Lately our focus has been on caring for others. We have talked about caring for those in our communities, and those we don't know. I have yet to talk about caring for each other, meaning those in our own families and homes. What I learned today however, lets me know that they are learning to do this even though I have not officially talked about it yet.
Children do what they see done, they repeat what they hear spoken. I try to keep this in mind in my daily interactions.
One of the twins, due to a fever, decided to go to bed around 11:30 am today. The other two children were playing in the play room. A few minutes later I noticed there was no noise in the house so I got up to see what was going on. There the other two were reading to their brother, they told me they wanted him to feel better.
Do you notice something sticking out of his mouth? My daughter decided to take his temperature, with a little plastic coat hanger. The hanger started out in her hand by the time I went back to get my camera again it ended up in his mouth. Poor fella didn't know what was going on, he just does what she says. Of course I had to explain to her that this was dangerous and they can't stick objects in his mouth as well as it could give him germs. I had to do this very delicately so they would not be discouraged from taking care of their brother.
Without me telling them to take care of their brother, they did it on their own. They did the same types of things they see me do when one of them is sick. So the lesson here is we teach even when we don't know it. They are watching everything we do and taking in everything we say. Our everyday life to them is a constant lesson to be studied, learned and duplicated.
When they see us caring for them as well as others they learn to do the same. I know I won't raise perfect kids, but, if they learn the basic life lessons of caring and having compassion for others as well as each other, I know my work will not be in vain.
everyday talk for everyday women
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