Halloween

In my opinion, Halloween is not a very good thing for children. To offset the witchcraft and concentration on death, many of the churches in the Sierra Vista area are having the children come to the church or even to certain homes for a game and party and goodies. That is a much safer way to spend the evening. Shiloh Christian Ministries is hosting the Festival of the Father of Lights. There are at least 5 homes in the different areas of Sierra Vista where there will be games, and goodies and non-Halloween fun. No Halloween costumes are necessary, saving time and money. If you are interested you may call Pastor Atticus Register, who is the coordinator of the home parties, to see where you might want to take your children. His number is (425) 508-7634.

As an educator, I like to warn parents that the day after this particular holiday, it can be expected that children might be hyperactive, sick, unable to concentrate or stay as focused as they should. Be forewarned and limit the candy and sweets and be lenient on homework, if you are going to allow a lot of sugar and color-coated goodies.

Many decades ago, Halloween seemed to be a harmless time to “trick or treat”. Times have changed and with them we must also change. Yes, I even remember doing some humorous and harmless pranks. Today, even those harmless pranks could bring on a lawsuit.

On a more positive note, we are coming up to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukah, which are very heart-warming holidays and can become very educational.

The Value of Breaking Old Habits to Form New Ones

My wife passed away June 16, 2018, and I miss her very much, but life goes on. A few weeks ago, I set about clearing out our closets and bathrooms of items no longer being used. I was able to bless our grandchildren and nieces and give them everything from shoes and clothes to jewelry and bathroom items which had belonged to my wife.

I am alone now and have more space in both the closets and the master bathroom. The illustration I am about to give might seem a bit silly, but I think it carries with it a very good point. You see, I have been keeping my toothpaste and toothbrush in a drawer next to the sink. Well, I decided to place them, now, into a nice small vase, just the right size on top of the sink counter.

It has been at least 3 weeks since I made the change. I brush my teeth three times each day by habit. However, to date, every single time, I still forget and open the drawer to get the toothpaste and toothbrush which, of course, is no longer there. It has finally occurred to me that to form a new habit, I must focus on also breaking the old habit.

When children come to our learning center, most of them have incorrect or non-existent cursive handwriting. I have found that, generally, it takes two to three weeks to break their poor penmanship habits and build the new habit of excellence and correctness. Part of the problem is not having received the best training in the past, but it is also true that there needs to be a purposeful desire to break the old habit while building a new one. This thought process is true, no matter what type of habit needs to be reordered.

Focusing on old patterns will always keep us in that mold. Focusing on the new should carry with it the desire for advancement and improvement. It is illustrated often with bank tellers being trained to see the correct currency bills so that they will easily recognize the counterfeit. The apostle Paul in his letter to his friends in Philippi used this illustration:

“And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.” Philippians 4:8

“Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.” Dr Anil Kumar Sinha

3 Superstar Tips for Starting the School Year Off Right

Whether we like it or not, the new school year is quickly approaching. Before long, our worlds will become a flash of paper, pencils, and backpacks.  We'll be racing to the bus stop, zipping our kids to and from activities, and plowing through homework.

Life moves quickly during the school year. It's busy.  It doesn't slow down, and there's no rest for the weary.
So before we start this wild ride, it's worth mentioning that as families, we really should set the stage for school year success from day one.   And we can.
Here are three superstar tips for starting the school year off right. Three tips that will hopefully guide your family into good habits which will lead to strong students and happy parents.
1.  Find a place for everything.  From the time kids leave the house in the morning until the time they rest their tired little heads on their pillows, they need to know where every single shoe, lunchbox, backpack, and school paper belongs.  Find and clearly label "homes" for each item, and reinforce from the outset that each child is responsible for putting everything in its place. If, when kids come home, they place their coats, hats, and shoes in the same place and hang their backpacks on the very same hook and place their lunchboxes on the very same countertop, the likelihood of anything being lost lessens.  And goodness knows that not being able to locate one of these items on a school morning means chaos. Especially if you're running late (which we usually are).

2.  Form school-happy habits.  From day one, start a routine that is both conducive to an "early to bed and early to rise" life and manageable for your family.  
Consider:•    Packing backpacks and lunches the night before a school day.•    Setting clothes out in the evening for the next day.•    Having children get dressed for the day before they eat breakfast so that they're ready to roll as soon as they eat.•    Doing homework together, as a family, at the same time each day.•    Starting homework right after school or right after dinner so there's enough time to complete it.•    Looking at the next day's schedule while everyone's together at dinner or bedtime.•    Creating a "head to bed" time that will be reinforced every night by every family member. This will initiate the bedtime routine and move everyone to shower, get pj's on, read, and hit the sack.
3.  Communicate early and often.  And with every involved party: your kids, the teachers, administrators, specialists, friends, parents -- you name it. Talk to them. And be willing to listen to them as well.
Write each teacher a quick email early in the first month of school introducing yourself and sharing your excitement for the new year. Ask how you can help support him or her from home or in the classroom. If your schedule allows, find time to volunteer in the class as often as possible.
Connect with other parents. Talk to them about how they think the year is going, and make an effort to maintain a positive outlook.   Set up play dates for your child with his or her friends and, before or after these play dates, chat with parents.
Talk to your children each and every day. Keep in mind, talking to them is listening to them, too.  Ask questions but be willing to hear the answers.  
School is such an important time for children—and a great time for families to support each other. Let's make this school year a success from the beginning!

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/3-superstar-tips-starting-school-year-right.html

Happy Father's Day!

Ancient Hebrew word pictures describe the father as the

strength of the home. I have observed over the years in my work and with my own family that strong, loving, and reliable fathers raise strong, loving, and reliable sons and daughters. Mothers nurture their children and are intuitively connected to them throughout their life. However, it is the father whose touch and direction bring worth to the individual.

As a child, my mother always looked forward to family prayer and Bible times at the end of the day, because afterwards her father would five each of his children a hug. That simple connection let her know that she was loved and important.

This Father's Day, if you are a dad, be the strength of your home to your family. If you are the son or daughter, find ways to let your father know you do not hold anything against him. If possible, reach out to him with a hug. Tell him at least one thing you admire about him. It could bring a change in both of your lives.