Tag Archives: child discipline

Children Need to Learn Personal Responsibility

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by Pat Lamb

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

Children Need to Learn Personal Responsibility

by Pat Lamb

Train up a child…

 

Children Need to Learn Personal Responsibility

 

         “The government should buy each of us an electronic dictionary.”

         “They’re all a bunch of crooks!”

         “The President should__________.”

         “The only jobs there are are those old crappy jobs.” 

“The government doesn’t give us enough money to live on” 

The above are all true comments heard in GED class when I was teaching.  They clearly indicate a lack of understanding of how our government is supposed to be a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.  “We, the people,” not “They, the people” are responsible for what happens in our country.

         Children need to be taught at an early age to accept personal responsibility as citizens for self and others.  Without this teaching, people become like leeches, living off the lives of others.  

         Children need to see their parents go vote.  Children need to hear their parents talk in a nice way about the candidates and their policies.  Children need to understand that our founding fathers set up a government with checks and balances making the congressmen and congresswomen as responsible as the president for decisions that are made.

         I have found that very few of the students I have taught knew the three branches of the government: executive, legislative, and judicial.  They did not know that the Senate and House of Representatives make up Congress.  They did not know that there are two Senators from each state and that Representatives are elected according to population based on the census every ten years. Further, they did not know the meaning of checks and balances, a system set up by the founders of our country to make sure that no one branch of government has too much power.  Had they known about the system of checks and balances, they would have known that the president cannot be solely blamed for mistakes nor can he solely take credit for successes.  In fact, the president can do very little alone.  Understanding this fact would make more people take greater consideration in the Senators and Representatives they vote for.  

         Children need to be taught that all money coming from Washington, D.C., must first go there, and that taxpayers are the ones who send it there.  They need to be told that they have a responsibility to send money to Washington, D.C. and not just think of what they can get fromWashington, D.C.     In fact, right now other countries are helping fund our government, making us indebted to them.  Also, by the time our tax money goes to Washington and then comes back, it has dwindled a great deal due to the many expenses associated with counting, disbursement, etc.  It would be of more personal value to keep it home in the first place.  

         Unfortunately, many parents act as though they do not understand these facts.  If parents and grandparents do not understand, how can they teach the children?  Perhaps greater thought needs to be given before discussing our government in front of children. WE are the government.  We govern through the people we elect.  We have no right to say they are the government.  We need to write letters, attend meetings held by our voted-in officials, and encourage our elected officials to govern as it was originally intended.

         Let’s make sure our children understand the truth about our country.  If we start teaching our children about our government while they are young, perhaps they will know more when they grow up than one student I had who wrote in a paper about “President Busch”.  

Instilling Patriotism in Children

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; When the Stars Fall Down; My Thinking Book; Love is…)

Train up a child…

Instilling Patriotism in Children

         There may be no better time than Independence Day for parents to instill in children the attitude and feeling of patriotism.  As children experience the beautiful fireworks displays and understand that the same thing is happening throughout our nation, they can’t help but think about what it means to be living in America.  Adults need to take advantage of this “teachable moment” to encourage the feeling of pride for country and help the children understand, as much as possible, the cost paid for our freedom by our forefathers.

         One way to give a better understanding of our forefathers is to check the Internet for information regarding some of those individuals.  Children will be interested to learn about some of the inventions of Ben Franklin.  He invented bifocals, the lightning rod, a grasping tool, and even a musical instrument using glasses filled with different amounts of water.  He designed a ship with compartments so that if one compartment sprung a leak, the leak could not sink the ship.  

         Only two of Thomas Jefferson’s six children survived into adulthood.  He had specific instructions as to what he wanted on his tombstone.  He wrote a political pamphlet in which he stated, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time:  the hand of force may destroy but cannot disjoin them.”  He designed his home, Monticello, in detail and had it built on property inherited from his family. 

         At the age of 16, George Washington helped survey Shenandoah lands.  He was very interested in western expansion of our country.  It will fascinate children to learn that he invented wooden false teeth.  It has been said that we always see pictures of him with his mouth closed because of his wooden false teeth.

         There are many, many interesting things to learn about our founding fathers and our country if we just take the time to explore with the children.  A visit to the library will uncover many interesting books for the children to read during the summer months.  

         It is easy to develop an appreciation of the history of our country.  What is not so easy is to develop a feeling of appreciation for our country now.  It is difficult as a teacher to help the children learn to respect authority of our government when they hear so much criticism from parents, grandparents, and others.  When children hear parents say, “They are all a bunch of crooks!” they wonder why, then, are they supposed to obey laws made by those “crooks”.  It was a real struggle in my GED classes to get students to understand that our government is “we”, not “they”.  

         We need to be very careful to discuss policies of our government without “badmouthing” the people making those policies.  It is very difficult in times of frustration to separate what our politicians do from who they are.  We are commanded in the Bible to pray for our leaders, and we should do just that.  Instead of venting our anger to those around us, we need to be finding ways to make the changes that we believe are needed in a respectful way.  

         Our country has had many problems since its beginning.  We need to help our children join us in praying for our country and deciding how we can be the best citizens possible.    

Instilling Patriotism in Children

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Instilling Patriotism in Children

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

Train up a child…

Instilling Patriotism in Children

         There may be no better time than Independence Day for parents to instill in children the attitude and feeling of patriotism.  As children experience the beautiful fireworks displays and understand that the same thing is happening throughout our nation, they can’t help but think about what it means to be living in America.  Adults need to take advantage of this “teachable moment” to encourage the feeling of pride for country and help the children understand, as much as possible, the cost paid for our freedom by our forefathers.

         One way to give a better understanding of our forefathers is to check the Internet for information regarding some of those individuals.  Children will be interested to learn about some of the inventions of Ben Franklin.  He invented bifocals, the lightning rod, a grasping tool, and even a musical instrument using glasses filled with different amounts of water.  He designed a ship with compartments so that if one compartment sprung a leak, the leak could not sink the ship.  

         Only two of Thomas Jefferson’s six children survived into adulthood.  He had specific instructions as to what he wanted on his tombstone.  He wrote a political pamphlet in which he stated, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time:  the hand of force may destroy but cannot disjoin them.”  He designed his home, Monticello, in detail and had it built on property inherited from his family. 

         At the age of 16, George Washington helped survey Shenandoah lands.  He was very interested in western expansion of our country.  It will fascinate children to learn that he invented wooden false teeth.  It has been said that we always see pictures of him with his mouth closed because of his wooden false teeth.

         There are many, many interesting things to learn about our founding fathers and our country if we just take the time to explore with the children.  A visit to the library will uncover many interesting books for the children to read during the summer months.  

         It is easy to develop an appreciation of the history of our country.  What is not so easy is to develop a feeling of appreciation for our country now.  It is difficult as a teacher to help the children learn to respect authority of our government when they hear so much criticism from parents, grandparents, and others.  When children hear parents say, “They are all a bunch of crooks!” they wonder why, then, are they supposed to obey laws made by those “crooks”.  It was a real struggle in my GED classes to get students to understand that our government is “we”, not “they”.  

         We need to be very careful to discuss policies of our government without “badmouthing” the people making those policies.  It is very difficult in times of frustration to separate what our politicians do from who they are.  We are commanded in the Bible to pray for our leaders, and we should do just that.  Instead of venting our anger to those around us, we need to be finding ways to make the changes that we believe are needed in a respectful way.  

         Our country has had many problems since its beginning.  We need to help our children join us in praying for our country and deciding how we can be the best citizens possible.    

July 4 is More Than Fireworks

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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.

Children can learn much about the 4th of July

July 4 is More than Fireworks

Train up a child…

July 4 is more than Fireworks

         July 4th presents a wonderful time for the family to get together and have fun.  Many good memories are made on this holiday.  Included in those good memories could be storytelling by parents about the history of our country and its founding fathers.

         It is very difficult to teach children to be patriotic in today’s climate of friction in our country. When children hear parents and others “badmouth” our leaders, they tend to form negative ideas rather than to become patriotic.  It is important that we separate actions of individuals from intent of the makers of our constitution.  Children need to understand that the basis for our government is sound.  When things do not work right, it is not because of the way our Constitution is written, but rather it is the result, most often, of individuals not following that Constitution. A focus on the history and individuals involved in forming our country will help to develop patriotism in children.

         Parents could take one historical figure each year and concentrate on stories about that person. Children get enthralled with the heroic stories and just hearing them stimulates children to be heroic themselves.  The libraries in most areas have good books of stories that can be read or told to the children. The Internet contains a wealth of information as well.

         Here are some quotes of George Washington that can be used with children:

  • “A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.” 
  • “Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
  • “Be courteous with all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”
  • “Discipline is the soul of an army.  It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”
  • “Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.”
  • “Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.”
  • “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”

         When translated into modern day language, it is easy to see that these principles apply today as well as in the past.  As children learn to respect the great character of our founders, they will automatically apply some of these traits to themselves. 

         Let’s all enjoy our holiday, but let’s never forget to be thankful for those deeply religious men and women who sacrificed so very much to make our celebration possible. Our example of thankfulness and patriotism will transfer to our children.

Children Learn from the Past

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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…

Children Learn from the Past

         Memorial Day is not just for adults.  Children can gain much benefit from participating in Memorial Day traditions.  The holiday provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to tell stories of family history as well as explaining some of the past wars that have been fought for our freedom.  The ritual of decorating graves brings a reality that life on this earth has an ending, and we need to make good use of the time we have here.

         Children can gain a sense of pride from learning of accomplishments of past ancestors.  As they hear stories from parents of the good accomplishments and heroic deeds of relatives, a feeling of “I want to do something heroic, too” is instilled in children.  They gain a higher purpose in life and do not concentrate so much on self pleasure.  Stories of “black sheep” in the family should also be told as examples of what not to become. Children are quite often surprised to hear of both good and bad examples in the family background.  Their lives are greatly influenced by these stories that can come only from the family.

         Memorial Day is a time to remember not only family members who have passed away, but it is also a time to remember those who have fought for our country.  Children should hear this at least every year.  Even if the stories have been told before, they should be told again.  Hearing such stories brings a sense of reality to life that is often lacking in today’s children.  It also instills a sense of appreciation for our country and the freedom we still enjoy.  A walk through many cemeteries will reveal the small Civil War gravestones of so many who fought in that war.  Just the walk, itself, is a good history lesson for children.

         If decorations are being taken to the graves of past loved ones, let the children hold the decorations and put them in place.  Doing so brings home the reality of death.  Although this may sound a bit gruesome, children need to learn that death is a part of life.  Some people opt to give donations to charities in memory of loved ones rather than spend the money on flowers. In such a case, include the children in the planning process and let them help in any way possible even to the point of using some of their own money.

         A good way to cap off the day’s activities is to have a family picnic or some other family activity.  There will probably be time for games.  At this time of year, outdoor games can be played with the children to make the day a pleasant memory for them.  Nothing makes a child happier than to play games with parents.  They think it is really funny to watch parents run and play. It is especially fun if they can beat their parents in a game.

         Memorial Day can be a day to remember the past, have meaningful fun in the present, and help children be better adults for the experience in the future.

What Can We Reasonably Expect From Children?

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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 Door to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…..) Books are available on Amazon; Barnes & Noble; patlambchristianauthor.com

What Can We Reasonable Expect from Children?

Train up a child…

What Can We Reasonably Expect from Children?

         It seems that there is a certain belief permeating society that we should not do anything to children to make them feel badly.  Many have come to believe that so simple a thing as making a child sit still is not good for the child. Has anyone ever really known of a child being hurt in any way by sitting still?  Perhaps all of this fear of harming a child came about when so-called “experts” told us we were not to spank children. No matter where it began, it seems to have caused us to raise a generation or two of children who are generally undisciplined and not really happy.  

         There are certain basic things we can and should expect of children.  If we all could agree on these things, there would be more consistency in how those many adults touching a child’s life would deal with children.

         I believe that basic expectations as relating to a child’s behavior are as follows:

  • Children should act in no way that would affect others around them negatively. An individual’s freedom ends when it begins to take away the freedom of another.
  • Children should be quiet when someone else is speaking and wait until that person is finished before talking.
  • Children should listen to adults and not interrupt when they are talking.
  • Children should learn that certain places are alright for running and certain places are not appropriate for running.
  • Children should learn to speak softly and not yell at others unless they are playing outside games or if it is appropriate in a certain situation.
  • Children should not touch the belongings of others unless invited to do so.
  • Children should not ask for things that others have.  They need to learn to wait to be invited to have something.
  • Children should always knock before entering another person’s house or room.
  • Children should never open a refrigerator, drawers, or doors to rooms in another person’s home.
  • Children should remember to say “excuse me”. “I’m sorry”, “thank you”, and “please” at appropriate times.
  • Children should not touch things in stores when shopping without first checking with parents.
  • Children should learn to let others go first.  
  • Children should stand and let elderly people have their seats when there are no other seats available.  
  • Children should never talk back in a negative way to adults.  It is alright for them to disagree in a nice way, however.

How different all this sounds from what we are now seeing on TV as our college students act as they do!  Do those students look happy?  Of course not!  Bad behavior never produces happiness!!  We have a right to expect acceptable behavior from college-age “children”.  

These are a few things that we should expect children to do. Space does not permit listing everything. This is a good start. If we follow these suggestions, the boys and girls will not get out of hand. We need to get over the idea that children today are different.  Children are basically the same as they always were.  It is the parents and teachers who are different in their expectations and teaching of the children.  Children who “know the rules” and obey them are more secure and happier children than those who go untaught and undisciplined. Needless to say, adults are happier as well.  It is much more pleasant to be around children  (or adults) who can act nicely.

Time to Plan the Summer for the 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 and Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Time to Plan the Summer with the Kids

         It has been said that those who fail to plan are actually planning to fail.  Now that the school year is almost at a close, it would be wise to sit down with the children and plan out the summer.  Summer provides an opportunity to spend more time with the children and teach them things that are not taught at school.  Goals need to be set for improvement of needed areas in the spiritual, mental, physical, and social realms.  The more the children are involved in the setting of these goals and plans, the more apt they will be to adhere to them.

         Setting goals involves a certain amount of self-evaluation.  Children need to be asked to be honest in talking about where they think they can improve in each of the four areas mentioned.  An easy way to do this is to use four strips of paper marked off in inches with one inch being the lowest and 10 inches being the highest. Use one strip to represent each of these four areas: social, mental, physical, spiritual.  Ask the child to tear off the strips to show where they think they are in the development in each area; then, place the strips together as if to form a square.  If the child is equally developed, there will be a perfect square.  More likely, however, some strips will be shorter than others.  The short strips show where the child should improve.  Activities for the summer should be chosen to improve the child in the areas needed.  

         As parents spend more time with children during the summer, vacation and play activities can be planned as needed.  Most children need more physical activity.  Should this be the case with your children, one goal might be to involve them in sports teams.  The whole family can have lots of fun as they take part in cheering, providing refreshments, etc. If the children need social development, plans can be made to have outings with families who have children approximately the same age to develop friendship and social manners.  There are many good activities provided by churches such as Vacation Bible School, summer camps, or other get-togethers to provide Spiritual growth.  The selection of trips to educational sites greatly helps children academically.  

         Schools have little or no time to teach children about the care of the home.  Parents need to make sure that children have chores to do around the house and that they are taught how to do them properly.  There are many minor repairs that can be done at home to save money and children need to be taught how to do them.  Cleanliness of the home, cooking, mending of clothes, proper care of appliances and furniture, and lawn care need to be learned while children have time to practice things taught. Many teenage girls love to paint and redecorate a room during the summer.  Many teenage boys love to work on an old car or piece of machinery.  Many teenagers will obtain their first job outside the home, but they will probably still have time to do other things mentioned.

         The summer will go by all too fast.  When fall comes, many will be saying, “Where did the summer go?”  Plan now to use the summer wisely with children before it is gone.

Plan a Meaningful Easter

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

Train up a child…

Plan a Meaningful Easter

         Easter is arguably the most important holiday of the year.  Without Easter, Christmas would lose its importance.  For this reason, we should make great effort to impress upon children the relevance of this holiday.

         It is always good to create pleasant memories for children.  It is investment in their future to do so.  At the same time, we must make sure that children understand the true meaning of this special time.  

         Many would like to do away with the commercialism associated with Easter.  Realistically, that will probably never happen.  Our best option, it would seem, is to use the commercialism to teach children while they still enjoy the fun provided by longtime traditions.  Egg hunts are fun and children would most likely resent not being allowed to take part in them. If we can tell the children that the eggs represent new life as provided by Christ’s death on the cross and that we are promised in the Bible that if we seek that new life we will find it; then, they can learn truth while having fun.  Easter baskets can be explained as coming from those who love them and want to show that love.  Since God gave his son as a gift, we like to give gifts to our children. If new clothes are purchased at this time, again we can tell the children that a life is just like new once a person believes in Christ, repents, and invites the Holy Spirit to live within us.  Most children are too intelligent to actually believe in an Easter bunny.  It is best to tell the children that the Easter bunny is simply part of a game that is played at this time of year.

         There is no better time than Easter to take the family to church and teach children John 3:16. Every child should know this verse that says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.  Many churches have special services at Easter. Some churches have a solemn service on Good Friday. Some churches will have a sunrise service.  When children get up early for this event, they are forced to realize that this time is special.  

         Let’s put special effort into making sure children remember this Easter.  Let’s have fun with the children and at the same time teach them the real meaning of the holiday.  Many religions worship an individual, but the Christian religion is the only one that worships a risen Savior.  This event provides hope for each of us in a life after death.  Knowing this gives children purpose and meaning to life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Dealing With Attentiveness

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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

Dealing With Attentiveness

Train up a child…

Dealing with Attentiveness

         I don’t claim to be an expert on Attention Deficit Disorder, but sixty-two years of teaching experience should count for something.  When I first started teaching, a child was given a spanking for not paying attention in class.  Now, a child is often given medication for the same problem.  Many people feel that the medication is over-prescribed.  It becomes a real quandary for parents to know what to do when they are told that their child has ADD.  In making decisions about such a child, it would be well to check to see if the child is consistent in not paying attention, check the environment of the child, and make sure the child is not getting caffeine or too much sugar and getting proper nutrition.

         During my 20 plus years teaching GED classes, I have often had students tell me that they have been in special education classes and have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.  When I worked with them, I found they were far behind where they should have been at the time they dropped out of school. I believe that a few of them truly had a physical problem affecting their ability to focus on their work.  However, most seemed able to focus when they chose to do so.  In one case, a student told me he had ADD.  When I asked him what he really liked to do, he told me that he was a cook at a restaurant and liked to work on cars.  “Do you have a hard time paying attention to cooking and working on cars?” I asked.  “No”, he said, “that’s something I like to do”.  If a person can pay attention at some times, but not other times, it is a pretty good indication that medication is not needed.

         Our education system has taken on an attitude of classroom management that is often very distracting to any student.  Many classrooms are far too noisy for children to concentrate.  In my orientation of new students for GED, I often hear a loud sigh of relief when I tell them that I don’t allow anyone to waste time and steal time from other students by being disruptive in the class.  I have been surprised by responses to the question on their enrollment paper that asks, “How can the teacher best help you to learn?”  Many new students have written that they would like a quiet room with a good learning environment. Several students have told how their classrooms were often too noisy when they were in school.

         Children should not be allowed to have caffeine at all.  Most soda has caffeine, and many children are allowed to drink that soda.  Sugar can cause a child to have a rush of energy that is hard to control.  Proper nutrition plays an important role in a child’s ability to concentrate.

         It is amazing to me, that when children are diagnosed with ADD, that acceptable means of dealing with it are not addressed.  Even if medication is required in a few cases, parents and teachers should continue to address the causes and make accommodations for dealing with the problem.  Until the problem is taken care of, teens and adults who have been diagnosed with ADD should not be behind the steering wheel of a car.  If they can’t pay attention in school, why do we think they can pay attention while driving a vehicle?  

         For the most part, we need to understand that treating the symptom does not correct the cause. There can be no harm done in checking a child’s nutrition and making sure s/he does not have too much caffeine or sugar.  Rather than simply giving in to the idea that a child can’t pay attention, we need to decide if the child simply won’t pay attention. It would be nice if we could get into a child’s mind and see clearly what is going on there.  Since we can’t, we simply must use our best wisdom and understanding to provide the help needed.

Children and Learning Disabilities

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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

Children and Learning Disabilities

Train up a child…

Children and Learning Disabilities

       We hear a great deal about children who have learning disabilities.  There are children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Behavior Disorder, Dyslexia, and recently I heard of an instance where children were being diagnosed with obedience disorder.  One has to wonder about the authenticity of many of these diagnoses. 

         With the wide use of drugs and alcohol during recent years, we have to consider the possibility that many babies have been born carrying the effects of the usage of these substances by their parents.  No doubt, there has been some effect upon the ability of those children to cope with life. On the other hand, one can’t help but wonder if many children are labeled with the terms mentioned simply because those working with the children can come up with no way to deal with the needs the children have. In addition to the effects of substance abuse, children are also affected by nutrition and inherent interests.

         I had occasion several years ago to visit a neonatal ward in a hospital that specialized in babies born with problems.  It was horrible to watch little babies, so small you could hold them in your hand, shiver and shake with withdrawal symptoms from drugs because their mothers had used drugs while carrying them. When my husband and I worked on the Navajo reservation, we learned that some parents would put alcohol in the baby bottles on the weekend to put them out while they had a good time.  Now, I know of homes where children are constantly with cigarette smoke and they are getting the effects of the secondhand smoke.  This affects their health and possibly they have withdrawal symptoms needing “a smoke” during school hours.  Research shows that a large percentage of retardation is caused by mothers using alcohol while they were pregnant. There is much evidence to indicate that substances affect a child’s behavior and learning ability.

         When I was teaching GED classes,  I had a student enroll in my GED class who told me that he drank two 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew and smoked two packs of cigarettes each day.  He couldn’t understand why he was having a difficult time sitting in class and concentrating on studying!  Although this sounds extreme, it is not an isolated incident. Caffeine is not a good thing for children and too much caffeine and sugar is not good for adults.  (Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon.  One large Mountain Dew has about 23 teaspoons of sugar.) Many adults allow children to drink a great deal of soda with caffeine, give them large amounts of sugar, and do not watch the diets of their children.  What a child consumes certainly affects learning and behavior.         

         When God created us, He didn’t create us with the idea in mind that all were to fit in a mold of behavior expected by the educational personnel in today’s schools.  I’m not sure that our ideas of how children are to respond to our teaching are how God intended all children to respond. Children are born with dominance in three or four intelligences. Children who have the “body” intelligence will naturally find it more difficult to sit quietly and pay attention in school.

         There is probably no person alive who does not have some difficulty at some time or another in learning something.  We have to find ways to work with ourselves to cope with the difficulties we have in order to learn what we need to survive.  As parents and teachers, we need to help children learn to cope with their challenges.  Unfortunately, labeling a child with a disability name often enables a child to feel excused for lack of accomplishment.  Children grow up thinking they can’t do some things and they simply stop trying. We need to use common sense in working with children when they have challenges to learning.