Summertime Lessons

Just about everyone makes the statement, "Kids are like sponges." Children soak up the world around them. Parents most certainly want their children to absorb appropriate moral principles and beliefs and develop a friendship with their Creator.
The Little Boy attended overnight summer camp for the first time. His conduct at camp surely pleased his Heavenly Father, as the Little Boy was rewarded for honesty, respect, and for being the best camper of the group by his counselor. Learning Bible principles is certainly helping the children to become appreciative, respectful, and empathetic.
Summer camp was another experience in learning about God through creation. Romans 1:20 states: "[God's] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world's creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship." It was wonderful to hear the Little Boy speak of the activities he enjoyed and just as wonderful to remind him that it is possible to survive and have fun without Nickelodeon and the Wii.
Promoting faith is the most beneficial thing parents can do for their children. Summertime affords so many opportunities to draw lessons from creation. Happy learning...and teaching! 8)
*¤•~*CrystalLynn*~•¤*
¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Never miss an
opportunity to make others happy,
even if you have to leave them alone
in order to do it.*´¨)

Learning Throughout the Summer

Learning does not stop just because the calendar tells us it's summertime. We may not do as much of the "formal" stuff, but every experience in life is a learning experience.
We are planning a trip to the zoo in a couple of weeks. Not only is it a fun day out, but the children learn about animals and their habitats and often get excited about at least one exhibit which inspires them to want to learn more.
The Little Boy will be attending his first overnight camp this summer. That is going to be a wonderful adventure for him. He is not one to be away from home a lot and is usually hesitant to do things with other children whom he does not know very well. Going to camp will promote new friendships and exploring activities he may not have tried otherwise.
The Young Lady has already had some wonderful new experiences. I am intrigued with her bravery. She certainly proves herself to be very strong-willed. Her summertime is usually booked up with equestrian activities, which is a very good thing for her. Not only does she have a drive and passion for all things equine, she has a goal of a life-long career working with horses. She is well on her way, too. I often write about all the things there are to learn on a farm and I stand behind that. The more she and the Little Boy work around the farm, the more well-rounded they become. There is nothing like a farm to teach children the value of hard work.
We have had some very nasty weather and the Little Boy loves learning about science and weather. He still checks the weather report daily and updates his weather chart. He has been fascinated by the severe weather in the United States lately, as well as the thunderstorms we have been having in our own state. He wants to know the cause of weather events and really likes learning about the water cycle that God has insititued to replenish the earth's supply.
We are coming up on the one-year anniversary of the accident that changed our family's life last summer. This summer will undoubtedly be a better one for us, but we will surely be discussing the amazing ability of the body to heal. That accident has given us a year-long lesson on biology and anatomy, only now it's not as scary as it was in months past.
So, everything from having the right amount of money and getting back correct change at the ice cream truck, to executing equestrian abilities and sportsmanship in the horse show ring gives the children fantastic learning lessons all summer long. They may not realize it, but I do. ;)