Write-Downable of the Week

Write-Downable (n) 

"A statement that is cute, funny, priceless, sensitive, loving, one-of-a-kind, sweet, or spiritual; a word, phrase, sentence, or story that touches the heart of another and is deemed worthy to write down, thus recorded forever and not forgotten."

Word Created By: The Bushman Family

Definition By: Julie Bushman

Write-Downable of the Week:

My daughter says to her brother,"You're so weird!"

He replies, "I'm not weird. It's called the principle of individuality." (Age 13)

I LOVE this!! He did not miss a beat with his retort. Yes, I've said it before, but it thrills me when the principles learned in the classroom are seen and used outside of the classroom. That means it's really sinking in and being recorded in the "fleshy tables of his heart."

This pretty much sums up his individuality!

And this!

 The Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) has designed a principle approach methodology for learning. The school our children attend utilize the FACE curriculum. One of the seven principles of America's Christian History, Government, and Education is:

God's Principle of Individuality

"Everything in God’s universe reveals His infinity and diversity. Each person is a unique
creation of God, designed to express the nature of Christ individually in society. Parents
and teachers should cultivate the full potential of Christ in every child."

We just wrapped up Parent Teacher Conferences this week. This child's teacher gave us a quote as we left:

"I believe that each newborn child arrives on earth with a message to deliver to mankind. Clinched in his little fist is some particle of yet unrevealed truth, some missing clue, which may solve the enigma of man's destiny. He has a limited amount of time to fulfill his mission, and he will never get a second chance - nor will we. He may be our last hope. He must be treated as top sacred.

In a cosmos in which all things appear to have meaning, what is his meaning? We who are older and presumably wiser must find the key to unlock the secret he carries within himself. The lock cannot be forced. Our mission is to exercise the kind of loving care which will prompt the child to open his fist and offer up his truth, his individuality, the irreducible atom of his self. We must provide the kind of environment in which the child will joyfully deliver his message through complete self-fulfillment."

Sam Levenson, Everything But Money, 1966

That's a heavy responsibility as a parent - to provide the loving care and environment so that our child can offer up his individuality and deliver to the world his unique message.

The question is, how do we do this? If we focus on the principle of individuality, then the answer is, "It's different for every child". The tactic, method, and approach we use as parents will have to be learned, then adjusted, then practiced, then adjusted again for each child. It's an ever-learning cycle, one that involves a lot of prayer, thought, meditation, concern, time, and energy. 

One method that we use is to discover in each child what interests bring him joy or happiness and then look for experiences so that interest may be cultivated.

Here's a simple example that happened yesterday:

Our son (11) has become very interested in finances...saving, spending, and learning about coupons, freebies, bargains, and deals. We always get coupons in the mail, and as of late, he enjoys combing through those coupons to find things of interest to him...deals that will save him money and provide enjoyment to him or our family. He reads them to me and asks questions to clarify what each deal means. It has been so enjoyable to watch!

One of these coupons was to DP Cheesesteak, DP standing for Downtown Philly. Wow, Sam could have picked up his Philly Cheesesteak sandwich just two miles from home!

Located near Costco, our son heard that we needed to make a Costco-stop yesterday, so he asked if we could go to DP Cheesesteak. Now, I'm the practical one. When I hear a request like that, I have to think in my head what's going on for the day, will it fit in the schedule, how will it work out, who will drive, who will watch the other children, etc, etc. However, Sam's the spontaneous one. Due to this spontaneity, Dad jumped at the chance to help our son utilize his frugal desires and take him to DP Cheesesteak for lunch. This cute boy was thrilled to be validated and taken seriously, AND to use his coupon for a delicious sandwich for lunch. 

Love this coupon-clipping, money-saving boy! What is his message that we must unlock?

 

Today's Stick-to-it Tip: Look for little ways to cultivate the principle of individuality in your children.

So similar....

....yet so individually different!

 More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!