Scripture Memory & Homeschool

When we were reading our daily Proverb on September 3 this passage just struck me. I decided the kids and I should start memorizing longer scripture passages, starting with this one! We started at breakfast that day and worked on it during breakfast and lunch for the rest of the month. The fun twist this month was that it was to be a special surprise for Daddy at Wesley's birthday party. They both learned it quite well, even Cora! They're making their online video debut with it below. It's a little hard to understand, so maybe if you read it through first you'll catch more of what they're saying.

My son, do not forget my teaching,

But let your heart keep my commandments;

For length of days and years of life

And peace they will add to you.

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor and good repute

In the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body

And refreshment to your bones.

Honor the LORD from your wealth

And from the first of all your produce;

So your barns will be filled with plenty

And your vats will overflow with new wine.

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD

Or loathe His reproof,

For whom the lORD loves He reproves,

Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:1-12

I want to encourage all the mommies out there to teach challenging scripture passages to your children! My kids are about average intellectually, I think, and they had no problem memorizing it or paying attention to work on it a few minutes at a time. You can do this! Here are some great reasons to work at it:

• It's so cute, it just melts my heart!
• When I'm disciplining and training them on almost anything, I have a passage we are all familiar with to tell them why they should or shouldn't act a certain way.
• Ages 4-8 are the easiest years for memory work, take advantage of it! Work to stretch that time period out!
• It gets you memorizing scripture.
• I'm trying to keep bad things away from them, and I need to work just as hard to fill them up with good things.
• It's a witness to unsaved relatives who adore your children.
• I like having some positive conversation at mealtimes, rather than just fussing at the kids to have better manners and eat their veggies!

I could go on and on with this, but I'll shift gears with my rant now. Lots of mommies feel like they can't teach their kids, but you are so wrong! I think our expectations are wrong, and that's why we all might end up in tears when we try to teach our kids something. I like this video of the kids reciting the passage, because it's so realistic. Cora doesn't say the whole thing, even though she can. Wesley is showing all his boy characteristics. If we expect them to sit still with their hands folded for lessons, we are going to go insane! If we expect them to make up silly words in the middle of a recitation, then we'll just get to have a good laugh with them. (C'mon, do I just think it's funny because I'm his mom? It's funny.) The bottom line is that they know the words, they respect the scripture, and over the past month we've had many conversations about what it means. We mommies have got to relax! I love the days when I remember that!

And continuing the rant - you know I'm VERY excited about homeschooling. What a blessing to have this time with the kids! If we were more involved in activities or traditional schooling, we would not be able to do this. This is what homeschooling is doing for us this year, it's giving us time together.

P.S. If you are encouraged to work on scriptures more, here are a few tips I've learned.

• Teach toy animals and dolls to say it
• Don't make up silly words that they have to correct - this got me in trouble!
• Just do it a little at a time, following a steady routine
• If you get frustrated, just stop until the next time to practice
• Say it in funny voices
• Make up as many simple motions as you can