Wow! Now that’s a tough one, in this day and age.

If ever I would say, ”I’m bored,” Granny came forward with her favorite quote. “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop, Little One. Get Busy.”

That didn’t often happen. During the summer, I was a “playin outside sorta kid!” During the school years, it was schoolwork or playing with the little cousins next door.

Recently, I was on a trip with close friends. One of the prominent discussions that always occurs is the following:

*Sue:Before technology, I was on my bike all day. I rode and played with the little cousins next door. We’d ride our bikes 2 miles, all the way up to the highway, to get ice cream. Sometimes we’d be sitting on our front porch until 10:30 at night waiting for the ice cream truck.

*Sandy: I’d ride my bike and take my 2 little sisters along. We’d be at the pool all day, or with friends.

Times were much simpler then.

Gracie: I’d be up at my pool also. My mom new where I was, all the time. Sometimes I’d leave at 10 am, and not come home until 5pm. everyone looked out for each another.

 

In this day and age, technology has ruined the mind and souls of so many children. The drama, threats, texting, and filling their heads with C%$#, is over the top!

If you or your child is bored, or your minds are not kept busy, you will find something to fill it. However, what you decide to ingest and believe may not be profitable to your soul!

Even though I take time to rest and relax, I usually have a book in my hands.

As parents, we made sure that our kids were busy, and we knew with whom they were involved.

With our 3 sons, this was our pattern for keeping them busy:

*School

*Work with dad and grandpa

* Creative farm play- yep, that includes throwing dry manure bombs. LOL!

*Learning to drive equipment

 

* Going to friend’s homes and vice-versa-mom would transport

*Football, football, football

* Trips to my sister’s lake house.

*Church on Sundays

As I go into public elementary schools, I come across so many parent-less students. Parents are on drugs; moms are having multiple births by different men. Somewhere along the line, their minds were idle and they were hanging out with Bad! Blood! Perhaps their parents were extremely dysfunctional and were without morals, work ethic, or self-esteem. Often more than not a generation of poverty passes it onto the next.

Our Welfare/Free Money System is so abused. It’s disgusting when our taxes are paying for druggies, illegals, and those who won’t get off their butts and get a job!

OK, Sue will get off of her soapbox!

Take this to heart. Granny’s quote was not too far from reality! Whatever you put into your mind, will mold your character.

Sorry folks, some of you are not going to like this one! I was working yesterday at The County Prevention Table, at a local summer festival.

A mother came up to our table and began to explain that she had a blended family of 6 children. In front of the kids, she gave each one a role assignment:

*Number 1 was on an IEP and totally ADD.

*#2 was brilliant but very lazy.

* #3 had a mouth, was OCD, and reacted to everything.

*#4 was lazy and always bored.

*#’S 5 and 6 were yet too small to be judged.

After she left our table, the 2 of us working, looked at one another with our mouths agape! That is zero parenting in case you haven’t figured it out!

My mentally ill, very intelligent, yet uneducated father did it to the 4 siblings.

*My eldest sister was the hard -working overweight child. She sought perfection, and was our protector against him, when all hell would break loose.

*My second sister, God rest her soul, was the stupid one…back then there were no IEP’s!

*My brother, God rest his soul, was the king and God of the family, because he was the only boy. The girls were to kowtow.

*I was the baby, the hard -working worrywart, who sought perfection in every undertaking. I had to be the good girl. I had to get it right.

My Tom and I, My sister and brother-in-law, their son and his wife, all did the following:

• Kids were not left alone with nothing to do, as parents worked. THAT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!
• By the time the kids they were in Jr. High they were working, at camps, or deep into sports. Our boys were mowing the yard at 6 and driving a tractor at 8. They were given responsibilities. There was no time FOR AN IDLE MIND!

 

Oh you bet! We were all the meanest parents in the world. ! However, our 3 sons all have Masters Degrees in Ed. and are football coaches. My sister has two sons. One is a pilot for United, and the other is a Supervisor in Health Care. Our kids were kept busy, all the time. Our son and his wife are following the same pattern with our twin grandsons. Our kids never had a choice but to become successful. We taught them as youngsters, that education was a prime target to success,

They would be going to college in the future.

You know why Chinese children are advanced beyond ours? Here are the following reasons why:

*For 6 summers I taught a course for The Communicate Institute entitled, ”Effective Instruction.” It was based on the educational system of Dr. Harry Wong. Family is the most important feature in the Oriental System. You don’t have tons of fatherless children, and kids by multiple fathers. This is RAMPANT IN THE USA!

* Children are first, educated by their parents at home. Then they have to pass an assessment to enter K.

*The family meal is a daily occurrence….NON TECH!

I’m going to be reeling out some interesting articles in my section entitled, “The Storyteller.”

This section of writing, God has placed on my heart.

 

 

 

 

May God bring you good things to find, as He renews your mind? Soak your mind in The Word!

 

Love,

Granny