16 Down, 10 to Go!

(plus the 12 week student teaching part)

If I didn't take any breaks at all, I could finish all my classes in the next 52 weeks, but that would be insane. Besides, in Washington, the winder semester doesn't start till the end of January, so I can take a few weeks off in the mean time. I still have more than half of my 100 observation hours left to do, and now that I moved away from my convenient babysitter (Grandpa Johnson) I have to start being creative. I could get it done real quick if I didn't have to worry about what to do with my kids. I asked around yesterday at church and hopefully found a few leads for people who might not mind watching four, mostly school age, children.

This last class was all about assessments. The tests in school and how teachers chose to score them seemed to be a mystery to me in school. Now I feel like I have had a glimpse into the forbidden other side and see that there is some rational for the many approaches. I definitely have a couple of preferences.

Tomorrow I begin "Introduction to the Exceptional Child" (special education, gifted, at risk, culturally and linguistically diverse)

A few more thoughts on Teaching Self Government

When I was praying and pondering on where to go for further parenting advice I was very cautious. Behaviourist modification seems to be very popular right now, but I just don't feel comfortable with these approaches. Often I had difficulty pinpointing exactly what it was in these ideas that I didn't feel comfortable with, just that I needed to move on. They have some good ideas and points, but ultimately, I disagree with fundamental, underlying assumptions. I do not believe that a child is there to manipulate or that it is right to do so. Each child was already a complete individual before they came to me and I need to acknowledge that. They are not mine, they belong to the Lord and I am charged with their care and training. I need to respect the agency of others.

So when I decided I needed more direction, I was leery of whose direction I would follow. This is probably why I spent so much time looking and reading the scriptures. I do feel that I was guided to Teaching Self Government. It may not have all the answers, or be the best for every family. But I feel it will help me in my goal of not having perfect children, but of raising adults who know who they are and have the confidence to follow their missions.

Teaching Self Government

I love children. They each challenge me in a different way. It seems Daniel is determined to make me a better parent. Steven just goes with the flow. Isaac is so undemanding (unless you fail to prepare him for a change, but that is rare). But Daniel really likes to push buttons. He must enjoy the power he can have over people. For about a year, I have known that I need to find a better way to parent him, or our lives would just be a series of futile power struggles which would just get worse. I think I could really ruin the kid if I do not start doing something differently.

I have pondered and prayed about this quite a bit. Last Spring I heard a talk given by Nicholeen Peck on teaching your children self government. She was the foster parent of many tough kids for several years. Today she parents her own children using the methods she learned as a foster parent. When she and her husband received training as foster parents they were taught parenting skills that were originally developed in Boys Town. Now I admit that the only reference I had to Boys Town was the movie with Spencer Tracy. He played a Father Flanagan who started a home for troubled youth.

Nicholeen has taken the lessons she learned and applied gospel principles. The one hour talk I heard was abridged from her 7 hour seminar. I knew I needed the whole thing so I finally gathered the money to get the seminar recordings. I have learned so much from her and what little I have been able to implement in our home, has already improved things for all of us and encouraged me to continue.

Last week, the Pecks were featured in one of Britain's reality shows called "The Worlds Strictest Parents." Here is the link to see the show. http://teachingselfgovernment.com/worlds-strictest-parents-video-part-1_482/ I have enjoyed reading her blog as she talks about all that happened that didn't make the final cut.

But it is not just about troubled kids; it is about changing hearts. Learning self government is about learning how to govern you own behavior, about finding a reason to change; not just power struggles. These are skills that many adults have never developed. In a nutshell I have learned how to set up a system of family government. This leaves me the ability to love, teach, and change hearts.

Pollyanna

We just finished reading Pollyanna this week. I had never read it before and was only familiar with the Disney movie version. So I shouldn't be surprised at the story line changes, right? I absolutely loved this book. Pollyanna is a wonderful example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of others, how ones life affects the lives of others, and how simple happiness and gratitude is contagious. Steven even cried. This is definitely a new personal classic.

Update

Well, what is going on?!? Last Sunday our ward was reorganized and the leadership totally changed. And just when I was starting to figure out who the leadership was too. Now we have even more people to meet. Then we got to go to cousin Savannah's birthday party. That was fun and yummy.

Isaac is a Cub Scout now and is very excited about it. He held and read his book all the way home from the store when we bought it. We went to our first Pack Meeting last week.

The only kids in the neighborhood are Steven's age so Daniel has decided that he needs a friend, and he wants to go from door to door asking for a friend. For some reason, I just don't feel quite comfortable with that.

Halloween was fun. We carved pumpkins and I did one with a Scooby Doo face. I thought it turned out pretty good. We went to a Trunk or Treat and carnival at the church. We decided that Sugar Daddies are not good for teeth. Steven and Daniel both lost a tooth eating one of those. Oh, but so tasty.

We managed to find one homeschooling family in the ward who also happens to be a sailing family. We have an invitation to dinner with them next week. I hope our kids get along.

And we may have found someone to rent the Arizona house.

That is about all. Not really all that exciting, but good.