Parenting

Don’t be Greedy for the Good Things of this Life

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We have so much stuff in my home. I get tired of all the toys that the kids have, the clutter all around the house. I have just as much as the kids do. Some days I long to live a simpler, clutter-free life. I dream about selling most of the toys. (Notice, I didn’t say sell my stuff.) But, then I worry that I’m “damaging” my kids. If I’m honest, I want to live through them. Let them have what I didn’t have growing up. That’s not good.

Colossians 3:5 says “Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.”

Ouch. I’m pretty sure I’m materialistic even if I don’t want to be. And I’m teaching my kids to be materialistic and how to idolize “stuff”.

I have a fear of letting go of my “stuff”. What if I need it?

The bottom line is where is my heart? Where do I place my value? In God or possessions? Have I set up an idol above God?

Those are hard questions. Ones I don’t really want to answer.

Solution? One way to guard against greed is to be a giver. I can definitely be more of a giver and not a hoarder of what I have. I’d rather lay up my treasures in heaven than on earth.

Crazy Kids, Full Moon – Is there a Correlation?

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Do Kid's have a change in behaviour during a full mo0n?

It’s been a tough day of homeschooling. Kids are bouncing off the walls. Attitudes have shown up. There’s been more crying than usual – someone is always hurt. Everyone is hitting each other.

It’s crazy!

I did a Google search on something about attitudes and found a post suggesting that a full moon is linked to a change in behavior. I’ve heard it many times, but never really gave a thought about it.

I think I’m going to mark my calendar each full moon and see what happens in my home.

No More Sitting on the Sidelines

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sitDo you sit on the sidelines with a younger child while your older children play?

We woke up to alot of snow today. It was a great day to go sledding! I’ve been hesitant in the past because I have a 2 year old that doesn’t want to go. She doesn’t even like to stand in the snow. I knew I would be holding her the whole time.

My Plan – the older 2 kids would go sledding, while I sat in the car with the youngest. Not my favorite thing to do since I don’t want to be the mom who sits on the sidelines. I’m also afraid of what other people will think. You know, the “I can’t believe that mom is letting her kids sled by themselves while she sits in the car” type of thought.

I stayed with “My Plan” for a few minutes, but then decided to get out and watch my older 2 – to actually participate in their life. As I stood on the hill watching my kids sled, a few thoughts crossed my mind. I could spend forever “waiting” to participate in their lives when there is a younger child. I stand by the sidelines with whoever is younger at the time and watch life go on.

What if my life changes and I eventually have to go back to work? I won’t be able to take my kids sledding during the week. Since I don’t know what my future will bring, this could be the last winter that I can be with my kids sledding. They aren’t home with me on the weekends.

I ended up putting my youngest down to stand in the snow while I went sledding down the hill a few times. It was so much fun! The oldest kids thought it was great that mom was participating too. I only sled a few times down the hill because quite frankly, the walk up is brutal. Also, after a few runs, the youngest had had enough of the cold and wanted to go back to the car.

It is definitely a dancing act, balancing all of my kid’s needs. It was worth putting her down just for a few moments to play with my older kids. Thankfully, she was compliant for a little bit.

 

Lessons learned from watching The Andy Griffith Show

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andy1

As I was searching for free things to watch through Amazon Prime, I saw that the Andy Griffith show was free. I started watching the first episode. My kids seemed to like it and asked to watch more.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the show. I used to watch it before we ditched cable. That was before kids. Now that I’ve had kids, I feel like I was watching the show through different eyes.

What caught my eye:

  • Opie said his prayers before bedtime
  • Good old family values
  • No bad language
  • No disrespectful talk by the kids toward parents or kids with attitudes
  • It had a simple message
  • I love how Andy spoke toward Opie, the tone of voice he used and his word choices

It was refreshing to see these things. I’m used to my kids wanting to watch sitcoms which I do not feel are altogether wholesome. Many are on a channel that has a mouse as a logo. How often do they see a child praying at bedtime? It’s a routine that I try to instill in my kids, but I sometimes wonder if they understand the point. To them, it’s just something I want them to do. But to see someone else do it, could have an even greater impact.

I loved how Andy spoke with Opie. While I know this is just a show, I gathered tips from listening to him. I could always be more gentler with my words. I’m quick to judge and don’t listen well. Andy was patient and always listened to Opie (well.. in this particular episode). I am not that calm, nor am I that “playful” with my kids. I’m more serious.

Overall, this was a show that I did not have to worry about my kids picking up something bad. Nor was it violent.

(My disclaimer is that I am basing all my opinions on this one episode. I don’t remember if all future episodes are like this, but I’m pretty sure that they are.)