“Educate the faculties and tastes of your dear ones; seek to preoccupy their minds so that there shall be no place for low, debasing thoughts or indulgences. The grace of Christ is the only antidote or preventive of evil. You may choose, if you will, whether the minds of your children shall be occupied with pure, uncorrupted thoughts or with the evils that are existing everywhere—pride and forgetfulness of their Redeemer.”
“If in their tender years the minds of children are filled with pleasant images of truth, of purity and goodness, a taste will be formed for that which is pure and elevated, and their imagination will not become easily corrupted or defiled. While if the opposite course is pursued, if the minds of the parents are continually dwelling upon low scenes; if their conversation lingers over objectionable features of character; if they form a habit of speaking complainingly of the course others have pursued, the little ones will take lessons from the words and expressions of contempt and will follow the pernicious example. The evil impress, like the taint of the leprosy, will cleave to them in afterlife.
The seed sown in infancy by the careful, God-fearing mother will become trees of righteousness, which will blossom and bear fruit; and the lessons given by a God-fearing father by precept and example will, as in the case of Joseph, yield an abundant harvest by and by.“
Good Health, January 1880.
When was the last time you flew a kite? Kites are easy and fun to make. They also make for some fun science learning while enjoying fresh air and sunshine. Let’s go fly a kite!
Build & Fly Adventurer Award – makes a great foundation for a kite unit study
Simple Kite Plans from the Atlantic Union Teacher Bulletin
National Kite Month: Resources for Teachers– history, geography, science & math ideas as well as easy kite-making instructions.
Kites in the Classroom – more educational resources.
Easy Kite Making Instructions for Preschool Kids – fast & fun instructions.
Easy Kite Tutorial – great photo instructions.
“Begin early to teach the little ones to take care of their clothing. Let them have a place to lay their things away and be taught to fold every article neatly and put it in its place. If you cannot afford even a cheap bureau, use a dry-goods box, fitting it with shelves and covering it with some bright, pretty-figured cloth. This work of teaching neatness and order will take a little time each day, but it will pay in the future of your children, and in the end will save you much time and care.”
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 142.
“Don’t wait to make your son a great man – make your son a great boy.”
~Unknown
An article from the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada is making the rounds through several homeschool sites I visit. It discusses the socialization myth and why early learning programs are not necessarily beneficial to young children. It is definitely food for thought – Nurturing children: Why “early learning” doesn’t help
“Opportunities of inestimable worth, interests infinitely precious, are committed to every mother. During the first three years of the life of Samuel the prophet, his mother carefully taught him to
distinguish between good and evil. By every familiar object surrounding him, she sought to lead his thoughts up to the Creator. In fulfilment of her vow to give her son to the Lord, with great self-denial she placed him under the care of Eli the high priest, to be trained for service in the house of God. Though Samuel’s youth was passed at the tabernacle devoted to the worship of God, he was not free from evil influences or sinful example. The sons of Eli feared not God, nor honored their father; but Samuel did not seek their company nor follow their evil ways. His early training led him to choose to maintain his Christian integrity. What a reward was Hannah’s! and what an encouragement to faithfulness is her example!”
The Review and Herald – Sept 8, 1904
The Adventist Home Educator 