Make Plans Now for Summer

Posted Monday, May 18, 2009, at 1:07 PM

In a few more days, school will be out and the kids will be at home for the summer. Unless plans are made, the time will soon pass and opportunities will have been missed for instilling important ideas and knowledge that will be helpful to the children in the future. Someone once said, "If we fail to plan, we are actually planning to fail". Thoughtfulness now can make the summer go a lot smoother, and when it is time for the kids to go back to school, parents can feel good about what has been accomplished during the time they had their children at home more..

It is a big mistake to just let the kids do what they want to do. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that "everything will turn out all right if I just let them alone". The old saying, "They'll outgrow it" is simply not true. When a child has a problem, it will tend to get worse if not dealt with. Summer provides the time for parents and children to be together long enough to make some real progress on issues.

I heard a saying once that goes like this: "Confucius say a child with something to do, him busy; A child with nothing to do, him busy, too." This is so very true. Children don't stop learning because school has ended. They are constantly learning. It is up to parents to make sure they are learning the right things. You can be sure that a child who sits in front of a TV all day is not learning all of the right things that child should learn. Playing Nintendo games all day is not good either.

Summer provides a good time for children to learn how to do chores around the house. Schools do not emphasize the teaching of cleaning, decorating, repairing, and lawn care. Good summer plans need to include work, development of knowledge, physical activity, social activity, and spiritual growth.

It is good to include in a summer schedule a daily time for reading and writing. A weekly trip to the library is a great activity. Computers are available there to use for those children who don't have one at home. They could look up possible vacation places for the family. A diary or journal can provide opportunity for a child to enhance writing skills. Family trips to historic places such as National parks can help a child add to social studies knowledge.

There should be physical activity each day. Swimming is one of the best exercises for all of us. Physical work will help children. Signing children up for summer sports activities is a good way to make sure they get their exercise.

Let's not forget that many churches have summer activities for children such as Vacation Bible School to enhance spiritual growth.

Keeping children busy gives opportunities to build self esteem through their accomplishments. If we keep children busy doing what is right, they won't have time to do what is wrong. We just might do away with children saying, "I'm bored!"

Train Up a Child

By Pat Lamb

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"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 Pat will have comments and suggestions about raising children based on her training and many years of teaching. Pat first began teaching Sunday School while in 7th grade at Verona, Missouri, where she was born and raised. After high school graduation there, she attended Missouri University and graduated with honors with a degree in Vocational Home Economics. She later completed training and received certification for elementary teaching in New Mexico. She has taught Home Economics (including child care), kindergarten, second grade, and substitute taught at several schools at all grade levels. She was awarded the Missouri Distinguished Adult Basic Education Service Award for distinguished leadership and dedication in all aspects of Adult Basic Education in the community, region, and state. This award was given to one GED teacher in the state. She was also invited to be included in "Who's Who of American Educators" in 2007. She was listed in Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who Among American Business Women. Pat has recently written a book titled, "Let the Children Come" which will be released in the spring. In addition to classroom teaching, Pat has taught in churches and Sunday Schools through the years. She served as Acting Children's Director at First Baptist Church in Albuquerque, NM. She also directed an Office of Navajo Economic Opportunity preschool on the Navajo reservation. She currently teaches GED at Gibson Vocational Technical School in Reeds Spring and taught GED classes for 15 years at Blue Eye and Shell Knob. Pat and her husband, Keith, who presently serves on the Reeds Spring School Board, have four grown children and three grandchildren. They are approaching their 50th wedding anniversary. "Our children and grandchildren have taught us a great deal and are still teaching us," Pat says. "I look forward to sharing some of this information with readers. I don't claim to have all the answers, but perhaps my comments can be of some help. It is not easy to raise children in today's world where they are constantly being bombarded with temptations and varying ideas of what is right and wrong."

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