As a Mother and a Teacher
This year has been a different year for me.I've returned to teaching Preschoolers in a Church Kindergarten.
The option of bringing my children along to work with me is open, but I am letting them stay in their current preschools for the moment. My children have been blessed with very wonderful and godly teachers and Principals. They are very happy in their church Kindergartens and I very much won't want to uproot them from this happy and nurturing environment they are in.
I only teach in the mornings. When I am done teaching, my children are done in school too. So, I can pick them up right away. Afternoons are spent with them, field trips, hometeaching, playgroups etc etc. Evenings are family time and sometimes late outings.
After they are asleep, I will do my school work and preparation.
............................
Here are some thoughts which came to me as I read through the Chapter 10 notes of Power of Motherhood by Nancy Campbell.
Subject : Mothers Are Teachers
It is such an encouragement to read Proverbs 6: 20-23 and Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 as a prelude to the whole chapter.
Proverbs 6: 20 - 23
" My son, keep your father's commands
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.
When you walk, they will guide you;
When you sleep, they will watch over you;
When you awake, they will speak to you.
For these commands are a lamp,
This teaching is a light,
And the correction of discipline
are the way of life. "
Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 9
" Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. "
The Hebrew Definition of "teach them (children) diligently" definitely has powerful meaning.
It means :
To impress sharply by verbal repetition (which is obligatory), to point, to show, to engrave, to make them penetrate, to whet as in whetting the appetite with repetition and diligence.
As a teacher by profession, this definition speaks to my heart. This is precisely what we teachers are called to do. When I am teaching my own children, I remind myself constantly that I have to be even more patient with my own children and do not get weary of repetition, be diligent in showing again and again, till the teaching penetrate and the child internalises it for herself or himself.
Many a times, it is the how we teach out children which matters to them. Our attitudes and spirits which accompany the words and actions. Children read us very well, they know instantly if their mums and teachers are doing their teaching diligently, and whether with conviction and passion.
Like what Tamie shared in one of her subsequent posts, words are definitely very important, when we use them to our children. Words communicate our spirits, whether they are in a joyful state or an ugly state.
When I am in my spiritual lows, when I manage to hear my own speech, I do notice that I have a lot of "Don'ts" in my instructions to my children, plus, my tone may be snappy. How much I need the help of God in the area of attitude check. How much I need the prompting from the Holy Spirit to be gentle to the little ones. Have we realise, even the way we look at our children matter to them? They can tell if we are pleased with them, they wish with all their hearts that they are not the cause to mums' grumpiness. *gulp*
Another thought which struck is that our children model us.
I have a daughter and a son. The best way for me to check myself is to watch and hear how my daughter talks and relates to my son. She is a very reliable mirror for me.
Nancy shared in the notes how DILIGENTLY we shall teach our children.
ie.
D - Daily
I - Interestingly
L - Lovingly
I - Intently
G - Gently
E - Encouragingly
N - Naturally
T - Totally
L - Labouringly
Y - Yearningly
This set of notes are such powerful reminders.
I have been chewing on them and trying to be consistent in working on them since I read the chapter. I too, hope to engrave these unto my heart.
I enjoy the time spent with my children everyday. It is a lot of work when it comes to planning what to do with them and how best to do those planned activities. Reading the POM notes pushes me on to continue to be faithful in planning executing the plans with my little ones. They encourage me to be steadfast in dililence.
One great challenge post to me through POM is that to train my children to love the word of God. I shall put this into further action, besides all the bible story telling to the children, ie, to print the verses out and paste them all over the house at my children's eye level. It is never too early to teach a young child to memorise and engrave the word of God into his/ her heart.
Love in Christ,
Jesselyn Ng
(Singapore)
Mummy to Zoe, 4+ and Zane, 3
posted by Jesselyn Ng @ 11:30 PM
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