For some reason, I can't get Nathan's first bus picture posted again--now I'm kicking myself for deleting it in the first place! This is the best I can do: a picture taken about 1 minute before Nathan got on the bus to be whisked off to his very first day of school!! Okay, hand me the Kleenex!
That day, when Nathan was at school and his brothers were taking a nap, I got online to check email & add a post to my blog. I read a post by my recently rediscovered friend Malia about sending her daughter off to first grade. She made the point that she was sending her daughter off on a bus driven by a stranger, & I thought, "YIKES! I didn't even think of that!" So thanks, Malia, for helping my peace of mind on that crazy, confusing, emotional day!However, I have gotten to know "Miss Rita" a few seconds at a time each day, & she is a very nice lady, despite the fact that she's got to be annoyed about having to talk to Nathan EVERY day about staying in his seat until she comes to a complete stop. I sorta like it when people other than myself or Dan correct one of our kids. It makes me feel like the village-raising-kids idea is still alive & well. I don't really understand when parents get upset about that sort of thing. When we're at church services, we like to let our kids run off with their friends (well, "walk-don't-run!"). Sometimes to other corners of the building. It may seem irresponsible of us to let our 22-month-old go too, even the 3 & 1/2 yr-old, but sometimes you really want to get a chance to talk to your church family & staying 2 feet behind your children at all times does not allow for much in-depth conversation.
"Hey, how are you-- Sorry, gotta go!"
"Hi, how's your moth-- no, Derek, don't touch that!"
"Great serm-- Jeremy, NOOOOOOO!"
So, yes, it gives me warm fuzzies to know that other people in the congregation are stopping my children when they get a puppet out of the Children's Worship room, or when they're climbing over pews, or trying to swim in the baptistry. And I hope & pray that they aren't annoyed by having to do that, knowing I would do it for their kids too (or would have done it had I been alive when their kids were that age). When I see another kid at church doing something they shouldn't be, I'll let them know they should stop. I'm not trying to be meddling, I'm just doing what I would want others to do for my kids. It does take a village!!
If you're in an older generation, or even if you're not, please help us parents raise our children. Some of us really like the community endeavor it takes when we're part of a church family. Don't think that we don't do our part in discipline too. When Nathan came home on Thursday and let me know he got in trouble on the playground for hitting a girl with a stick (a girl!), don't think he didn't get in trouble AGAIN when he got home! And then got another lecture when his daddy got home! ( A GIRL!! )
I still remember being a kid in our small congregation. I was close to a lot of older members ("older" being anyone over 20, I'm sure), & I know it was because of the love & support they had for my family--which had nothing to do with my dad being the preacher, and everything to do with the fact that my parents loved everyone else as well & helped in any way they could. When one of my parents' friends corrected my ill-advised behavior, it was embarrassing to be caught by someone other than family. But I was more embarrassed by the thought that my parents would be very disappointed in me!
So my feel-good thought of the day is...Let's all do our part to reinforce the idea of church Family because there's nothing more inviting than a warm, loving, and open Christian family environment.
Love you all!
4 comments:
It takes a community to raise a child, always have believed that. Score one for you Lisa, I hope the people in your church are responsive to your request!
Thanks, Jen! I'm really hoping church members everywhere will hear my request!!
Great post, Lisa! I am a firm believer that "it takes a village to raise a child."
And Sweetpea's bus driver is a big surly man who never smiles!! But he's firm with the kids and let's them know what he expects of them which I think is really good.
Ah, it takes a village, it really does. (No matter what I think of Hillary Clinton ;-) ) I remember my mother chastising me one Sunday about running in the church building. I was shocked that she knew what I had been up to because I had made sure that my parents were not around! She simply said that she had eyes all over the church watching for her!
Every year our church does a baby blessing. Part of the ceremony is a charge to the congregation to be there for these parents, to help them out and to be surrogate parents of all these new members of our church family. Because that's what we are, family. And family should be expected and allowed to have a part in correcting, protecting and teaching our children.
Great post Lisa, thanks!
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