Girls To Grow

Source

While getting our daughters to bed at night is a relatively smooth process , there are still plenty of last-minute exchanges just before I leave their room. Here’s a sampling of what you might hear on a given evening.

1. I’m hot.
2. I’m cold.
3. Did you turn on the night light?
4. My tummy/head/leg/(any other body part) hurts.
5. What’s for breakfast tomorrow?
6. I’m not tired.
7. I’m thirsty.
8. Good night (repeated several times at varying volumes).
9. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
10. We’re going to bed early/late (depends on the day!)
11. Will you rub my back?
12. You’re the best mom in the whole world!
13. I love you!

What do your children like to say at bedtime?

She calls them her first high heels.

I can tell by the way her feet skip across the floor that she feels feminine and pretty when she wears them.This nine-year-old with brown hair and eyes has never been one to pay much attention to the style of her clothes or the color of her shoes. Comfort alone was the key requirement when it came to adding apparel to her wardrobe.That seems to be changing lately. Not that I mind; I enjoy seeing her develop her own tastes, enjoying a new skirt or a glittery necklace. I just don’t want it to happen too fast. I still want to see her ponytail and flip flops flash by the window as she rides her scooter down the sidewalk or hurries to join her younger sister digging in the dirt. All too soon, we’ll be shopping for banquet dresses and arranging fancy updos. Our swing set will stand empty and all the games of tag will be over. However, we haven’t reached those days just yet. The lovely white shoes didn’t slow her down one bit as she raced a boy down the sidewalk after church on Sunday night. Therefore, I guess the height of those heels is just about perfect.Visit Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Chatting at the Sky.

Each morning, before we leave our house and drive to school, I pray aloud with my daughters. One of my frequent prayers is that they will make good decisions and wise choices.

I do not know what lies ahead of them on a given day, but God does. At the ages of nine and seven, the situations they face may seem minor, but each small choice can lead to a larger one. Whether it’s selecting a friend to play with, following direction from their teacher, struggling on a test, or displaying a cheerful attitude, they will decide how to respond.

If they learn to choose wisely now, it increases the chance that they will do so in the future. Disciplining themselves to listen for that quiet voice of their conscience and the inward tugging of the Holy Spirit can become a habit that will stand them in good stead in the years to come.

I am not there to offer guidance in each decision, but God is. It is part of my job as a parent to give them the Biblical foundation for discerning right and wrong – and to pray, with them and for them, to have the perception to choose wisely.

What is something that you pray for your children?

This post is linked to Make Your Home Sing Monday.

Earlier this month, I wrote about protecting my daughters’ innocence. A reader asked how, in a practical sense, I attempted to do that. While I seek to be on guard in a variety of areas, the first one that comes to mind is the media our children encounter.

Sometimes the allure of a breezy Spring afternoon draws you outdoors, to revel in its beauty and anticipate the balmy days to come.

Such was the case on Friday when, with my husband home from work early and our daughters on spring break from school, we drove to a park we hadn’t previously visited.

We walked down a long pier, stopping to rest on the bench swings or search the water for signs of animals.

There were open grassy areas, perfect for running in circles or – more appropriately on this windy day – kite flying. The large playground with its variety of climbing structures and spinning discs was a hit.

Best of all, there was family. The four of us, spending time together, enjoying each other.

The gift of family makes any day – no matter the season – a treasured one.

Has your family had any fun outings lately? Let me know how you enjoy spending time together!

The original version of this post was published on March 31, 2009.

I am extremely grateful that my daughters know how to use their imaginations. A favorite past time of theirs is pretending to be characters they’ve read about in books. One day they’re Meg and Jo from Little Women, the next Anne and Diana from Anne of Green Gables, and another Nan and Flossie from the Bobbsey Twins.

They have passed untold hours acting out stories they’ve read and creating new ones. I attribute this in part to the limitations we put on their media time, as well as exposure to good books and their love of reading.

They turn ordinary objects into grand things. Last winter they turned an array of chairs, a table, an ottoman, baskets and blankets into a horse-drawn sleigh, which allowed them to be Mary and Laura Ingalls riding behind Pa’s horses. Who needs toys when you have the gift of an imagination?!

Do your children like to pretend-play? What is their favorite character or story?

I enjoy traditions. They bring a sense of celebration to the everyday, forge unique bonds between family members, and create special memories.

Once the games are done and the points are totaled, we will declare a winner. He – or she – gets to choose which restaurant we’ll visit for our weekly dinner out. And our family will have established a new tradition that we’ll look forward to every year.

Do you enjoy creating new traditions with your family? What’s one of your favorites?

Each day when I return home from dropping the girls off at school, I do a quick review of their room, making sure that beds are made at least passably well, pajamas have been folded and put away, and there are no large tripping hazards on the floor.

On Friday morning, here’s what I found on my older daughter’s bed.

See what others are unwrapping at Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Chatting at the Sky.

When my daughters have days off from school, I like to plan a few activities for us to do together. Since Spring Break is quickly approaching, here are some ideas for celebrating the arrival of the new season.

1. Go on a picnic. This could be at breakfast, lunch or suppertime. Allow your children to help pack the food and bring along a ball or Frisbee to work in a little exercise after you’ve eaten. We’re planning to visit a “new-to-us” park with our own picnic lunch sometime soon.
2. Plant something. It can be a flower, a vegetable, a fruit or an herb. We typically do our planting in containers, but you could also do it in your yard. I’m not typically a “get-dirt-under-your-fingernails” type gal, but it’s exciting to do this with our children and let them watch something that they’ve planted begin to grow.
3. Have a baking day. This is a good activity if you’re stuck inside due to bad weather. We usually make these scrumptious butter cookies and frost them with icing we’ve tinted in pretty pastel colors. Another option is sugar cookies cut into spring shapes, such as flowers, kites or baby animals. Make a large batch of whatever you choose to bake and share some with another family.
4. Take your camera along on a walk and snap pictures of any signs of spring you see. Once the photos are printed, create a large collage with them. Alternatively, have your children cut appropriate pictures out of old magazines.
5. Visit the library and check out spring-themed books. Read about seeds, flowers and butterflies.
6. Pull all of the outside toys that are stored in the garage out into the yard or driveway. Give each child a sponge or rag along with a bucket of soapy water and let them clean off all the toys.
7. Hold an egg hunt. In past years, we have done this multiple times in the weeks around Easter. I’ll usually put candy in the eggs before I hide them around the yard, although they enjoy finding the eggs even without the sweet treat. You could also turn it into a treasure hunt by numbering the eggs and having them find each one in order. Inside of each egg, place a piece of paper with a clue written on it, leading them to the next egg, ending with a small prize.

How do you celebrate the arrival of Spring with your children? I’d love to hear your ideas!

photo courtesy public domain pictures

The written word is powerful. We encounter it daily, whether in a book, a blog, an e-mail from a friend, or a billboard along the highway. Whether or not our children pursue writing as a career, we as parents can begin fostering strong writing skills early in their lives.

Here are eight tips for developing the writer in your child.

Source

1. Read well-written books. I believe that children who read have a head start on writing because they’re exposed to proper grammar and sentence structure, expand their vocabulary through learning unfamiliar words, and get the sense of how a story should flow. Begin by reading aloud to your children on a consistent basis when they are young. Once they are reading to themselves, make a wide range of books available to them.
2. Develop their imagination. Encourage them in their preferred forms of pretend play. Even before they can pen words, they are creating story lines in their minds.
3. Write for them before they can write for themselves. Have them draw a picture, then ask them to describe what is happening in the scene. Condense their answer into a couple of sentences and write them down, either on the same or a separate sheet of paper.
4. Use correct English when you speak. I tend to slur the endings of “-ing” words and I’m certain that most of us use slang occasionally. Nevertheless, if your children hear language used properly, it will be easier for them to write correctly.
5. Let them write about a topic they love. Anything from princesses to dinosaurs to super heroes is fair game. Occasionally, writing a song or a poem may interest them more than attempting a story.
6. Buy them a diary or a journal. Even if they only use it sporadically, it’s another way to practice writing and, in addition, will be a wonderful keepsake.
7. Keep necessary instruments handy. Once they’ve moved past the age where the threat of pen marks on the walls or furniture has lessened, have paper, pencils and pens within their reach. One of my daughters enjoys writing in notebooks that I get at the dollar store.
8. Praise liberally. Whether they write a joke or a short story, make a big deal about their effort. Let them read it aloud to the family, make a copy to send to grandparents, or post it on the refrigerator door.

The ability to communicate effectively through writing is a life skill that will be used in a variety of ways. Let’s help our children develop this ability while they’re young.

Do you have any other tips for helping children learn to write well