Thank you for all the awesome conversation on my I’ve Been Keeping Something From You post! I love hearing how you’ve all had the same struggles as me and how you’ve come to the best decision for your kids and family. I hope you were encouraged by the comments–I love hearing how God leads us all to where He wants us! Even if we do go in a homeschool-ish, non-traditional way of schooling, I want you to know this blog will never be a homeschooling blog. I want Impress Your Kids to be for the everyday parent with a busy schedule, a full plate and just wants a push to be deliberate about leading their kids to Jesus.
But one of the reasons I wanted to tell you about our new adventure was because of the book from our Five in a Row curriculum this week! We have been reading A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsumo. It’s a story of a little girl who cracks her new wooden clogs but knows her mother won’t buy her a new pair. So, she purposely gets them dirty to trick her mother into buy new clogs. She realizes she is deceiving and lying to her mother and doesn’t actually go through with the big lie. It’s actually a great story of how lying comes in all forms–not just a blatant lie but in smaller actions and thoughts.
We were to discuss “reminiscing” and how stories can be told in a flashback. The curriculum suggested I tell a story from my past and let my child illustrate the story. So, I told Lydia this story:
When I was in first grade, I was in the red reading group. This was not the top reading group. The top reading group was the blue group. But only one little boy was in that group. The red reading group was the second to the top! I loved sitting with the teacher at the reading table with my red reading group.
Soon, I went to the eye doctor and discovered I needed glasses to read. I got some new glasses with a special white and red Snoopy case. It had a long red strap so I could wear the case like a purse. Mama told me to wear my glasses when I was in my reading group at school.
The next day I brought my Snoopy glasses case. I sat down at the reading table when my teacher called the red group. But I did not put on my glasses.
When I got home from school Mama asked me, “Amanda, did you wear your glasses?” I looked right at her and said, “Yes…” But before I could even get the word out I started sobbing. I apologized and sniffling, told her that I did not wear my glasses.
Mama had to write a note to my teacher and explain that I had to wear my glasses every day in my red reading group. And I did.
The End
And when I told the story to Lydia she was mesmerized. When I told her I had started crying she said, “I knew you were going to say that!” She recognized the seriousness of my story–and of my sin!
We wrote the story in four short sentences (and really, I could have picked better ones if I had realized how well this was going to work) then Lydia illustrated it. She spent so much time drawing the pictures and talking about my classroom, my teacher and what my glasses case looked like.
The story was becoming real to her! And to hear that I had lied the way the little girl in the story lied was somehow a big deal for her. I could see her little brain working and could see her understanding sin in a different way than before. Our verse this week has been:
The good things a man says benefit him. But a liar loves to hurt others. Proverbs 13:2
My story was the perfect avenue for explaining honesty and lies to Lydia. I think there’s something to letting your kids see your humanity–your sinfulness and your real heart. Next time you’re trying to convey a big message to your kids, try telling a story from your own life. I think their hearts and minds will really get it and appreciate your candor!