PrincipledMom™

...about that game show bothers me. To see a grown man looking pitiful, not knowing the answer and hoping a kid does, just didn't sit well with me. Grown-ups looking to children for answers isn't my idea of good television. Or good family harmony.

And this thing of having lots of facts at your fingertips. Einstein didn't do that. Don't keep in your head things you can easily look up. The goal is not to raise an encyclopedia, but a child who can look things up in one, and then skillfully apply the knowledge he finds there.

Disjointed, useless facts held together with jokes and smarty pants kids isn't my idea of a good time. Butthen again, what do I know. I'm not a 5th grader.

read comments (2)

Last week I had some coveted down time and sat down with the remote (mistake #1).  As I flipped through the channels I came across the game show "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?" (mistake #2). I admit I really knew nothing about the show but it seemd cute and my third grade daughter thought we should check it out. As I listened to the questions from the pre-tween set, I found myself growing uneasy. Some of the first and second grade questions my darling daughter didn't know the answer to. Since I'm the educator around here I took that personally.

I slowly started thinking about the questions and allowed my inner critic to speak to my inadequacy and it rattled off an impressively long list of my shortcomings. But then something rose up inside me. I refuse to compare my success as a teacher to a game show, and a lame one at that. Facts (especially useless ones) are not a gauge of learning. My children may not know silly facts but they are learning to reason, learning to hear the voice of God, learning to love their neighbor.  And those are things facts can't do.

I turned off the TV and read a book, satisfied that I am doing right by my kids. They are right on track in every way. Thanks to Jeff Foxworthy for reminding me of that.

read comments (2)

Be Intercessory

This one can be a challenge for children, who (hopefully unlike their parents) are pretty ego-centric. It is nice to form habits early that include prayer for others.  It is scriptural and also practical.

We should always be mindful of the lost around us. We should also be quick to pray for anyone at any time, even in the store or in our neighborhood. If you encounter someone with urgent needs, I encourage you to stop and pray right then. It is very rare that someone will not accept an offer for prayer.

You can encourage your children to intercede on behalf of others by offering them opportunities. Things like prayer lists and bulletin boards can keep children mindful of the needs of others. And it helps even more when your first answer to a need they bring to you is to pray about it. Even a simple two sentence prayer can move mountains. Putting the needs of others before your own will develop children who are giving and loving. They will also see the scripture in Matthew played out in their lives, when Jesus said not to take care for your own needs, but to seek His kingdom first. They will see God's blessing on their lives and it will increase their faith all the more.

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Jam 5:16  Confess yourfaults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Mar 13:33  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Luk 10:2  Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers arefew: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

read comments (1)