capable

Today my kids and were up in our den doing something...I can't remember what because it's my Christmas vacation and I turned my brain off some days ago. I noticed that a cushion on a foot rest had a slight rip in the seam and I grabbed a needle and thread to start a quick repair. As I was threading the needle I started chatting with them about how I was going to teach them how to sew someday. And how I was going to teach them to do a lot of things while I had the chance.

Jayne said that'd be fine as long as they were things she felt like learning to do. (This is my battle, folks.) I then delved a little deeper, hoping that maybe 50-75% of what I said might stick. That's a decent percentage right there!

Here's the deeper:

As the mother of these two kiddos, I feel it is my responsibility to make them capable people. I want them to know how to do a whole myriad of things. I want them to experience a large variety of activities in their lives. Sewing, crafting, creating, laundry, cooking, baking, music, sports, cleaning, taking care of pets, ordering their own food, paying at the register, painting, relating to others with differences, building, learning a second language, photography, teaching each other, exercising, making healthy food choices, science experiments, understanding technology (better than me), traveling, finances, giving, taking care of little ones...this list could go on and on for all that I want to teach amd have my kids experience! I'd better get crackin'. 

By creating multi-faceted lives for my children, I'm hoping they will be able to do three valuable things:

1. Fend for themselves and take care of their own well-being.

2. Be able to relate to and help others.

3. Most important: be better equipped for God's calling in their lives.

Unfortunately, I know I'm not going to be able to teach them everything, and the things I do teach will be far from perfectly taught. (Turns out that I'm not perfect at everything...or at anything!) But that's okay because I realized years ago that a God's grace covers what I miss. He is perfect at everything. I'm glad He's got my back in this whole parenting thing I got myself into!

KC