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Simple Truths for Authentic Living April 2010
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Greetings!
Spring time, with its warm, sunny days, often gets us thinking about beautiful flowers in the yard, delicious veggies in the garden. But, have you ever thought about cultivating a garden...in the hearts and minds of your children?
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters
compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Just as we plant seeds in the soil, we can also deposit and help develop positive character traits in our children, through simple yet strategic choices: the words we speak, the actions we take, the places we invest our time and energy.
This month's issue offers inspiration and age-appropriate resources to help you begin sowing seeds in the garden of your children's lives -- seeds that will produce a harvest of character, based on your family values and priorities. And, to help keep our days sunny and bright, there's a timely tip for anger management, as well.
Warm regards,
Teresa
TeresaDrake.com
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Planting Seeds, Preventing Weeds,
& Cultivating Character
 It's never too early to begin talking with your children
about things they'll need to know as they enter the world of peer pressure.
Things like integrity, responsibility, and trustworthiness...drugs, tobacco, and alcohol...and yes, even sex education. (Don't panic! You can do this.)
While it's normal to feel uncomfortable talking with your
children about tough issues, it's unwise to put it off. Children are facing peer pressure much earlier than we anticipate, and if you don't establish
yourself as the "go-to" source for information, someone else will. Talking with your children everyday will strengthen your relationship and increase the level of trust, making it easier for your child to approach you when they're ready to engage in a touchy subject.
Arm yourself with current facts and suggested talking
techniques, then take that first step. The websites listed below provide useful
information to help you teach your child about choices that will keep them
safe, healthy and happy:
Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco
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Talk With
Kids
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Drugs & Youth
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Tobacco &
Youth
Values & Virtues· Values Parenting
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The Virtues
Project Sex Education
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Focus On the
Family.com
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Mayo
Clinic.com
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 "An Alphabet of Promises"
by Sally Rackets
Where this book began: Years ago when our children were
young, bad dreams or things that would go bump in the night could make sleep
elusive. So, I made a list of promises from the Bible and tied each one to
a letter of the alphabet as a memory aid to turn troubled minds to more
productive thinking.
We made a game of learning the verses at dinner time and practiced them while
running errands, as well as each night at tuck in time. Before we knew it, we
had twenty-six reminders of why we can trust God in every situation.
The bad dreams are gone, but the promises remain. Over the years, this
collection of verses has refocused our attention on God, who keeps His
promises, through all the twists and turns of our lives.
At my daughter's suggestion, I developed the list into a delightfully
illustrated gift book. My hope is that you will find this little book of BIG
promises to be an equally invaluable resource for your life.
Sally has provided THREE copies of An Alphabet of Promises to give away to you! E-mail me at teresa@teresadrake.com by April 25th for a chance to win
one.
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"Just 5 More Minutes..."
Scenario: Your child desperately wants you to watch her dramatic reenactment of Snow White eating the poisoned apple. Or, your son is dying to show you the supersonic, intergalactic time machine he created from Legos. You, engrossed in something else, absentmindedly utter, "just five more minutes, honey."
 Has this scene ever played out in your home? (Does the sun rise everyday?) Don't feel bad, it happens to almost all of us. I say "almost all of us" out of courtesy, but I really believe this happens to allof us. Some days our children are needier. Some days our plates are simply too full.
And, let's be honest...are we ever "free" in the promised five minutes? No, usually not. The trouble is, we often need more than "just five more minutes" and we're unwilling to walk away from our unfinished project.
So we attempt to stall, perhaps for the third or fourth time, and our children run out of patience. They pound on the door, pull on our clothing, or shove the toy on top of our workspace.
By now, we're frustrated, maybe even really angry. But, is it really our child's fault? No, of course not. It's just that we easily forget our five-minute promise -- that's been stretched into ten, fifteen, or sometimes thirty minutes.
The best solution? Patience and planning. Tackle your important projects when you're guaranteed an intrusion-free block of time. Think nap time, after bedtime, or "honey (hubby), you're on for 30 minutes while I take care of this" time.
Can't get the free time? Then schedule some dedicated floor-time with your child, say 15 minutes. You'll be surprised how easily this buys you some mommy time in return. The key to this plan is setting your child's expectations. Let him know he'll have your undivided attention for 15 minutes, and then he'll be playing on his own for a time (while you do your thing).
That magical block of (hopefully) interruption-free time will be a breath of fresh air. However, be sure to keep your ambitions in check. Don't start something that can't be finished or set aside after 15-20 minutes.
I know...only a scant 15 minutes? Yes, because expecting longer when you're children aren't old enough to entertain themselves is a recipe for disaster that will find you, once again, promising "...just five more minutes, really."
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Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a
flower.
"Simple Truths for Authentic Living" is a monthly email newsletter featuring items of interest to moms. If you received this email from a friend and would like to receive your own, please click on the "Join My Mailing List" icon to the right. Thank you. |
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