photo by dawnzy
It can be easy during the lazy days of summer to fall lax on our commitment to connect with our children. The family routine goes on vacation just as much as the school routine does. It is very, very important to diligently strive to keep the lines of communication open with our children. You just never know when the perfect opportunity for witnessing our faith will come up.
Here’s a recent string of conversations I had while my daughter and son were helping do yard chores with me to illustrate that point.
Me: You know what I’m most thankful for right now?
James: What?
Me: Shade.
James: Yep.
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod in her ears)
Me: Rachel?
Dog: whine, whine, whine
James: Is there any gas in this thing?
Me: You’re supposed to check that before you start.
James: Yeah.
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod still in her ears)
Me: Rachel, that’s not a weed, that’s a flower.
Rachel: (iPod still in ears)
James: Die, mosquito, die!
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod firmly in ears)
Me: Rachel, will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: What?
Me: Will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: (Taking one earplug out) What?
Me: Will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: (Taking the other earplug out) What?
Me: Will - you - weed - by - the - front - porch?!
Me: James, the side over here needs to be cut. We can be good neighbors and do part of their yard.
James: (Coming back outside after making it halfway in the house because he thought he was done; grumbling heard under his breath)
Rachel: How much longer do we have to work?
Me: (Invoking my God-ordained authority) Until we’re done.
(Do your children hate that answer as much as mine?)
Okay, so the subject of the Gospel didn’t come up, and my children need a little more character training in work ethic around the house, and working together doing yard chores probably didn’t rank up there with going to the amusement park or something. But, we keep working at it until those moments open up and we connect in a vivid, deep, exciting way. They’ll happen if we keep creating the opportunities.
Here’s a recent string of conversations I had while my daughter and son were helping do yard chores with me to illustrate that point.
Me: You know what I’m most thankful for right now?
James: What?
Me: Shade.
James: Yep.
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod in her ears)
Me: Rachel?
Dog: whine, whine, whine
James: Is there any gas in this thing?
Me: You’re supposed to check that before you start.
James: Yeah.
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod still in her ears)
Me: Rachel, that’s not a weed, that’s a flower.
Rachel: (iPod still in ears)
James: Die, mosquito, die!
Me: Rachel?
Rachel: (iPod firmly in ears)
Me: Rachel, will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: What?
Me: Will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: (Taking one earplug out) What?
Me: Will you weed by the front porch?
Rachel: (Taking the other earplug out) What?
Me: Will - you - weed - by - the - front - porch?!
Me: James, the side over here needs to be cut. We can be good neighbors and do part of their yard.
James: (Coming back outside after making it halfway in the house because he thought he was done; grumbling heard under his breath)
Rachel: How much longer do we have to work?
Me: (Invoking my God-ordained authority) Until we’re done.
(Do your children hate that answer as much as mine?)
Okay, so the subject of the Gospel didn’t come up, and my children need a little more character training in work ethic around the house, and working together doing yard chores probably didn’t rank up there with going to the amusement park or something. But, we keep working at it until those moments open up and we connect in a vivid, deep, exciting way. They’ll happen if we keep creating the opportunities.
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