and in need of a day off from our off days.
A lot of our hard-earned money is spent on activities. So. Many. Activities. We spend more time driving to activities, purchasing gear, costumes, and accessories for our activities, or working on our off days to raise funds for our activities. Activities where we watch other people teach, coach, and mentor our children. Is this the time together we’re craving? Makes you think.

Time together doesn’t cost a dime

If you had to sit down and add up how much quality time you spend alone with your spouse, what would it be? What about your children? And not time doing and going. Just time. Is it less time than you spend on your weekly commute to work?
It makes you wonder if divorce is more prominent today because it’s become socially more acceptable, or could it be because we’re spending less time enjoying the company of our spouse? Would children get in less trouble if they had a present parent/parents available to guide them? They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I’m wondering if we’ve taken that too far. Now we just want the village to take care of them. And then when our children fall down and fail we can have teachers, coaches, and the church to blame for their demise.
This is hard stuff to think about. It’s taking everything we’ve called normal over the past few decades or more and realizing that it’s actually destroying the family unit. Our kids are playing ball 3-5 times a week until 10pm, and the parents are working 60 hours a week to keep designer duds on the kiddos lest they get bullied for wearing WalMart brand clothing. Everyone has a TV in their room, a cell phone in their pocket, and a brand new car in the drive-way yet none of that will go to Heaven with us. We’re working very hard providing material possessions for our children, when in all reality we should be on our knees with them leading them to a closer walk with Jesus. Eternal life is what we should want for our kids, not the best education money can buy. And while I’m all for giving them a bright future, I don’t want to give them the world if it forfeits their soul. When my grown children look back on life I want them to have memories of time well spent rather than spending all the time. I gotta work on this! I don’t have it all figured out either, but I’d like to think my eyes are open enough to see that Satan wishes to destroy us.
Satan wants us tired, worn thin, and stressed. He wants us in debt up to our eyeballs, and our health failing because we can’t sleep enough, eat right, or handle our stress effectively. He wants husbands and wives fighting over finances, disrespectful teens who learned how to treat their parents based off Nickelodeon sitcoms, and thousands of young children sexually abused by the adults we’re so quick to place our trust in. He wants us busy, but not productive. He wants our plates full, but our tank empty. He wants us looking to society for what’s best for our families, not God’s word as a lamp to our feet. He wants the family unit ripped apart, and many times I look around and see us letting him. We’re not even trying to take a stand.
I’d like to believe that it’s not too late. We can still fight to save our families. Perhaps it all comes down to stepping out in wisdom, courage, and truth for our family. In a world that’s so busy Keeping Up With the Kardashians, maybe it’s time to be a Little House on the Prairie. What do you think?

*Of note, this isn’t meant to offend anyone. It’s just meant to trigger thinking about it. I’m certainly a work in progress.

Meet Brie

Brie is a thirty-something (sliding ever closer to forty-something) wife and mother. When she's not loving on her hubby, bouncing a happy toddler on her hip, chasing her preschooler, or teaching her six year old at the kitchen table, she enjoys cooking, reading, and writing down her thoughts to share with others. But honestly she loves nothing more than watching a great movie, or a hot bath, alone if the children allow. Which never happens.
Read More…

Teaching Your Children the True Meaning of Christmas

Used with Permission by Blair Massey

The stores have put up their holiday decorations. Yuletide carols are being piped into shopping malls across the country. Ah, yes, the holiday rush is on.

It’s the time of year when the lines are long and shoppers are irritable. There are parties to go to, cards to write, baking to be done, a tree to get, lights to be hung and presents to wrap. Then there is the deluge of television advertisements that tell us what we must buy in order to make our loved ones happy.

The world has taken Christmas and turned it into a celebration of consumerism. For many children, Christmas is about what presents they are going to get. They have no idea what it is really about. What can we do as Christian parents to make sure our children know the true meaning of Christmas?

The answer lies in what we do as parents to put Christ at the center of our Christmas. If we’re too busy with holiday preparations to spend time teaching our children what Christmas is really about, then we can’t expect them to know the truth. The world will teach them its rendition and it won’t be about Jesus. But if we take the time to put Christ at the center of our Christmas, we will be giving our children the greatest Christmas gift of all: connecting with Jesus at a heart level.

Here are some ways you can teach your children the true meaning of Christmas. Begin by reading to your children the account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible. Next, discuss Jesus’ life. Read scriptures that show examples of how He loved and served others.

To make Christmas come alive for your children, teach them to imitate Jesus by following His example of serving others. I have listed some examples below for inspiration.

Before you make your plans please consider the following. Make sure that you choose an activity that will have a meaningful impact. The activity should also require your children to give of themselves in an up close and personal way. And last but not least, be sure to participate in the activity with your children. You’ll be teaching them a valuable lesson in serving, one that they will remember as they get older.

1. Teach them to give
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35.
◾Have them choose one of their own toys (in good condition) or purchase a new toy out of their own money to give to a child who otherwise would not receive a toy this Christmas.
◾Give a coat or shoes to a homeless person.
◾Bring toys and clothes to an orphanage.
◾Help a less fortunate family for Christmas by providing all the fixings for a Christmas meal, presents for the children and clothes if needed.
◾Pack bag lunches to give out to the homeless. Include a sandwich, juice box, cheese and crackers, Wet Ones, bus pass, a list of addresses where they can get a hot meal and shower, change for a phone call, and invitation to church.

2. Teach them to share
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18.
◾Take a basket of homemade cookies to a neighbor you don’t know well and invite them to church.
◾Have a friend over for dinner who doesn’t know about Jesus and share the Good News with them.
◾Have your child invite a school friend to Christmas service at your church.

3. Teach them to care
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” Psalms 68:5-6.
◾Visit a convalescent hospital and sing Christmas carols.
◾Visit a children’s hospital. Bring cookies and games to play.
◾Bring a meal to someone who has a chronic illness.
◾Invite a military person who is away from home to spend Christmas dinner at your house.

3. Teach them to serve
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28.
◾Volunteer to make and serve a meal at a homeless shelter.
◾Spend an afternoon at a senior citizens’ home. Bring cookies and reading material, sing Christmas songs and serve in any way that may be needed.
◾Take an elderly person shopping or do errands for them.
◾Do yard work, pet care or housework for someone who is not physically able to do those things for themselves.
By teaching our children to imitate Jesus this Christmas season, we will keep the true meaning of Christmas alive for this generation and for the next. Jesus is the real reason for the season.

Christian Lifestyle expert Blair Massey is devoted to helping Christian women around the world get their home, family and life organized. To get organized and start living the amazing life you were created by God to enjoy, sign up for her FREE newsletter now at www.christian-homemaking.com

Equipping Your Children and Grandchildren before They Leave Home

Things to Consider Teaching Your Children
before That Day Comes

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2014

Consider thinking about and listing the knowledge, experiences, and skills you would like your children to have a grip on before they leave the love and security of your home.  What do they need to know to live on their own, and later as they marry and have a family of their own?  Parents, as well as grandparents, teachers, aunts, uncles, and friends can all have a hand in the teaching, depending on the choice of the parents.  Do all you can to help them prepare for every area of their lives, including the spiritual, physical, emotional, educational, vocational, and financial, as well as all that goes along with keeping a home.

I will never forget one of my friends telling me just before she got married that she had never cooked a meal in her entire life!  Wow!  And it's been known that, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."  I often wondered what they ate during their first year of married life!

It's just a fact that a child equipped with plenty of practical skills will do better in life than those who are lacking in them.  It's never too late to start teaching your child the basics.  It's also never too early to start!  A toddler can learn scripture verses and songs, as well as how to do simple tasks such as taking trash to the trash can, running a cordless vacuum, helping to fold washcloths, matching socks, and picking up toys - a few jobs they are capable of doing and will gladly do for you. 

A five year old can unload the dishwasher, by first putting away the silverware, then stacking the dishes neatly on the counter top rather than in high cabinets, and putting pots and pans away in the lower cabinets, as my five year old grandson has been doing.  I rarely ever had to unload the dishwasher in our home.  First our daughter did this job.  Then ever since our older son was six, it was his job to unload the dishwasher before I drove our children to school, and later our younger son took over the job until he left for college. 

Using the internet, your children can learn a lot.  After researching a subject, then comes the practical use of that knowledge!  YouTube is a great source of learning how to do almost anything - many life skills such as sewing, cooking, crafts, DIY projects, how to fix a car, and an unlimited number of things.  I'm not suggesting that your children simply know where to find that information, but to "do" many of those activities while they are still in your home.  By doing that, they will learn many skills that will serve them well throughout their lives by increasing their creativity, giving them confidence, saving them a lot of money, and passing on their skills to their own children.  Many skills are lost because we do not teach them to our children.  Grandparents, do your best to revive the lost arts by instilling them in your grandchildren!

When teaching a child how to do almost anything, it is good to use this four-step process (Show, Help, Do, Inspect):

  1. Show the child how to do a certain job or skill. 

  2. Have the child help you do that same job or skill. 

  3. Let the child do it himself.
  4. Inspect his work in an effort to have him do the best job possible.

If you or your husband do not possess the skill to teach your children in each of these areas, find someone who can.  Possibly you can swap children with another family if another mom is more skilled in sewing, while you are more gifted in another skill. You may also need to hire someone to teach certain skills to your children.  It will be money well spent if your child learns a skill that will be used throughout life.

I've listed various areas below with suggestions, but advise each family to sit down and make their own list.  In the following segments below, when I say, "Know how to," I really mean that the child should "do" these activities.  After all, that is how one actually learns - by doing!

For each child, keeping a notebook of knowledge, experiences, and skills learned would be most helpful!  If a three-ring notebook is used, extra pages could be added along the way in this exciting journey to adulthood.  Since children start their knowledge, experiences, and skills before they are able to write and keep a notebook themselves, of course, the parent or grandparent would need to start the notebook to record all that each child learns during the early years.  During their first seven years, they will learn more than you realize they ever could in the areas of spiritual development, character development, and manners.

The following segments are just a guide for parents and grandparents.  You will want to make your own list, but basically teach your children to have accomplished the goals in each of these areas before they leave home:

Spiritual Development

Know the good news of the gospel, and hopefully they have already accepted Christ as Savior - and experienced a real heart change.
Know various ways to have personal devotions and have meaningful personal devotions.

Have a clear understanding and practice of prayer.

Have a good number of scripture verses firmly etched in memory.  A list for review is important as well.

Be able to sing some hymns - know the words and melodies.  There is so much biblical truth in the hymns.

Character Development
Obedience to parents

Kindness - how to treat others

Self discipline

Self confidence
Forgiveness
Dependability
Truthfulness
Trustworthiness
How to control anger
Compassion for others
Helpfulness
Respectfulness
Joyfulness
Patience
Putting others first

Manners
Say "please" and "thank you" when appropriate.
Carry on a meaningful conversation - like playing tennis (taking turns speaking).
Write thank you notes.
Learn not to interrupt.
Learn how to introduce people.
Learn to share possessions.
Help others (siblings, friends, neighbors, and others).

House Cleaning
Keep bedroom picked up, organized, and clean.

Clean a bathroom (cobwebs, walls, mirror, tub, toilet, sink, shower, counter, floor, walls, knick knacks).

Dust with a lamb's wool duster and a cloth.
Polish furniture.
Remove cobwebs.
Wash windows and mirrors.
Polish silver and brass.

Sweep and vacuum hard surface floors.
Wet mop floors.
Steam mop floors.
Vacuum carpet.
Clean a microwave.
Clean an oven.
Wash and dry dishes by hand.
Load and unload a dishwasher.
Wash and/or polish kitchen cabinets.

Money Management

Write a check.
Balance a checkbook.
Pay bills (by actually doing it with parents).
Manage money wisely.

Tithe money.
Save money.
Spend money wisely.

Control impulse buying.
Have a good work ethic.
Take care of what you own.
Repair things you own, rather than instantly tossing them.
Earn money (babysitting, tutoring, mowing lawns, gardening, landscaping, shoveling snow, farm work, dog sitting, washing cars, etc.).

Clothing
Keep bedroom floor clear of clothing, and put clothes away properly.

Match separates to extend a wardrobe.

Shop at thrift stores to stretch dollars.
Do own laundry or learn to be responsible for part of family's laundry. Several children could take turns with various loads.
Learn basic spot removal tips.
Make homemade laundry soap (very effective at cleaning clothes and super inexpensive).
Use an iron (some things do need ironing).

Cooking

Properly wash produce.

Read a recipe and follow through.
Double or triple a recipe.
Freeze food (the basics).
Clean up after making a mess in the kitchen.
Use measuring spoons and measuring cups.
Know and understand measurements (3 tsp. = 1 Tbsp. and 4 Tbsp. = 1/4 cup, etc.)
Bake cookies from scratch.
Bake a cake and make frosting from scratch.
Know how to use an oven, microwave, blender, crockpot.
Know the basics terms of cooking and baking and how to do each one (check a cookbook for terms).
Pack balanced lunches.  Be responsible for at least some of them.
Know the basics of meal planning.
Plan a week of meals.

Make coffee.
Make tea.
Know how to make eggs different ways, a breakfast casserole, pancakes, waffles, French toast, and oatmeal.
Know how to make a healthy smoothie.

Know how to make a meal of meat, potatoes, and vegetable.
Know how to make a casserole and salad meal.
Know how to make meatloaf.
Know how to cook brown rice.
Know how to bake potatoes.
Know how to make homemade soup.
Know how to make homemade pizza.
Know how to make muffins, biscuits, quick bread, and yeast bread - all from scratch.
Know how to use the crockpot to make meals, especially roast beef, roast chicken, and roast turkey breast.
Know how to make a homemade pie.
Cook an entire meal - then another and another (as in real life).

Gardening

Plant a garden and care for it:
   Know how to grow several vegetables.
   Know how to grow several herbs.
   Know how to grow several flowers.

Know the difference between a vegetable, herb, flower, and a weed.
Know how to freeze vegetables and herbs.
Know how to dry herbs.

Sewing

Know how to sew on a button
Know how to hem a skirt or pair of pants by hand, using a simple blind stitch
Know how to mend clothes - fix a small rip or tear
Know the basics of sewing with a sewing machine and do at least a few projects (pillow, skirt, shirt, dress, quilt).  Some young girls have made doll clothes for American Girl Dolls and put themselves through college by selling them.  Having a sewing skill could also grow into a home business, so after marriage a young mother could stay home with her children, and sew doll clothes or possibly do custom sewing and alterations.

Other Skills
Explore the possibilities of playing an instrument or singing.
Explore the possibilities of taking a class to learn a craft, cake decorating, wood working, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc..
Explore the possibilities of playing a sport, but don't allow this one to take over your life and squeeze out time for other things, as this often happens.

Organization

How to be organized - learning basic skills and following through by using a turntable, shoe organizer, boxes in a drawer.

Automobiles

How to change a tire
How to change oil in car
How to wash a car
How to wax a car
Know the rules of driving
How to drive a car
How to pack a car.

Practical Household Skills

Hang a framed picture or mirror.

Use a Magic Eraser for multiple uses.

Use a plunger.
Free a clogged drain.

Change a light bulb.

Know at least 6 basic essential oils and their many uses.  Put some into practice. This will come in handy someday!
Make several DIY natural substitutes for products such as body cream, deodorant.

Tie various knots.
Know how to pack for a trip.

Health and Safety
Know how to eat to be healthy.
Know alternative remedies for everyday ailments.
Know First Aid.
Know CPR.
Know measures of safety.

Building

Know how to use a hammer, screw driver (regular and Phillips), pliers,and other tools.

Learn how to make a woodworking project and follow through with making it.

Technology

(I'm laughing because the younger generations seem more equipped to teach us older folks in this area!  Let them teach you then!)
How to use a computer
How to use a cell phone
How to use a Kindle and other technology

Fishing and Hunting

How to catch a fish and clean it
How to shoot a deer, and cook venison

Laws
Know basic laws.

Problem Solving

Give your child various problems which happen daily, and let him help solve them.  Then discuss it.

Now, lest any of you parents feel like you could never teach your children all of these skills, please do not worry about that!  My husband and I did not teach my own children to do every single one of these either.  In fact, I never even thought of some of the things on this list at the time!  Like I said, make your own family's list and it will work for you.  In fact, you may want to add more to this list!

A Special Note to Grandparents
Grandparents, a wonderful gift for us to present to our grandchildren would be a personalized notebook with a list divided into segments, similar to this one!  Tell each one of your grandchildren you will do all you can to help them learn many of the skills listed, so they will be well equipped as an adult, and they may have more ideas to add to the list.  What memories you will give them, along with skills to last a lifetime!  It's so easy to buy a gift at the store, but this is a gift of yourself for as long as you can have input into their lives.  Of course, I believe the spiritual aspect on this list is of utmost importance, because of the eternal consequences of their decision while on earth to follow or reject Christ.  Let's be a part of pouring good things into the lives of our children and grandchildren! 

This notebook would be a very special gift to grandchildren - like an heirloom gift because the lasting benefits of what they will learn with your being intentional in teaching them.  The benefits will last a lifetime and even into the next generations!  I plan to make a personal notebook for each of our five grandchildren, starting with the older ones.  There are two other heirloom gifts I have been making for our grandchildren.  When our children's first child turns one year old, I've been giving that child a thirty-two page cloth quiet book (to be shared with siblings).  The third quiet book will be given next weekend to our son's baby girl, Raelle Elizabeth!  As I worked on the third quiet book, I was thinking I just might have to make extra books - one for each grandchild, so they can use them with our great-grandchildren some day.  My six year old granddaughter was helping to sew Raelle's book last week, and was so excited that she had her mother get their own quiet book out again, and she enjoyed looking through all the pages once more.  The third heirloom gift I am making for each grandchild is a large quilt that should last for many years to come.  The second quilt is in construction right now.  

So, grandparents, please don't think you no longer have much to offer your children!  You can be pouring your lives into your grandchildren's future.  We certainly do have much to offer!  Let us all be intentional in doing so!

Seize the Moments

by Kelly Crawford - Thanks for Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sharing this beautiful poem!

Seize The Moments

I used to race, I used to hurry,

I used to fret and frown and worry,

My children thought they had new names-

"Hurry up" and "We're Gonna Be Late"!

Even when we were at home-

Laundry, cleaning, answering phone...

I never had the extra time

To sit and cherish these children of mine.

But in His grace the Lord broke through

And I saw everything anew.

We have but only a few days here

To love and share and pull them near.

And while they're things that must be done,

Our lives are like the setting sun.

While it's light is burning bright,

Before we face, alone, the night,

Let's stop the madness of this race-

Let's take back a slower pace!

Look into those grinning faces,

Plan your day with lots of spaces,

Grab a hand and take a walk,

Listen while your children talk,

Let them show you childhood things,

Take turns laughing on the swing,

Snuggle up beside the fire,

Kiss the hurt left by a brier,

Meet them with a morning smile,

Go out and fish a little while.

Choose carefully how you spend your time.

Don't wait until you suddenly find

The wrenching grief of a heart that aches,

Who loved too little and found out too late.

Impacting Teens, Influencing Moms, Inspiring Mentors (Did You Teach Them?)

Not doing more .. but being more .. more like Jesus!

Elisa is the founder of this wonderful blog where you can find Free Topical Downloads, Tips for Teens and 20's, and more at: http://www.moretobe.com/

 

Did You Teach Them?

 

I suppose it is normal to have a sobering sense of time when you look up from your desk, caught off guard by the young woman walking through the door, only to realize it is your own daughter.

When did she grow up?

I feel like I just tucked the 4T dresses away for her little sister. Wasn't it only yesterday when she insisted on wearing sports shorts and a t-shirt, all-the-time? Now she's dressed like she's ready to step into the world of business movers and shakers.  That's what dress code looks like on a nearly fully matured teenager's body.

 

In only a blink, I am sure she'll be walking back out that door and into the world God is waiting for her to explore. And I am left to wonder.

Did I teach her the most important lessons of all?

Did I model authentic faith?  Did I share with her the awesomeness of God and proclaim His glory in my worship, praise, and prayers? Did I show her what to do with unbelief, letting her know it is okay to cry out to God in doubt but walk faithfully anyways?  Have I given her a taste of my whole faith, even the messy parts, because isn't life messy?  Won't she be a doubting Thomas at times, too?  But it is my prayer for her to echo Mary's words more often, "My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…" (Luke 1:46-47).

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

In the very blink frozen by my thoughts, I turn my heart to the Lord and stare down Proverbs 3:5-6. It was the very first verse my daughter had to memorize when she entered kindergarten and the very first verse I really sunk my knees deep into prayer over the life of my children.

Oh Lord, may they trust in you with all their heart, and lean not on their own understanding. In all their ways may they submit to you, O God, and may You make their paths straight.

It's been a prayer for my littles, spoken so many times in gasps of, "Oh Lord. Help them to submit. Dear God, make them stay the straight way."  But in this moment of window gazing and wonderment of time, the Lord whispered to me a new way to use this passage of Truth. He asked me…

• Did you teach them to trust me?
• Did you teach them how to give their heart to me?
• Did you teach them to not lean on their own understanding?
• Did you teach them to live set apart?
• Did you teach them to pay attention to me?
• Did you teach them to follow my ways?
• Did you teach them how to live on the straight path?

Did I teach them?

It's now my accountability checklist for the remainder of my motherhood journey. Not so that I'd feel bound up in condemnation, but so that I'd really pour into the years left with her and her siblings.  It's a tool to help me evaluate my time, offering the Holy Spirit a good old fashion moment of silence as I step away from the screens to face my Maker.

 

Oh sure, it makes me squirm on days when the answer is "No, Lord. I didn't." But because of His grace and the mercies bestowed each morning, I can embrace living with an momma heart, eternally bent. It's the best thing I can do for my children — to give them Jesus in a faith that's still being learned — while they are still young enough to teach.

:: click here to download a copy of Did You Teach Them to encourage you
and a printable version of Proverbs 3:5-6 ::

Did You Teach Them?
Encouragement for a momma from the heart of God

Did you teach them to trust me?
Did you teach them how to give their heart to me?
Did you teach them to not lean on their own understanding?
Did you teach them to live set apart?
Did you teach them to pay attention to me?
Did you teach them to follow my ways?
Did you teach them how to follow the straight path?

 

Blessings,

Elisa, MoreToBe.com

 

3D Shapes

Author unknown

Note from Lois: This little poem will help young children in learning 3D shapes, and memorization is a great exercise!

3D shapes are fat not flat.
A cone is like a party hat.
A sphere is like a bouncy ball.
A prism is like a building tall.
A cylinder is like a can of pop.
A cube is like the dice you drop.

3D shapes are here and there.
3D shapes are everywhere!

 

 

Teaching Kids to See What Needs to be Done & Do It

National Center for Biblical Parenting - www.biblicalparenting.org

This parenting tip is taken from the book, "Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids," by Scott Turansky/Joanne Miller - Used by permission

One of the parts of our honor definition is that we do more than what's expected. That means seeing what needs to be done and doing it, and solving problems instead leaving them for others. One family had a sign in their kitchen that read:

If it's broken, fix it.
If it's empty, fill it up.
If it's open, shut it.
If it's out, put it away.
If it's messy, clean it up.
If you can't, then report it.
That's honor.

Take time to teach children that they don't have to be asked in order to do a job. Honor means that we are all contributing to family life. In fact, you may ask a child to go around the house and look for one job that needs to be done and do it, then report back to you.

These kinds of discussions and exercises will help children think outside of their little box and discover that they have a responsibility to the family. They can contribute to family life by just seeing something that needs to be done and doing it.

Of course, that's what makes a valuable employee so you can teach your children something more important than just how to get along better in your family. You may be preparing them to be outstanding employees as they get older.

Cleaning House: A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

Book by Kay Wills Wyma - Thanks to Joyce Quam in Virginia for this good information!

Joyce says, "A dear friend brought this book to Bible 

Study so eager to share it with others. As a mother 

herself she could relate to its message of "generations

of entitlement" and wanted to share this mother's 

story.  The book,'Cleaning House....' by Kay Willis Wyma

is both convicting and insightful and just filled with 

personal testimonies and humor. It is a "must read." 

http://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-House-Twelve-Month-
Entitlement-ebook/dp/B007WKFM7C/ref=tmm_kin_title_
0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1339037936&sr=1-1

A quote from the link above:
Do your kids think that clean, folded clothes magically appear in their drawers? Do they roll their eyes when you suggest they clean the bathroom? Do you think it’s your job to pave their road to success? As parents, so often we hover, race in to save, and do everything we can for our kids—unintentionally reinforcing their belief that the world revolves around them.

When Kay Wyma realized that an attitude of entitlement had crept into her home, this mother of five got some attitude of her own. Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her kids to basic life skills. From making beds to grocery shopping to refinishing a deck chair, the Wyma family experienced for themselves the ways meaningful work can transform self-absorption into earned self-confidence and concern for others.

With irresistible humor and refreshing insights, Kay candidly details the ups and downs of removing her own kids from the center of the universe. The changes that take place in her household will inspire you to launch your own campaign against youth entitlement. As Kay says, “Here’s to seeing what can happen when we tell our kids, ‘I believe in you, and I’m going to prove it by putting you to work.’”

At the link above, you can read reviews by Elisa Morgan, Jim Daly, Joe White, Dr. Howard Hendricks, and Governor Mike Huckabee.

About the Author:

Kay Wills Wyma has five kids, ages four to fourteen, and one SUV with a lot of carpool miles. She holds a bachelor's from Baylor University and an MIM from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). Before transitioning to stay-at-home mom, she held positions at the White House, the Staubach Company, and Bank of America. She and her husband, Jon, live with their family in the Dallas area.

Homeschool Helps

2006:
 

by Julie Druck of York, Pennsylvania ~ Used by permission

Julie writes a monthly newsletter, "A Heart for Home." 

          Though the school year is winding down, I wanted to include some fun ideas to finish your year with and/or to do in the summertime. A lifestyle of learning never ends!

* A fun (and delicious!) way to teach your child fractions is to use chilled chocolate bars. A Hershey bar is divided into small rectangles - simply break them apart and use them to teach your children some simple fractions.

* "Mad Libs" is a hilarious and painless way that teach parts of speech. Remember those silly fill-in-the-blank books from when you were a kid? "Mad Libs" contain stories which are missing various words. You ask your child to name a random noun, verb, etc. When you read the story later, the words that they chose make the story silly.

* For a little writing/geography project, list the letters of the alphabet vertically down the side of a sheet of paper. Have your child use a globe and find a country for each letter of the alphabet.

* Using packing peanuts for projects is a great way to recycle as well as have some fun! We have made packing peanut sculptures with toothpicks. The boys have also wet the ends of them and stuck them together for unusual sculptures. Caleb wet the ends and stuck the peanuts together to form the whole alphabet. Besides making things with them, they’re fun to use as a simple science experiment: Most packing peanuts are now made of cornstarch which will dissolve in water.

* Ben likes to play the "Letter Value Game" that covers language arts as well as math. Down the left-hand side of a piece of paper, list the ABC’s in order. Then write 1 cent beside the A, two cents beside the B, etc.  Next, give your child a word - for example, "dad." Have him figure out "how much" the word "dad" costs - which would be 9 cents. Start with small words and work up to bigger ones.

* An interesting lesson on geography can be done in the produce section of your supermarket. I have occasionally allowed the boys to choose a piece of fruit that they have never tasted. We buy it, take it home and try to find out where in the world that fruit grows. Of course, we then sample it! This is how Eli discovered that he loves mango.