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Teaching Values to Last a Lifetime

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by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com) Author of “Let the Children Come”; “Children, Come to Me”; “When the Stars Fall Down”; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way”; and “My Thinking Book”

Train up a child…

Teaching Values to Last a Lifetime

         Our country is in a tough situation right now and we need to prepare our children as best we can for what they will have to face as adults.  Since our country is so far in debt, we know that money is likely to be a problem for many families in the future.  Our children may not be able to experience the lifestyles they now know.

         What are some things we can do to help prepare children for the society they are likely to face? There are some tried and true values that serve any person well in any situation.  If children can learn to live without wants and survive on needs only, they will more likely be able to master many of their financial problems. For both needs and wants, children need to learn to be resourceful.  Taking care of what they have and learning not to be wasteful goes a long way in helping to provide the necessities of life.

         Many people in our present society seem somewhat confused when it comes to defining needs vs. wants. Ask almost any young adult and they will tell you that they really need a cell phone, TV, car, and many other things. The truth is that in the past people have lived very well without any of these things.  In some jobs, some of these things are needed, but as far as personal use is concerned, we can do without them with extra effort.  We are reminded every once in a while that we really can’t depend completely on these conveniences.  There are people constantly trying to sabotage our computer systems, and we need to face the fact that there may come a time when we have to do without some of our technology.  

         Giving up what we would like to have naturally leads to a conversation about being resourceful. Questions concerning needs and wants stimulate creativity in thinking.  Even learning about doing without small insignificant things can teach a child the value of being resourceful.  For example, recently I needed a pattern to sew a project for my grandson.  I remembered how my mother used to take newspaper and cut her own patterns when making dresses for my sisters and me.  I did the same and saved a trip to Springfield. This illustrates how children remember the examples set by parents. I remember how my dad would say that my mom could fix anything with a hairpin.  When there was no screwdriver around, mom would use a knife from the silverware drawer. “Necessity is the mother of invention” they say.  Our needs motivate resourcefulness.

         Those who grew up in the depression era were taught not to waste what they had.  They had to write on both sides of paper.  They were scolded when pencils were “ground away” in pencil sharpeners.  They knew how to recycle before recycling became popular!  Now, thousands of dollars are wasted in schools and businesses by people using the copy machine and using paper to copy only one sentence, or not using the back of paper to copy things that are for temporary use only. Adults need to set the example of valuing what they have and not wasting it.

         We cannot anticipate everything that children need to know to face in their future, but we can go a long way by teaching the values of resourcefulness and stewardship.  When they can truly determine the difference between needs and wants, they will be more able to set priorities in money management.

Teaching Children to Be Resourceful

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www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Teaching Children to be Resourceful

         When I graduated from high school and was preparing to leave home                                 to go to college, the youth director at the little church I attended in Verona, MO, bought a small notebook and filled it with wise sayings to guide me through life.  One of those sayings was, “An industrious man can do more with a rusty wrench than a lazy man with all the tools in the shop.”  This saying has stuck with me through the years as there have been many times when I did not have everything I would have liked to achieve goals.

         Life certainly can take some strange turns. We never know when the time may come that we cannot afford to buy what we want or need.  It is important for children to realize this fact.  Most people find themselves, at one time or another, in a situation where they are short of money.  

         Children need to be prepared to learn how to do without new things and use what they have in more ways. Everyone likes to have new things, but those new things are appreciated much more when they are not so easy to get. It is good for each of us to take inventory of our many blessings and use everything wisely.  We need to be good stewards of what we have whether we are poor or wealthy.  

         My dad used to say, “Your mom can fix anything with a bobby pin!”  (A “bobby pin” was the name for a hairpin.)  My dad sat each of my sisters and myself on his lap and taught us to tell time with his railroad watch before we ever started to school. Since this was during the time of the Great Depression, it was necessary for families to learn to get along with what they had. As children watched adults practice resourcefulness, they learned to think a little harder about saving money and using their own resources wisely.  Today, children are still learning by watching adults either squander what they have or use their resources wisely.

         Although we may not go back to darning socks to make them last longer, children can learn to use notebook paper wisely instead of making one small mark or two and throwing it away. They can learn not to grind their pencils away in a sharpener.  They can learn to take portions small enough to finish when they eat so that food is not wasted.  They can learn to put away their belongings to prevent loss.  They can learn to close bread wrappers so the bread doesn’t dry out. They can learn to stay out of mud puddles so their shoes last longer.  They can be taught to close doors right away to save on the utility bill. They can even learn that brand names on clothing are not always important.  

         Although there are many good educational toys to purchase for teaching children, there are many items in our homes that can be used effectively for teaching if we choose. Marshmallows, macaroni, popcorn, raisins, and other items in the kitchen pantry can be used for counting with children as we help them with math homework.  Games can be created between brothers and sisters to teach resourcefulness. Give them a task to perform and a limited amount of resources for the project. See who can be the most creative in coming up with ways to accomplish the task.  It is actually fun to be resourceful!

         Some people accomplish so very little because they spend all of their time complaining that they don’t have what they need.  Let’s help our children  become individuals who can get a job done with what they have!  There is a big difference between needs and wants. They will learn this difference as they become more and more resourceful. 

Teaching Children to be Resourceful

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Train up a child…

 

Teaching Children to be Resourceful

 

When I graduated from high school and was preparing to leave home                                 to go to college, the youth director at the little church I attended in Verona, MO, bought a small notebook and filled it with wise sayings to guide me through life. One of those sayings was, “An industrious man can do more with a rusty wrench than a lazy man with all the tools in the shop.” This saying has stuck with me through the years as there have been many times when I did not have everything I would have liked to achieve goals.

Life certainly can take some strange turns. Whether the country’s economy is good or bad, children should still be taught to be resourceful.   They should learn not to waste, but to save.

Children need to be prepared to learn how to do without new things and use what they have in more ways. Everyone likes to have new things, but those new things are appreciated much more when they are not so easy to get. It is good for each of us to take inventory of our many blessings and use everything wisely. We need to be good stewards of what we have whether we are poor or wealthy.

My dad used to say, “Your mom can fix anything with a bobby pin!” (A “bobby pin” was the name for a hairpin.) My dad sat each of my sisters and myself on his lap and taught us to tell time with his railroad watch before we ever started to school. Since this was during the time of the Great Depression, it was necessary for families to learn to get along with what they had. As children watched adults practice resourcefulness, they learned to think a little harder about saving money and using their own resources wisely. Today, children are still learning by watching adults either squander what they have or use their resources wisely.

Although we may not go back to darning socks to make them last longer, children can learn to use notebook paper on both sides instead of making one small mark or two and throwing it away. They can learn not to grind their pencils away in a sharpener. They can learn to take portions small enough to finish when they eat so that food is not wasted. They can learn to put away their belongings to prevent loss. They can learn to close bread wrappers so the bread doesn’t dry out. They can learn to stay out of mud puddles so their shoes last longer. They can even learn that brand names on clothing are not always important.

Although Leapfrog toys are wonderful for teaching children, there are many items in our homes that can be used effectively for teaching if we choose. Marshmallows, macaroni, popcorn, raisins, and other items in the kitchen pantry can be used for counting with children as we help them with math homework. Games can be created between brothers and sisters to teach resourcefulness. Give them a task to perform and a limited amount of resources for the project. See who can be the most creative in coming up with ways to accomplish the task. It is actually fun to be resourceful.

Some people accomplish so very little because they spend all of their time complaining that they don’t have what they need. Let’s help our children to become individuals who can get a job done with what they have! There is a big difference between needs and wants. They will learn this difference as they become more and more resourceful.