Tag Archives: history

Instilling Patriotism in Children

parenting, Raising kids, ,

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 Montecello 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 past 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 has been 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 in a respectful way that we believe are needed.

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.

 

Knowing about the Past can Help Children with the Future

parenting, Raising kids, ,

Train up a child…

 

Knowing About the Past Can Help Children with the Future

 

It is unfortunate that many children are growing up with little or no knowledge of the past. If children are knowledgeable about the past, they are more apt to appreciate what they now enjoy. In addition, parents and grandparents can be drawn closer to children as the children learn to better understand those older folks. Learning about the resourcefulness and sacrifices of the past motivates children to become more resourceful and less demanding of conveniences. The Thanksgiving season provides a good opportunity to delve into the past as we teach children about the pilgrims, the first Thanksgiving, and the early lifestyles of parents and grandparents.

Grandparents can play an important role in assisting parents tell stories from their childhood. Unfortunately, many older people seem to feel that their job is done and do not make the effort to help bring up children. Grandparents need to tell children of their happy times as well as the sad times they have experienced.

Many older grandparents lived during the Great Depression. Personally, I remember seeing a soup truck come to our little town, Verona, MO, and people line up behind it for a bowl of soup. I remember the rationing stamps we had for sugar, gas, and other things. Many children find it hard to believe that we could not have bubble gum because all the rubber was needed for tires for war equipment. Children bought saving stamps to help fund WWII. The blackout nights when everyone had to turn off their lights at a certain time for fear that enemy planes could see them and drop bombs were scary times that should be related to children.

Children find it amazing that older folks did not have computers, cell phones, and many other things they take for granted. They need to know how older folks survived without running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. It was in my dad’s lifetime that automobiles were invented. To imagine living without these conveniences is an exercise in creative thinking.

One very important subject to cover is the role of our military in securing our freedom. We are fortunate to live in an area where much attention is paid to our men and women who have fought for us. The Veteran’s Museum is an excellent place to take children.

Great books are available in local libraries to read to children about Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, many schools are not including much about how this country got started. Teachers are so pressed to cover certain things that they often do not have the time to adequately cover this topic.

Making sure that children are taken to places to learn about the past and telling stories from the past go a long way in developing understanding and right attitudes in children. The attitude of gratitude and resourcefulness become bricks in the foundation that children need to face the future.