A Mother’s Prayer
By Victoria Carrington
Lord, look after my babies
Hold them close to you
Fill them with your love and joy
Show them what’s right to do
Keep them safe from harm, Dear Lord
Protect them with all your might
Keep them on the narrow path
Keep them in your light
Especially when times are hard
Never let them give up hope
Let them know if they follow You
With any problem they can cope
Lord, thank You for these gifts
You have sent me from above
Let my babies always know
They have my unending love
Monday, May 30, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Rainbow Parties
As if I need another great blog site to read. But the Blogger News Network does have a lot of great stories. I submitted my first story there today, a previous post of mine titled, Urgent Talk to Your Teens About Sex.
This is in part a response to a post at the Narrow about a book about Rainbow Parties, a favorite sexual escapade of kids left alone without supervision for hours at a time (read-most kids in America). Brief overview of Rainbow Parties: They involve girls, lipsticks of varying colors, oral sex and a proud penis.
Michelle Malkin refers to the book, with it's brightly colored lipsticks innocently portrayed on the cover, as 'Educational' Smut.
Parents and others want to condemn the book (and rightfully so) but the more difficult task parents face is talking to their teens about abstinence and sexuality and supervising their teens more closely.
It is relatively easy to get emotional and start talking about boycotting bookstores or publishers. It is quite another thing to change your work schedule or curtail your evening activities to spend more time with your older children.
Believe me, when I worked as a psychiatrist and gave parents these simple suggestions to help them deal with behavioral or emotional issues with their teens, you would not believe the looks of disbelief that I would get.How dare I ask parents to change their lives to accommodate their children!
Anyway, enough of me on my soapbox.
Find out more for yourself if you are interested.
This is in part a response to a post at the Narrow about a book about Rainbow Parties, a favorite sexual escapade of kids left alone without supervision for hours at a time (read-most kids in America). Brief overview of Rainbow Parties: They involve girls, lipsticks of varying colors, oral sex and a proud penis.
Michelle Malkin refers to the book, with it's brightly colored lipsticks innocently portrayed on the cover, as 'Educational' Smut.
Parents and others want to condemn the book (and rightfully so) but the more difficult task parents face is talking to their teens about abstinence and sexuality and supervising their teens more closely.
It is relatively easy to get emotional and start talking about boycotting bookstores or publishers. It is quite another thing to change your work schedule or curtail your evening activities to spend more time with your older children.
Believe me, when I worked as a psychiatrist and gave parents these simple suggestions to help them deal with behavioral or emotional issues with their teens, you would not believe the looks of disbelief that I would get.How dare I ask parents to change their lives to accommodate their children!
Anyway, enough of me on my soapbox.
Find out more for yourself if you are interested.
Abortion is Wrong: Even Children Know It
Chase, at age 4, already has commented on the sin of killing unborn babies. This issue came up as we were reading a book about sharks who cannibalize their unborn young.
Chase is fascinated by biology. He wants to know how everything works "on the inside" and I have been more than happy to indulge him in this unit study. Along with books from the library, I purchased a book from Sam's Club called "Uncover A Shark" by David George Gordon, a 3-D book with a model of a dissected shark inside in layers.
Apparently, unborn great white shark pups become cannibals and eat the unfertilized eggs in their mother's womb as they are waiting to be born. I tried to skip over reading this part but it did not work. Chase saw this and became very upset. "That baby shark is eating the mommy shark's eggs. That is not right, mommy! That is wrong! There could be a little baby shark inside that egg that will not be born if the other shark eats it! The one baby shark is killing another baby shark!"
"You are right Chase. Some things happen in life that are just plain wrong."
I did not know what else to say.
Chase is fascinated by biology. He wants to know how everything works "on the inside" and I have been more than happy to indulge him in this unit study. Along with books from the library, I purchased a book from Sam's Club called "Uncover A Shark" by David George Gordon, a 3-D book with a model of a dissected shark inside in layers.
Apparently, unborn great white shark pups become cannibals and eat the unfertilized eggs in their mother's womb as they are waiting to be born. I tried to skip over reading this part but it did not work. Chase saw this and became very upset. "That baby shark is eating the mommy shark's eggs. That is not right, mommy! That is wrong! There could be a little baby shark inside that egg that will not be born if the other shark eats it! The one baby shark is killing another baby shark!"
"You are right Chase. Some things happen in life that are just plain wrong."
I did not know what else to say.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
"Being a God Chaser and Kid Chaser"
How can I do it all? How can I pursue my spiritual growth, utilize my God-given gifts and raise my family in a way that is pleasing to God all at the same time? I pray about this quite a bit and have had counsel from some wise ladies about this issue. But still, I struggle.
I was recently blessed with a book called "How to Be a God Chaser and a Kid Chaser" by Tommy Tenney and Thetus Tenney. Read my review of this book at my Work-at-Home Mom Blog.
Any tips from other moms trying to do the balancing act?
I was recently blessed with a book called "How to Be a God Chaser and a Kid Chaser" by Tommy Tenney and Thetus Tenney. Read my review of this book at my Work-at-Home Mom Blog.
Any tips from other moms trying to do the balancing act?
Importance of Creativity
I forgot to mention in my previous post about Preschool Essentials the issue of creativity. I would add to my list encouraging creativity as an important part of early childhood education. I was considered a creative child. I liked to write and tell stories. Through years (many years) of formal, intense schooling, I "lost" my creative abilities. My husband loved to draw and was quite good at it as a kid but he too seemed to 'lose' some of his creative abilities. My husband and I decided very early on that no matter which type of curriculum or educational approach we used, we did not want Chase to lose the creative abilities he was born with. So far, God has blessed Chase with an incredible imagination and the ability to make up games, stories and even his own toys for hours on end.
Only recently have I come to fully appreciate God's desire for all of us to be creative. He is, after all, the Father of Creation and the Ultimate Creativity Guide. Who needs a muse when one has the Holy Spirit of the Creator of the Universe at our disposal? I have come to understand for my own life that to have creative abilities and choose not to use them is a sin.
After years of ignoring any creative urges and practicing delayed obedience to God ("I'll work on becoming a writer later"), I am now walking in God's will for my life and developing my creative abilities. "God, I finally accept the responsibilities you have for me and I will devote my life to the full expression of my gifts for your glory." has become my prayer.
May I also raise my children in such a way that they will always walk within God's will and fully utilize all of their creative gifts. I pray that Chase and Alyssa will never need to recover lost creativity.
Only recently have I come to fully appreciate God's desire for all of us to be creative. He is, after all, the Father of Creation and the Ultimate Creativity Guide. Who needs a muse when one has the Holy Spirit of the Creator of the Universe at our disposal? I have come to understand for my own life that to have creative abilities and choose not to use them is a sin.
After years of ignoring any creative urges and practicing delayed obedience to God ("I'll work on becoming a writer later"), I am now walking in God's will for my life and developing my creative abilities. "God, I finally accept the responsibilities you have for me and I will devote my life to the full expression of my gifts for your glory." has become my prayer.
May I also raise my children in such a way that they will always walk within God's will and fully utilize all of their creative gifts. I pray that Chase and Alyssa will never need to recover lost creativity.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
What Children Really Need During the Preschool Years
Essential Christian Preschool
Some things are crucial and need to be learned in the preschool years. Certain foundational aspects of character, family life and self-care development sets the stage for future growth and learning. Molding your child to fare well within the family unit and within society at large as well as nurturing a love of spiritual life and a love of learning are all that your preschooler really needs. Everything else can come later. Eventually, your child will learn how to write his name and count to 100. But if you wait to inspire a love of all that is truly important, you may wait until it is too late.
I have two sisters who are kindergarten teachers. Yes, they do get children who are sometimes unprepared for the rigors of today's kindergarten. But for the child who still needs help writing his name or counting, help is available. What is much more difficult and disruptive for them is the child who does not know how to put on or take off his own coat and boots and who can not get along with peers or who seems disinterested in learning. It is the child who does not seem to know how to have fun without a television or a video game, the child who has no sparkle in his eyes, that they find especially troubling and sad.
As I am finishing up the end of the official preschool years with my son, I have been reflecting on many studies as well as my own clinical experiences working with troubled children to formulate what I believe to be essential building blocks of the preschool years.
1. Love of learning. Nurture the curiosity of your child. Experiment as requested. “I don’t know what will happen if we mix the flour and the water. Let’s try it and see.” Answer questions patiently and as accurately as possible. Thank goodness for the Internet when you need to know ‘how does God make refrigerators’!
2. Love of family. Spend time with grandparents and other extended family. Model healthy family relationships. Teach responsibility within the family unit. Encourage observation of sibling’s growth and development. Encourage love and respect for all family members. Teach family history and genealogy. Pray for family members and others’ families.
3. Learning self-care and chores. Allow your child to take responsibility for certain chores. Spend time teaching and reinforcing how to brush teeth, button clothing, and choose clothing. Kids love to help out so make sorting laundry, putting away silverware and setting the table fun and learning. Teaching the child about and seeing that they receive proper nutrition, sleep, fresh air and exercise are also important.
4. Love of the Lord. Children are very in tune with the spiritual realm and have a natural curiosity about God. Feed the curiosity and fan the flames both by example and by providing ample opportunity for the child to learn about God and his creations. Make the Bible essential reading for the preschool years.
5. Peer relationships/conflict resolution. Relationships are filled with conflict and the preschool years are no exception. Conflict will be present throughout our lives but how will we teach our children to handle it? The myth that merely being around peers in groups of 10 or 15 for 8-12 hours a day will socialize children is entirely untrue and anyone who has studied child development knows that. However, well-chosen experiences with small numbers of peers under the watchful eye of a caring adult can help children to learn about relationships. If the playmate has a toy that my child wants, how will he choose to handle the matter? He may try several approaches, some appropriate some not, to get what he wants. Judicious adult guidance can serve to point out options and help the child understand what works and what does not. This is impossible to accomplish if one teacher is caring for ten children. Children are mostly socialized by watching and interacting with adults within their family units and peer relations will flow from these experiences.
Any other ideas from you moms who have perhaps gone through the preschool years several times already? Please leave your comments. I am still learning!
Some things are crucial and need to be learned in the preschool years. Certain foundational aspects of character, family life and self-care development sets the stage for future growth and learning. Molding your child to fare well within the family unit and within society at large as well as nurturing a love of spiritual life and a love of learning are all that your preschooler really needs. Everything else can come later. Eventually, your child will learn how to write his name and count to 100. But if you wait to inspire a love of all that is truly important, you may wait until it is too late.
I have two sisters who are kindergarten teachers. Yes, they do get children who are sometimes unprepared for the rigors of today's kindergarten. But for the child who still needs help writing his name or counting, help is available. What is much more difficult and disruptive for them is the child who does not know how to put on or take off his own coat and boots and who can not get along with peers or who seems disinterested in learning. It is the child who does not seem to know how to have fun without a television or a video game, the child who has no sparkle in his eyes, that they find especially troubling and sad.
As I am finishing up the end of the official preschool years with my son, I have been reflecting on many studies as well as my own clinical experiences working with troubled children to formulate what I believe to be essential building blocks of the preschool years.
1. Love of learning. Nurture the curiosity of your child. Experiment as requested. “I don’t know what will happen if we mix the flour and the water. Let’s try it and see.” Answer questions patiently and as accurately as possible. Thank goodness for the Internet when you need to know ‘how does God make refrigerators’!
2. Love of family. Spend time with grandparents and other extended family. Model healthy family relationships. Teach responsibility within the family unit. Encourage observation of sibling’s growth and development. Encourage love and respect for all family members. Teach family history and genealogy. Pray for family members and others’ families.
3. Learning self-care and chores. Allow your child to take responsibility for certain chores. Spend time teaching and reinforcing how to brush teeth, button clothing, and choose clothing. Kids love to help out so make sorting laundry, putting away silverware and setting the table fun and learning. Teaching the child about and seeing that they receive proper nutrition, sleep, fresh air and exercise are also important.
4. Love of the Lord. Children are very in tune with the spiritual realm and have a natural curiosity about God. Feed the curiosity and fan the flames both by example and by providing ample opportunity for the child to learn about God and his creations. Make the Bible essential reading for the preschool years.
5. Peer relationships/conflict resolution. Relationships are filled with conflict and the preschool years are no exception. Conflict will be present throughout our lives but how will we teach our children to handle it? The myth that merely being around peers in groups of 10 or 15 for 8-12 hours a day will socialize children is entirely untrue and anyone who has studied child development knows that. However, well-chosen experiences with small numbers of peers under the watchful eye of a caring adult can help children to learn about relationships. If the playmate has a toy that my child wants, how will he choose to handle the matter? He may try several approaches, some appropriate some not, to get what he wants. Judicious adult guidance can serve to point out options and help the child understand what works and what does not. This is impossible to accomplish if one teacher is caring for ten children. Children are mostly socialized by watching and interacting with adults within their family units and peer relations will flow from these experiences.
Any other ideas from you moms who have perhaps gone through the preschool years several times already? Please leave your comments. I am still learning!
Home Worship
Growing up, I learned that worshiping God was a Sunday morning activity. Of course you loved God all the time and prayed regularly, but worship was strictly reserved for Sunday mornings in a church building. Anything less seemed disrespectful to the greatness and holiness of God! How could anyone even consider worship as a home activity? I was always suspect of religious services such as Catholic mass that were shown on television. It just did not seem right to invite Our Mighty Savior into our living room!
God has worked on me in the past few years to reveal to me the importance or worshiping him all the time, everywhere, as much as possible. No matter if I am cleaning toilets in a grubby t-shirt and jeans or raising my hands high in a glorious Sunday morning service at church, worship is what God wants most from me and all believers. I came to understand that where I am and what else may be occupying me do not matter. It is just worship that truly pleases the heart of God. And because it pleases him, it pleases me as I strive to be his good and faithful servant.
How does this daily, at-home worship translate in our everyday, busy family life? First, my husband and I together started with a goal. We knew that we wanted to fill our home with reverence and worship. The simple act of proclaiming our plan out loud and declaring it to the Lord and to ourselves was the best thing that we could have done. Because we know the tone we desire, it is relatively easy for us to eliminate anything in our home environment that interferes or just does not fit. Likewise, we can easily identify what we do want as we pursue God's face everyday as a family.
Next, we realized that we wanted all of our media in our home to reflect the fact that we are Christians who love the Lord. We wanted this as much for Chase's sake as for ours. We found ourselves uncomfortable with Christians who wear offensive t-shirts or watch filth on TV or at the movies. We wanted to strive to make all facets of our family life mesh with our beliefs in God and his Word.
We listed to uplifting, inspiring music throughout most of the day, we have inspirational prints and posters, we watch educational and fun Bible videos together as a family. Of course, we each have other areas of interest we pursue but all fall within our family guidelines for media usage. Sam likes talk radio, I like oldies from the 40's and 50's and Chase likes Bob the Builder and other children's videos.
Importantly, I have my own private worship time. Either late at night or early in the morning, I spend time praising God either through prayer, writing, music, movement or some combination thereof.
I recently read the book "Throne Room" by CeCe Winans, graciously given to me a homeschool mom friend, and that book has blessed me and my worship efforts very much! A little testimony about the book: I had been wanting this book for some time but just could not afford it. I even went to see CeCe at a local bookstore and considered getting the book for her to sign and it was not available. Imagine my surprise when my friend calls and says she would like to come by and drop off the book for me because she has an extra one! And just in time for Mother's Day! God is good, all the time and he is worthy to be worshiped.
Home worship is the most important part of our family's home-centered lifestyle.
God has worked on me in the past few years to reveal to me the importance or worshiping him all the time, everywhere, as much as possible. No matter if I am cleaning toilets in a grubby t-shirt and jeans or raising my hands high in a glorious Sunday morning service at church, worship is what God wants most from me and all believers. I came to understand that where I am and what else may be occupying me do not matter. It is just worship that truly pleases the heart of God. And because it pleases him, it pleases me as I strive to be his good and faithful servant.
How does this daily, at-home worship translate in our everyday, busy family life? First, my husband and I together started with a goal. We knew that we wanted to fill our home with reverence and worship. The simple act of proclaiming our plan out loud and declaring it to the Lord and to ourselves was the best thing that we could have done. Because we know the tone we desire, it is relatively easy for us to eliminate anything in our home environment that interferes or just does not fit. Likewise, we can easily identify what we do want as we pursue God's face everyday as a family.
Next, we realized that we wanted all of our media in our home to reflect the fact that we are Christians who love the Lord. We wanted this as much for Chase's sake as for ours. We found ourselves uncomfortable with Christians who wear offensive t-shirts or watch filth on TV or at the movies. We wanted to strive to make all facets of our family life mesh with our beliefs in God and his Word.
We listed to uplifting, inspiring music throughout most of the day, we have inspirational prints and posters, we watch educational and fun Bible videos together as a family. Of course, we each have other areas of interest we pursue but all fall within our family guidelines for media usage. Sam likes talk radio, I like oldies from the 40's and 50's and Chase likes Bob the Builder and other children's videos.
Importantly, I have my own private worship time. Either late at night or early in the morning, I spend time praising God either through prayer, writing, music, movement or some combination thereof.
I recently read the book "Throne Room" by CeCe Winans, graciously given to me a homeschool mom friend, and that book has blessed me and my worship efforts very much! A little testimony about the book: I had been wanting this book for some time but just could not afford it. I even went to see CeCe at a local bookstore and considered getting the book for her to sign and it was not available. Imagine my surprise when my friend calls and says she would like to come by and drop off the book for me because she has an extra one! And just in time for Mother's Day! God is good, all the time and he is worthy to be worshiped.
Home worship is the most important part of our family's home-centered lifestyle.
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