Monthly Archives: March 2022

Attitude Affects Appearance; Appearance Affects Attitude

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Attitude Affects Appearance; Appearance Affects Attitude

         Those of us who are older can easily remember the time when we worried about our saddle oxfords being polished to perfection, hair pinned up or put into curlers each night, and clothes neatly ironed.  Once we put those freshly ironed clothes on, we didn’t even want to sit down for fear we would wrinkle them.  

         Fast forward to today when people hardly touch an iron, probably don’t own shoe polish, and find flip flops to be the shoes of choice.  Probably none of us would like to go back to those days when so much time and effort was spent on the way we looked, but couldn’t we strike a happy medium?  Couldn’t more people put a bit more effort into appearance?  Good appearance not only is more pleasant, but it reflects an attitude.  

         When a child is concerned about personal appearance, it carries over into work.  As I have taught through the years, I have noticed that some children hand in sloppy papers with scribbles all over them, footprints on them, or even holes punched in them with a pencil. These seem to be the same students who don’t really care if they have washed their face or hands, or have on clean clothes.  

         When a child dresses up, that child seems to naturally be careful with the way he/she behaves.  It is pleasant to watch children put on new clothes and walk around feeling good.  Dressing up seems to prompt an attitude of carefulness as opposed to the carelessness often displayed by children who seemingly roll out of bed and begin the day in clothes that they may have slept in.

         My husband and I attended a Pregnancy Life Line banquet at a church in the area.  It was heartwarming to see children–even young children– assisting with the serving.  Those children were dressed very neatly.  Some of the girls had braided their hair and they looked so very nice.  The young children wore rubber gloves as they carried pitchers of tea or water to refill glasses.  They were very polite and careful with all they did.  It was apparent that the parents and church leaders were doing a wonderful job with these children. They were an example that proves that we don’t have to say about kids who go around so sloppily, “Oh, that’s the way kids are now!”  Kids don’t have to be sloppy.  They can learn that there are special occasions like banquets, school programs, church, etc., when they should dress up.  They can also learn to be neat and clean at other times and do school work and other work neatly.

         It is too easy for adults to give up and give in to children when trends seem to go contrary to what we know is right.  Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that as long as we are alive on this planet, we can help children understand that the choices they make in dress and other things, affect their attitudes toward life. “The Greatest Generation” cared about the way they looked to others and the way they did their work.  Perhaps we can raise an even greater generation! 

Gardening is Good for Kids

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Gardening is Good for Kids

       When our children were young, one of their favorite records was “Carrot Seed”. It was a cute little song based on a book by the same name about a little boy who planted a tiny carrot seed and everyone told him it would not grow.  He watered it and pulled the weeds and finally one day he had a carrot!  The song expressed his jubilation about his accomplishment.

         Children can learn much by being involved in gardening.  They learn self-discipline as they work toward a goal.  They learn to appreciate the effort put into providing their food and they learn about the laws of nature.

         A child must follow instructions and do things right when planting, or the product shows it.  They learn about soil and soil nutrients. They learn about preparation for planting.  They learn about measurement when talking about the depth of planting. Once the plant is up, they must remember to water and discipline self to do so even when the temptation is to be lazy.  It is not a matter of having fun for a brief moment and then jumping to something else.  The child must learn to “stick with it” even when it is not fun. As children pull weeds, they learn about different plants. 

         It is through the effort a child puts into gardening that the child becomes appreciative of farmers who provide produce for our tables.  The child reasons that if that much work is required for a little garden, there must be a great deal of work involved in a big field of plants. Children will probably never look at vegetables on their plates the same way again after they have raised some themselves.  Hopefully, they will be less likely to waste their food.  Also, they will probably become more interested in different kinds of vegetables and how they are grown once they have grown one or more kinds.

         It is impossible to grow plants without marveling at the way they grow and produce.  We plant seeds, but God causes the plants to grow.  Children cannot help but think about their creator when they are involved in growing things. They begin to be amazed about other things around them as they expand their thinking to big plants like trees.  After they think about the plants, they begin to think about the other things that God made.  Boys and girls will consider big mountains, rivers, lakes, stars, and other things in God’s creation, all from planting one little plant or seed.

         Some of the easier things for children to grow are beans, potatoes, zucchini squash, and peppers.  Good flowers for children to start with are nasturtiums or marigolds.  These are more likely to produce success.  Carrot seeds are very small and even though the book and song are nice, I’m not sure that is a good vegetable with which children should start their gardening experience.

         Children are so very proud when they grow something that the family can enjoy eating.  This is a great way to boost a child’s self-esteem.  The child feels very important and worthwhile when one of the dishes on the table is provided by his/her efforts and the family talks about how good it tastes!  When the child says the blessing before eating, that child is likely to say thank you for the people who raised the food and thank you to God for making it grow…and mean it!

Helping Kids with Homework

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Helping Kids with Homework

         Teachers do not have enough time in the classroom to give children enough practice in skills learned to “make it stick”.  Homework is a method of giving that practice and providing an opportunity to enhance the material covered in the classroom.  Many parents find themselves at a loss as to how to best help their children with their homework.

         Children can be helped greatly to do their homework by having a special time and place to work.  Routine is important for helping a child to remember as well as helping that child feel more secure in knowing what to do.  A child feels great when sensing a feeling of accomplishment and knowing that the right thing has been done.

         Every child should have a special place to belong to him/her.  Even if that special place is a cardboard box made into a desk, it is the child’s and the child’s alone.  I knew one person who placed a desk in a closet under a stairwell.  The door could be closed and complete privacy was provided.  A place should be chosen by the child.  Perhaps a sign saying, “My thinking place,” could be placed at this spot.  If there is absolutely no private place, a portable sign could be made and put on the kitchen table while the child is doing homework to let others know to respect that place.  Additional little signs could be made and posted around a desk or special place.  One sign might read, “I may not make an ‘A’, but I will do my best!” The child chooses a time each day to do homework at the “Thinking place”.  Since we are always trying to help children learn to make responsible decisions, the child can choose to do his/her homework in chunks or all at once.  Each child is different.  Some children like snacks; some do not.  Some children like noise; some do not. Some educators believe that classical music enhances learning. A music player of classical music only should be allowed. TV or radio should be turned off during homework time.

         When homework is finished, the child should put it in the backpack for school the next day.  That should become a routine.  In the event that the child does not remember to take the homework to school, unless there are special circumstances, the parent should not take it, but rather the parent should allow the student to experience the consequences of his/her actions.

         One idea is to give the child a little bell to ring for help on homework.  There is a danger of a parent wanting to throw that bell as far as possible.  If this happens, simply take the bell away.  If it isn’t overdone, the child feels a sense of self-sufficiency by determining when help is needed.  At the same time, the child is being taught to think for self and not depend on someone else.  By doing satisfactory work alone, self-esteem is enhanced.  Under no circumstances should a parent do a child’s homework. It is good if the parent is patient and can explain things, especially if real life situations are used as examples to make the work more meaningful. If the homework is too difficult, the teacher should be informed and steps need to be taken to put the child in a class where a feeling of accomplishment can be experienced.  When children are pushed into work they cannot handle, they get in deeper and deeper water and become discouraged.  It is akin to adults in jobs they cannot handle and yet are expected to perform satisfactorily.  When a parent signs off on work that is not done, the teacher assumes that it was done and expects the child to perform accordingly. This makes it more difficult on the child.

         There is little in life more satisfying than knowing that a job is well done.  When a child does homework, a clear conscience is experienced and the child is happier. When we “fudge” for the child, we are causing harm to the child even though intentions may be good.