Heart Reflections Live

It was the end of a particularly long day. It was a day of many unavoidable interruptions, people dropping in (all important stuff), and the girls had done a pretty good job continuing their homeschool throughout background noise and "Twin Breaks".

We got through the schoolday all pretty exhausted, with a few small things undone, and I let the girls go for a run outside, while I tended the babies.

Finally come night I was preparing dinner ( a couple of hours late), and I was delighted to see Talitha at the table unasked finishing off her colouring page from school, with Zara beside her- not fighting or arguing :-) but copying out of a book, practising her letters for fun, no pressure, no nothing...

And then... they began singing together... tunefully... O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing- our current weekly homeschool hymn- It was beautiful... Music to my Ears and soul... I silently praised the Lord in my heart as I worked... Harmony... Togetherness... Loving the Lord... Loving each other... working diligently... The "bad" days faded from view- This is why we homeschool...

Labels: child's play, everyday life lessons, homeschooling

Labels: child's play, Easter, Poem, Talitha, Zara

How frustrating it is browsing the clothing catalogues these days keeping an eye out for bargains for our 6 year old. Talitha is very tall for her age and we generally buy sizes 8 to 10. There seems to be hardly anything in the mainline department stores that suit our criteria of modesty or simple feminine style anymore. Everything is either plastered with media-driven name brands (which we don't buy- except for an occasional Pooh Bear nightie or something). We steer clear away from Barbie, Bratz, Hannah Montana or High School Musical emblems. What I have noticed though, with the rise in popularity of Hannah Montana and High School Musical is that clothing from size 7-14 is either plastered in that, or designed to make your sweet little girl look like a rock chick!

As a Christian Mum, I object to this look on 2 counts:

1. Six or Seven year old girls are no where near high school age, and

2. It is an image of rebellion and quite the opposite to the graces of Godly Girlhood, modesty and then Young Womanhood we are seeking to nurture in both our girls.

It is very dangerous to think your little ones look cute like that, and then suddenly try to get them to dress modestly and act with decorum when they suddenly develop in their teens.

I thank the Lord that so far we've been able to keep our girls dressed modestly in girly dresses found through thrift shops. We don't allow shorts (except for some PJ's in Summer) or low-cut jeans, in fact they usually only wear fleecy trackpants when it's very cold, and little Zara likes to wear them under her dresses some of the time anyway.

All this aside, sadly both the girls know who Hannah Montana is via other children their age. Before we started homeschooling, Talitha did 2 years of Prep at a Christian school, and you wouldn't believe the number of kids- then 5 and 6 years old who had seen Harry Potter, Hannah Montana and High School Musical!

What ever happened to the simple joys of chidhood? Our children hardly ever watch TV. They mainly watch Christian DVD's or family movies with good morals we've approved. That is when they watch it- they'd rather play outside or look at books.

Whatever happened to teaching children that their characters would be set, for good or evil by age 20? This topic was covered in both "Anne of green Gables" by L M Montgomery and "Stepping Heavenward" by E Prentiss, both classics that used to be widely read by girls in older childhood or in their teens- see how far the cultural shift has taken us? For our children's sake, I will no longer buy into it.

Just recently my hubby and I were up early before the children and noticed that Hannah Montana was on and thought we'd check it out for ourselves. We didn't catch the whole show, but we caught a gay joke and were horrified when Miley AKA Hannah opened her immodest showbiz wardrobe to show a school friend, and The Hallelujah Chorus played majestically as her friend went into idoltrous raptures!- That was enough for us. It's also been reported that Miley Cyrus has stated she is a Christian and so many Christian Youth today think it's OK to follow a celebrity who says this, and they disregard the fruit shown to their own detriment!

I've been flipping through a recent Kmart catalogue as I've been writing this, and I've just noticed that on the Bratz and Barbie page, where incidentally a 6 year old model has said "I love Bratz, the fashion is cool.", they have a bright sign saying 20% of Hannah Montana and High School Musical Toys!, so you see they are now pushing Hannah Montana to 6 year olds!!

I'm not writing this to have a go at anyone- the shops are out to make money, and every parent is entitled to buy whatever they like for their children. All I am saying is let your children BE children, and if you haven't thought of it before, please consider the long term fruit these fads may bear in your children's lives.

SOME LINKS: http://homeliving.blogspot.com/2008/07/bring-back-childhood.html

http://thepleasanttimes.blogspot.com/2008/07/is-hannah-montana-harmless.html

Labels: changing times, child's play, food for thought, media

I couldn't resist posting this one! This is our 4 year old Zara, who, by her own admission, LOVES TO WORK!!!- both outside with Daddy, and inside with her Mama. "What can I do to help?" or "What jobs have you got for me?" are 2 of her favourite questions.

When she plays, she plays work- cooking, picnics, feeding her babies, or her newest thing "playing homeschool" and teaching herself outside homeschool time.

You know I was thinking just the other day what an asset our children are, and yet so many consider them a stress or a liability. During my last ante-natal visit, I was discussing with the doctors my extreme weakness, breathlessness and lethargy this pregnancy. The doctor said, "It's probably a combination of being 40, carrying twins, having a low blood count and heamaglobin, oh, and of course you have 2 at home."

I had to disagree with the last phrase. Yes, our children aren't perfect, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have days when they stress me out (especially while pregnant!), but they are such a blessing and a help and a joy! I love home-schooling them and watching them learn, and at the moment being so weak and not being able to keep house to the standard I'd like; sitting down and schooling them makes me feel that my days are not being wasted. My doctor looked shocked when I told him my 4 year old vaccuums for me at the moment. I didn't mention the dishes she wipes or the laundry she folds and helps me hang on the line. ( The sight of Zara turning herself head-first and up-side-down into the washing machine to unload it for me is SO funny! BTW I don't ask her to do that and I try to stop her, but her heart to help is tremendous!). Some people find it odd I guess to find a 4 year old who's not glued to the TV or computer screen or off having fun at daycare.

I may be having a difficult pregnancy, and walking the path less chosen being a Stay-at -Home , homeschooling Mother, but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!

Labels: child's play, keeper at home, motherhood, parenthood, pregnancy, Zara

Labels: child's play, family life, home, motherhood, Quote, reading

We've not long finished schoolholidays & it was such a delight to have Talitha home with us every day for 2 weeks, now she is back at school, Zara is missing her already, but this past saturday, they had a wonderful time playing together.

We'd promised to take them to see the Flaxton Minature Village, if they were good- and they were. They were both dressed up in pink dresses with long sleeves underneath to go out, & imaginations flowing freely, they discovered if they tucked paper napkins into the back of their dresses near the sleeve hole, they could have angel wings!! And "fly" they did, pretty visions in pink & white. One of Talitha's wings fell off & she decided to be an Aussie Mozzie for a while & then experimented turning some of her rag dolls & teddy bears into angels too!

How glad I am that we don't buy our children many of the things we see in toy catalogues- everything is so commercialized. I agree ( & so do our girls) with Anne of Green Gables that there's more scope for the imagination without them...

Labels: child's play, Talitha, Zara