Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way down to the annexe that housed the school's History Department.
The annexe was about 100 metres from the main school building, down an attractive, leafy hill.
On the way I was irked by two girls in front of me complaining about the hill, the wind ruffling their hair, the distance from one classroom to another, and so on.
I joined the History class with the moans and groans still ringing in my ears. However, the topic of the lesson soon gripped me:
Life in Thirteenth Century Scotland.
The ordinary people in those days lived in squalid huts, unlike the nobles with their heavily fortified castles. But even they faced many challenges. Fighting was a way of life and the fear of attack preoccupied everyone.
In the cold, draughty, disease-ridden castles people who lived to forty were considered old.
Not much scope for personal development and parenting projects there!
Bumpy dirt tracks served as roads and the trees that covered most of the land made travel difficult. Schools and child education did not exist.
After the lesson I made my way back up to the main building. This time I overheard another conversation - or to be more precise, one side of a conversation.
A girl behind me chatted to her mum, many miles away on the outskirts of the city. The small cellphone clamped to the girl's ear made it possible.
Times had certainly changed since the 13th century!
Not only could this girl travel many miles by comfortable transport every day, but at the touch of a button she could chat with her mum.
This made me think again of the two I'd overheard on the way down. Unlike their 13th century counterparts, they could walk safely on a dry, tarmac surface and enjoy the benefits of a good education. Yet they moaned and groaned . . .
Yes, teaching - and parenting - teenagers brings its challenges!
But if raising confident children is our goal, why not start early, and help them develop a sense of awe and wonder. Help them realise how far we've progressed.
Stress the benefits growing families enjoy today - benefits unavailable to our predecessors, for whom life was hell.
Make your kids aware of the changes even since they were infants:
iPods, mp3s, DVDs, multiplex cinemas, online bookings, video cellphones - when you think about it, the list is impressive!
And the downside: in a world saturated with resources and abundance, millions starve. Yet all could be put right so easily!
Your children are young and impressionable, so true-life stories will absorb their insatiable interest. Make this part of your home education program, working hand-in-hand with their special school projects.
And it will pay dividends. Informed, appreciative children become confident, tolerant, fair-minded and determined young people.
Personal development all round . . .
Happy parenting!
Why do some parents and children succeed, while others fail? Frank McGinty is an internationally published author and teacher. If you want to develop your parenting skills and encourage your kids to be all they can be, visit his web pages, http://www.frank-mcginty.com/peace-formula.ht ml AND http://www.frank-mcginty.com/for-parents.html a>
I am a dad. I have been now for over... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
You need to smart to be able influence adolescents. You... Read More
Having a baby is one of the most exciting times... Read More
If your child or teen has been diagnosed with Attention... Read More
Family meetings provide opportunities for feelings to be aired and... Read More
I am in pain. I've been in pain all day.... Read More
"Where did he come up with that?" Kids often amaze... Read More
You want your daughter to wear a dress to the... Read More
Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising... Read More
Researchers have estimated that 25-35% of children in the United... Read More
(Isaiah 11:6 KJV) The wolf also shall dwell with the... Read More
If I had a dollar for every time I persuaded... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 31,... Read More
Spending quality time with your children doesn't need to cost... Read More
MYTH: All teens have to rebel, and the teen years... Read More
If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical,... Read More
Oh Please, Don't Say Maybe!!!!Are you often a participant in... Read More
I hear from many parents that their child is stressed... Read More
By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More
For over fifty years, public-school officials and politicians have tried... Read More
Ritalin is a good medication with a bad reputation. Its... Read More
NY -- Strange as it may sound, bordom promotes happier,... Read More
Here is an easy, inexpensive and fun kid experiment for... Read More
Managing money is one of the most critical skills we... Read More
Despite serious reductions in funding for arts programs in... Read More
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of... Read More
More and more kids these days are diagnosed ADD, ADHD,... Read More
I look out of the window as I am writing... Read More
1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don't... Read More
Discipline is a necessary part of parenting yet it makes... Read More
Is Homework Really That Important?Dear Friends,I no longer teach in... Read More
Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Sometimes dreams really can come true! May 8th - 11th,... Read More
When a couple steps forth with a baby in tow... Read More
(Excerpted from Jim Rohn's 2004 Weekend Leadership Event)You have to... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to... Read More
Vinegar or honey, what do kids really want? "Toys, candy,... Read More
Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen... Read More
Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or... Read More
As I sit here and reflect on the past two... Read More
Most of us when asked what we want our children... Read More
Dear Camille,As I thumb through the photographs that I carry... Read More
The Flow of WaterWater is essential for life on the... Read More
In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But... Read More
Do you want your child to cooperate with you more?Children... Read More
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all... Read More
You no longer have to use Ritalin or other stimulants... Read More
As the kids go back to school, you can go... Read More
Bath time can be fun or it can be a... Read More
When parents help their children learn to read, they help... Read More
Beyond cases reported to authorities, little knowledge exists on the... Read More
Child tantrums are a way for children to express their... Read More
"Home Schooling ? Look Before You Leap"Are you considering home... Read More
In our last issue we posted some of our suggested... Read More
1. Boundaries are necessary for control and safety.All children need... Read More
"Not another meeting!"That tends to be the reaction from many... Read More
Voices!So many voices crying out for adherence and so many... Read More
Is it possible to be using our children addictively?Anything that... Read More
"Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New... Read More
I will cherish this moment. I will not let it... Read More
Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when... Read More
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More
Time management is an organisational concept traditionally associated with adults... Read More
A tall, weary-looking mother with glasses, walked into my counseling... Read More
Parenting |