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by Leslie Freeman Leave a Comment

Thoughts on Discipline from Anne Shirley

I’m reading the Anne of Green Gables books right now. It’s so refreshing. I haven’t read them in years – since I was a girl. I forgot how delightful they are. And I’m finding so many great quotes in them!

Here’s one for Real Child Development readers.

It’s in Anne of Avonlea. Anne is about to begin work as a teacher and is discussing with a fellow teacher how to discipline children.

Anne’s friend Jane starts by saying,

“The main thing will be to keep order and a teacher has to be a little cross to do that. If my pupils won’t do as I tell them I shall punish them.”

“How?”

“Give them a good whipping, of course.”

“Oh, Jane, you wouldn’t,” cried Anne, shocked. “Jane you couldn’t!”

“Indeed, I could and would, if they deserved it,” said Jane decidedly.

“I could never whip a child,” said Anne with equal decision. “I don’t believe in it at all. Miss Stacy never whipped any of us and she had perfect order; and Mr Phillips was always whipping and he had no order at all. No, if I can’t get along without whipping I shall not try to teach school. There are better ways of managing. I shall try to win my pupils’ affections and then they will want to do what I tell them.

“But suppose they don’t?” said practical Jane.

“I wouldn’t whip them anyhow. I’m sure it wouldn’t do any good. Oh, don’t whip your pupils, Jane dear, no matter what they do.”

Win their affections and they will want to do what I tell them... isn’t that wonderful? I just love that.

And please, don’t whip your children, it really won’t do them any good!

by Leslie Freeman Leave a Comment

Painting Rocks

Just a fun, simple idea to do with the kids. Collect some rocks with your kids on your next walk. I picked out smooth stones, but the boys picked some more textured ones. Half the fun of this is collecting rocks, so take your time and enjoy it!

Wash them off and then paint them! I didn’t have a lot of paint on hand – on some of them I even used a little case of cheap watercolors. Whatever you have on hand – just have fun with it!

After the paint dried we added some embellishments with Sharpie markers and also gel pens – just to a select few.

The options are really endless!

Instagram Photo

Enjoy!

by Leslie Freeman Leave a Comment

The Invisible Woman

Holy Sweetness! I just saw this at A Holy Experience and had to re-post here. Such a good message. Maybe you need to hear it today, too.

Happy Saturday!

by Leslie Freeman Leave a Comment

Just For Fun

I did a little youtube watching with my ten year old yesterday. I’m sharing some of our favorites here.

We laughed, we cried. Well, I cried. And my son just loved that. ;)

Anyways, thought you might need a little downtime for your Friday. So here ya go!

And, I have to include this video of my son, Jude, telling me his abc’s and counting – with such joy and silliness! I was laughing so hard I was crying. Especially when he gets stuck in the loop. Too funny, this one. He is a joy. And it’s absolutely contagious.

Happy Friday!

p.s. – most of these videos I found on Storyline

by Leslie Freeman 5 Comments

It WILL Happen

I just had a thought in the bathroom.

Does that happen to you? Go to the bathroom and have a revelation.

Happens all the time to me. I get little flashes of inspiration in the stranges times and places. Shower is always a good one.

So I had the thought, “This is never going to happen.” Along with an overriding feeling of despair.

This thought is related to my current situation – living as a family of six all in one room.

It’s starting to drive me nuts.

I haven’t had a real home since we packed up and left our rental the end of October 2012. It’s getting to me. I’m losing hope.

And so I had the thought – this is never going to happen.

Or – in other words – this situation I’m in is never going to change. It’s just going to go on and on indefinitely. Until I go absolutely insane and pull all of my hair out.

And then it hit me.

How many times in my life have I had that exact same thought?

Literally. The exact. same. thought.

I began to remember – all at once – instance after instance of times I have felt the exact same way – that whatever it is I was hoping for would never happen.

Find a husband, Get my masters degree, Move to Costa Rica, Have a home, Start a ministry for at-risk children, Own land, ummm… I could go on and on and on and on.

Wow.

It’s like I just don’t learn. I am so hard headed.

What will it take for me to understand?

It WILL happen. We will build and we will move onto this land. And I will not live in this one-bedroom garage forever.

Do you ever get like that?

Do you have those thoughts, too?

That whatever it is, fill-in-the-blank with your hearts desire, will just never happen?

I’ve got to believe that it’s just not true.

That actually, it’s right around the corner. And you just gotta hang on a little bit longer.

And the time might come in the future when you will look back and laugh at yourself, oh you of little faith!

 

by Leslie Freeman Leave a Comment

When Kids Don’t Fit Into Our Standards For Them

Today was our first day of school and I could see my oldest son’s whole body tense up and eyes become red when I mentioned that he needed to wear a shirt.

“I’m NOT wearing a shirt!”

I immediately backed off, not wanting this to escalate.

You see, my son has some sensory issues. He wears basketball shorts with elastic waist-bands. He struggles with socks and shoes. Shirts often tickle, itch or feel painful to him.

Whenever there is a change in his life or new situation he’s facing it seems these issues are intensified.

This morning I felt myself start to tense as well. The thoughts flooding my mind were, “He has to wear a shirt. This is inappropriate. He better not have a fit about this. I need to make him wear a shirt.”

And my motive? So that he won’t embarrass me. That’s what it really comes down to.

I picked up the phone and called his new teacher to let her know about Kai and his sensory issues. I explained what was going on and that Kai did not want to wear a shirt.

I didn’t know what her response would be – would she allow him to come to school without a shirt? What would she think of me as a parent and my lack of ability to “control” my son?

Yes, I really am that insecure.

I felt so relieved when she said, “I totally understand, my son was the same way. I don’t care if he wears a shirt or not.” And that was that.

I went and told Kai he doesn’t have to wear a shirt.

I watched his body visibly relax, the stress drain from his face and excitement return to his eyes.

He busied himself getting ready, packing his backpack, and the next thing I knew, guess what I saw?

Kai going to his closet and casually pulling out a T-shirt.

It was as if with all the stress gone he was freed up to decide for himself what he wanted to do. He got the inner strength to overcome those uncomfortable feelings and make the choice that felt right for him.

 

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