Category: Work

First Lessons For Little Homeschoolers

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The important lessons that come before teaching our little ones to read and write.

Setting the Table

 Obedience & Responsibility

Obedience and responsibility are the very first lessons we should teach our children. Diligent, daily work as parents at teaching our young children to obey and become useful, reliable members of the family is essential. These character-building lessons are spiritually important, because they help our children also learn to obey God and take the responsibilities of the Christian life seriously. When the time comes for our children to begin their formal academic education, the transition will be smoother and we as parents will find our new roles as reading and math teachers to be more enjoyable.

Bible

Mother and Son Reading Bible Together

As Christian parents, the importance of Bible instruction in the home needs no explanation. What we fail to remember is that this is where we as parents can begin to develop and strengthen our skills as teachers. As we plan our worship and Bible study times for our families, we are working on our lesson planning skills. The time spent on preparing Bible crafts or learning finger plays does more than simply make Bible learning time more special for our children. These creative efforts for Bible study plant seeds for future inspiration – which leads to creative science or history lessons.

Nature Study

The idea of nature study is intimidating to some parents, but the opportunities it affords are priceless. Because we know thatfile000767038449 nature is God’s second book, we can think of nature study as a supplement to our Bible lessons. As we introduce our little ones to the wonders of the world around them, we are establishing a distinctly Christian worldview in their hearts and minds. In addition, we are gently awakening observation skills, and strengthening thinking and reasoning skills at the same time. We can develop these important learning skills in young ones who are not yet ready for formal academic study.

For further reading on the subject:  Child Guidance   and  Education

 

Motivation Monday

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“It is essential for parents to find useful employment for their children, which will involve the bearing of responsibilities as their age and strength will permit. The children should be given something to do that will not only keep them busy, but interest them. The active hands and brains must be employed from the earliest years. If parents neglect to turn their children’s energies into useful channels, they do them great injury; for Satan is ready to find them something to do.”

Special Testimonies on Education, 37, 38

Motivation Monday

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“The Mother a Teacher—Does not mother remember that she herself had to learn in jots and tittles before she could be helpful? It is a wrong to children to refuse to teach them little by little. Keep these children with you. Let them ask questions, and in patience answer them. Give your little children something to do; and let them have the happiness of supposing they help you. There must be no repulsing of your children when trying to do proper things. If they make mistakes, if accidents happen, and things break, do not blame. Their whole future life depends upon the education you give them in their childhood years. Teach them that all their faculties of body and mind were given them to use, and that all are the Lord’s, pledged to his service. To some of these children the Lord gives an early intimation of his will. Parents and teachers, begin to teach the children to cultivate their God-given qualities.”

Special Testimonies on Church Schools, pg 11

Motivation Monday

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“Children and youth should be missionaries at home by doing those things that need to be done, and that some one must do. Instead of repining that you cannot do great things in some foreign missionary field, improve your opportunities in the home field, and your work will be acceptable to God. You can prove by faithful performance of the little things that seem to you unimportant, that you have a true missionary spirit. It is the willingness to do the duties that lie in your path, to relieve your overburdened mother, that will prove you worthy of being intrusted with larger responsibilities. You do not think that washing dishes is pleasant work, yet you would not like to be denied the privilege of eating food that has been placed on those dishes. Do you think that it is more pleasant work for your mother to do those things than it is for you? Are you willing to leave what you consider a disagreeable task for your care-worn mother to do, while you play the lady? There is sweeping to be done, there are rugs to take up and shake, and the rooms are to be put in order; and while you are neglecting to do these things, is it consistent for you to desire larger responsibilities? Have you considered how many times mother has to attend to all these household duties while you are excused to attend school or amuse yourself?”

The Youth’s Instructor – March 2, 1893

The Father

RhondaLeave a comment

I know, not too many homeschool dads read this blog. Most readership is homeschool moms; so moms, you’ll just have to share. Since today is Father’s Day, at least in the United States, I thought it would be nice to write something for fathers.

For most of my school years, I attended a small private school, where the teacher chose my curriculum and pretty much oversaw my education. However, as I have reviewed my education, I have realized that one of the most important things I ever learned was taught me by my dad. My dad taught me how to work—to work efficiently and to work thoroughly. I can remember times when I fumed to my brother that Dad was sure a slavedriver, but today I have blessed him many times for the valuable lesson of hard work that he gave me. My dad taught me that no job was above or below me. I had to do it, no matter how grossed out I got. I had to do it, no matter if I thought it was far too difficult, I was expected to figure it out. There weren’t boys’ jobs or girls’ jobs in our home; my brother and I both mowed the lawn and did the dishes. My dad taught me what the verse, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) both by insistence and by example. My dad could work as hard as anybody I ever met in my life and my dad was my hero. Now I know how to work.

Today, I would like to encourage all homeschool fathers to take up the task of teaching their children how to work—to really work. “The father, as the head of his own household, should understand how to train his children for usefulness and duty. This is his special work, above every other.” (Adventist Home, p. 221) Mothers also teach children to work, but due the fact that fathers tend to be a bit sterner in their nature, they make the best teachers for this important life lesson.

Fathers, if you train your children to be good workers, you will receive reward for your efforts many times over in the years to come. Your children will bless you for it.

The Lesson of Work

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Have you ever wondered if teach children to work is really part of their education? Here is some profound admonition on the subject. (Notice the last quote in which work is referred to as school.)

“Parents should awaken to the fact that the most important lesson for their children to learn is that they must act their part in bearing the burdens of the home.” (Adventist Home, p. 285)

“Work is good for children; they are happier to be usefully employed a large share of the time; their innocent amusements are enjoyed with a keener zest after the successful completion of their tasks. Labor strengthens both the muscles and the mind. Mothers may make precious little helpers of their children; and, while teaching them to be useful, they may themselves gain knowledge of human nature and how to deal with these fresh, young beings and keep their hearts warm and youthful by contact with the little ones. And as their children look to them in confidence and love, so may they look to the dear Saviour for help and guidance. Children that are properly trained, as they advance in years, learn to love that labor which makes the burdens of their friends lighter.” (Adventist Home, p. 286)

“If children were taught to regard the humble round of everyday duties as the course marked out for them by the Lord, as a school in which they were to be trained to render faithful and efficient service, how much more pleasant and honorable would their work appear! To perform every duty as unto the Lord throws a charm around the humblest employment and links the workers on earth with the holy beings who do God’s will in heaven.”  (Adventist Home, p. 287)

Motivation Monday

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We are to educate the youth to exercise equally the mental and the physical powers. The healthful exercise of the whole being will give an education that is broad and comprehensive. We had stern work to do in Australia in educating parents and youth along these lines; but we persevered in our efforts until the lesson was learned that in order to have an education that was complete, the time of study must be divided between the gaining of book-knowledge and the securing of a knowledge of practical work. Part of each day was spent in useful work, the students learning how to clear the land, how to cultivate the soil, and how to build houses, using time that would otherwise have been spent in playing games and seeking amusement.  And the Lord blessed the students who thus devoted their time to acquiring habits of usefulness.

Instruct the students not to regard as most essential the theoretical part of their education. Let it be more and more deeply impressed upon every student that we should have an intelligent understanding of how to treat the physical system. And there are many who would have greater intelligence in these matters if they would not confine themselves to years of study without a practical experience. The more fully we put ourselves under the direction of God, the greater knowledge we shall receive from God. Let us say to our students: Keep yourselves in connection with the Source of all power. Ye are laborers together with God. He is to be our chief instructor.—The Review and Herald, November 11, 1909.