Thursday, March 31, 2011

Mothercraft {Part III-Area 3}


Building Family Ties and Respect for Parents

1. Enjoyment by parents of each other's company
2. Respect for each other's opinions.
3. A truly self-reliant outlook on life.
4. Treatment of the child with respect as an individual, a person worth consulting.
5. Enjoyment in doing things together as a family.
6. Sensible use of family income and joint decisions about its use.
7. Skills or traits in each family member that the others are proud of.
8. Recognition of lasting values rather than desire for excitement and amusement.
9. Acceptance of community responsibility.

Strengthening Values in Family Life

3. A truly mature, self-reliant outlook on life is reached only through practice in responsibility. A girl who has been pampered or one who had developed a self-pitying point of view because of early hardship, a man whose father has tried to keep him bowing to his will or one how has been less outstanding in school or in sports than his brother, may find that the final growing up has to come after marriage. Recognition of one's need for a more realistic outlook is the first step in changing one's habits.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Mothercraft {Part III-Area 2}


Building Family Ties and Respect for Parents

1. Enjoyment by parents of each other's company
2. Respect for each other's opinions.
3. A truly self-reliant outlook on life.
4. Treatment of the child with respect as an individual, a person worth consulting.
5. Enjoyment in doing things together as a family.
6. Sensible use of family income and joint decisions about its use.
7. Skills or traits in each family member that the others are proud of.
8. Recognition of lasting values rather than desire for excitement and amusement.
9. Acceptance of community responsibility.

Strengthening Values in Family Life
2. Respect for each other's opinions is possible only if each considers the other as important as himself. Because the home background and training of the two partners are not at all alike, it is easy to see why very different attitudes grow up. A man may have had a father whose unflattering opinion of women made his son unwilling to let his wife have a share in family planning. A woman may tend to show little respect for her husband's opinions because she, as an adored only child, was allowed to rule her mother and father. It will take effort for these two types, or others somewhat like them to develop habits of respect for their partner's ideas.

Mothercraft {Part III-Area 1}


Oh oh I'm so excited! I found a marvelous section in this Mothercraft book called "Building Family Ties and Respect for Parents." Wow! Let's check it out. The book covers nine areas in family life that can build up a child's respect for their parents.


Building Family Ties and Respect for Parents

1. Enjoyment by parents of each other's company
2. Respect for each other's opinions.
3. A truly self-reliant outlook on life.
4. Treatment of the child with respect as an individual, a person worth consulting.
5. Enjoyment in doing things together as a family.
6. Sensible use of family income and joint decisions about its use.
7. Skills or traits in each family member that the others are proud of.
8. Recognition of lasting values rather than desire for excitement and amusement.
9. Acceptance of community responsibility.

Strengthening Values in Family Life
1. Enjoying each other's companionship is possible only if parents have interests in common.
Many young parents do not realize until it is too late that they must build up enjoyment in each other's concerns if they are to live on a firm basis of understanding. Too often each goes his own way, with tolerance of the interests of the other but no real effort to get together. A man's wife may not find it possible to become tremendously enthusiastic about his hobby of stamp collecting (Ahhh ha ha ha), but if she enjoys reading, a book that throws light on an event commemorated by a certain stamp will give them something to talk over. Her reading indicates to her husband that she doesn't think his hobby childish. A man whose wife likes to do fancywork as they sit together (that sounds a little shady, but I believe this means needlework/knitting)of an evening may find that by reading aloud he can make interesting to her the sort of thing in which he takes keen delight but which she would never read by herself.
An interest in music, photography, gardening, carpentry, or almost anything else can serve to make family life richer if each partner enters into the other's absorbing interest.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Slow Down Therapy {04}

"Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow."

Friday, March 25, 2011

Mothercraft {Part II}



Thought I'd share another section from my newly purchased 1950's manual on how to build a healthy family.
(Photos are from our annual family trip to the lake.)



Play
"All children need things to play with and a place to play. But it isn't necessary to provide expensive toys to keep a child constructively happy. Anything he can hold and handle freely will fascinate a young child. Common household objects like pots, pans, spoons, clothespins, cartons, the garden hose, a tub of water and dozens of others, may be excellent toys for small children. In most cases the child can be taught to adventure without hurting himself or breaking anything, but if there are accidents he should not be scolded too severely.
A child should be welcome in every room in the house as long as he behaves with reasonable consideration for others. This applies to the kitchen too, where even little children may sometimes "help" with a meal.
Wise parents always try to find ways for their child to do the thing he enjoys doing, instead of trying to stop him from being active. They try to find out how to make the things he wants to do safe for himself and for others. Then they let him go ahead to his heart's content."

A Sense of Humor
"When household chores pile up for Mother, when Father comes home tired from a long day in shop or office, and Johnny is especially trying-- when you feel you can't take another thing-- then is the time of times for a sense of proportion and, if you have one, a sense of humor! There's nothing more relaxing for both parents and child than a good laugh together. When you are tense and tight, your child gets worried. When you are relaxed, he relaxes too. A good corny joke that child and grownup enjoy together helps keep the atmosphere in the home easy and good-natured.
Laughing with a child is a very different matter from laughing at him. Remember always that even the youngest child has his dignity to uphold. When he is teased or laughed at he feels very small and helpless, as well as insecure. Making a child feel small shows fundamental disrespect for him, and a lack of sensitivity to his vulnerable spots."



Mothercraft {Part I}



Alistair and I decided to head to the dollar bookstore this evening for a little browsing. We both love reading and I found the coolest book. Lately I've been thinking that the American family unit has forgotten some important basics. Some of the older foster parents that I work with seem to have something in their families that this modern era doesn't deem necessary. When I saw this book I thought perhaps I could find some pearls of wisdom in regards to family. The book is called "The Complete Book of Mothercraft: A Collection of Expert Advice for Successful Parenthood"
Prepare yourself for a time-warp as it was published in 1952. The language in itself is entertaining and I like what it says about various aspects of home life. Read with a grain of salt.





What Makes A Good Home
"A good home depends primarily on parents who have formed a going partnership. This doesn't mean that they never disagree, or even that they never quarrel. But it does mean that the parents have some sort of united front and have come to an understanding on the major principles of child rearing. If they have done this, their children will know it and will take the minor disagreements in their stride. A child's sense of security is based on the feelings of people around him far more than on his parent's financial condition or the material things they give him.
Parents don't have to be perfect. Nobody should expect them always to be controlled and calm; parents need to blow off steam occasionally. If it doesn't happen too often it may clear the atmosphere all round. If one hold's to a fairly consistent course, their children will weather the minor upsets."

Children Need Two Parents
"To children, Father and Mother represent everything that is manly and womanly. They tend to model themselves after their parents; when they're young their dearest wish is that some day they may be like them. If one or the other parent is missing from the home, this vision becomes blurred, and the child's conception of what a man or woman should be like tends to be confused. A serious breach between parents, with or without separation, is always a threat to a child. He is tempted to use one against the other for his own interests, or is torn with doubt as to whose side he should be on. If he sees his parents permanently angry and hateful toward each other, it's harder for him to master his own anger and his own aggressive impulses. The rock on which his house is built is no longer a rock, but something unsure and shaky."

Hmmm... interesting.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Slow Down Therapy {11}


"Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't a luxury; it's a necessity."

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Gratefulness

The key to true joy is... gratefulness.
As our pastor said on Sunday,
"It's really hard to be grateful and unhappy. But it's so easy to be ungrateful and unhappy."

What are you grateful for? What could you be more appreciative of?
I personally am SO grateful for the land we live on. The valley we share. I believe we live in one of the most beautiful regions in the world. And frankly I am really excited to get out and get in it this spring. In the meantime I am just loving this rainy cold weather. And on that note... I am off to cuddle beneath a blanket with my new book and a cup of tea.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day!



Happy St. Patrick's Day honey!
You are my very own Irish Blessing.
xoxo

P.S. You get the card later. ;)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Slow Down Therapy {29}


"Take time to wonder. Without wonder life is merely existence."





Sunday, March 13, 2011

Adventures with Alistair



Alistair and I decided to go outside and play today.
Here are a few of the images captured amidst all the fun.













Saturday, March 12, 2011

Our Little Girl



Aren't they adorable? It warms my heart.







Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Celebrate the Day


Last night I made my husband one of his favorite meals... Chicken. Lol. And then I threw in a little something for myself... Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies browned to perfection. Mmmm! We decided to celebrate the day, by watching a movie and enjoying our cookies and milk. I love days like this.