Seven-year old Michael was on a school trip to a Wildlife Centre in
Central Scotland. It was near the end of the day and they were in the
Gift Shop before boarding the bus for the journey home.
Poor Michael! He couldn't resist the array of lollipops and chocolate
animals that beckoned to him. He chose one and was about to pay for it
with his last few pennies.
His teacher, a kindly soul with not long before retirement, noticed him.
"Have you bought something for your Mum yet, Michael?"
Michael lowered his head in shame! Gently, the teacher took the candy
bar from him and replaced it on the shelf. She walked to another display
and selected a small figure made from cheap plastic. "Why not take this
for her? You've got just enough money left."
Years have now passed.
Michael is all grown up and has left home, but the figurine still
has pride of place in his mum's display cabinet.
Michael still recalls the day he learned an important lesson: "The
figure was made of cheap plastic, but my Mum couldn't
have treasured it more had it been made of silver, gold or even
platinum."
Sometimes we as parents and adults lose our sense of perspective, don't
we? What may seem trivial and unimportant
to us, can mean so much to a child.
We can learn a useful parenting tip from Michael's mum. The gift had
little or no monetary value, but was given - albeit with a gentle nudge
from the teacher! - with generosity and a certain amount of personal
sacrifice. And by displaying it for years, Michael's mum showed her
appreciation of that.
This reminds me of a conference I once attended.
There was a blue rug on the floor and the participants were asked to
gather round. It was an exercise in perception, we were told.
The speaker threw a small woollen ball onto the rug. It was exactly the
same colour and was made from the same material - so it blended in and
seemed to disappear.
'Now find it,' was the instruction. Everyone peered and peered without
success, until someone - not me! - got down on his knees and looked from
ground level.
Bingo! There was the profile of the ball, rising above the surface of
the mat.
Call it 'thinking outside the box' or whatever - but very often problems
can be solved by looking at them from another perspective or dimension.
When we learn to think like our children, when we 'get down to their
level', when we master the art of getting inside their heads and seeing
life from their point of view, the task of raising children becomes much
easier - to say nothing of more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
