When I think of Maths at school I think of monotone men in dorky shirts and ties. I think of a class I could easily sleep through if allowed. I think of how little attention I payed. It was mind numbingly boring and I understood very little of it.
Move over to Art. I think of a teacher who was a bit of an outsider and a little unstable. Who sometimes did “art theory” with us when the inspiration overtook or when he felt guilty – about once a year. And the rest of the time? He was, well, not there for most of the class. This was the great part! I could grab a camera and go take photos for 2 hours. Or I could spend that time in the dark room, which I frequently did. Sometime I stayed at the long table and worked on drawing murals with other students. Sometimes I painted.
Can you see the difference? One was formal instruction in a completely non passionate format. The other was free reign, and ultimately, bliss for a creative person.
So what is it I’m saying? Children, young adults, and adults alike need time to figure stuff out for themselves. They need time to follow passions and interests, even if they don’t seem to lead anywhere. And if someone is not learning effectively, then the format may need to change.
Let me give an example. My 8 year old finds lessons from a writing or English textbook decidedly dull. But, left to her own devices, she is an avid story writer. One of her favourite past times currently is writing to pen friends. In essence, she can write for hours each day without opening a single textbook.
This is where the wonder of learning at home comes in. A child is not restricted by grades or timetables. If one of the children is immersed in an activity they love and they’re learning from it, why on earth would I stop them right in the middle of it and tell them they need to do something more important, more academic.
It is so important to me to not fall into the trap of holding “school at home”. Yes, I think it’s important that the children learn certain things but in the quest for knowledge we must never crush the joy of learning.
So, what is this book? A colouring book! But it’s more than that. It is a beautiful book of intricate and original designs. The author/ illustrator Johanna Basford has filled the pages with pictures inspired by the flora and fauna of her homeland, Scotland.
There are a few ways you could use the book. Firstly, as a special colouring book, secondly as a base for ideas for pictures of your own and thirdly, you could use it from a design perspective for things like embroidery, as Mary has done. If you take a moment to look at what Mary is doing you can see the potential for such wonderful designs!
To be honest, it is the sort of book that I am attracted to but would write off as a “too frivolous” buy. At around $16.40 it isn’t too extravagant, but unless you photocopy pages to use rather than colouring directly in the book, it is consumable.
My plan for the book is still a secret (at least from my children). It is sitting on top of a shelf as yet unseen by them. I will wait for the right moment – a day well spent, extra chores done or some other achievement and then allow a picture to be chosen to colour in with our best quality pencils. The picture can be dated and named. Gradually, the children will have these beautiful pictures to look back on and enjoy. (I think the little one will have to wait a while to have her turn š )
* If you purchase this book via this link you will be blessing me and my family with a small commission – a very valuable thing for a family of book lovers!
Lets start with DON’T:
*Don’t give your kids sweets or drinks in Mass. Ever. No food, no drink. Most Masses go for 45 minutes – 1 hour. They won’t starve or die of thirst in this time! They also won’t leave sticky finger marks, spills or distract other children. The church is not the place for food and drink.
*Don’t let them play with your phone or other gadgets. This is training them that they need to be entertained.
*Don’t allow other (often well meaning) church-goers to hold conversations with your children in the church. Politely explain to these people that you are happy to speak to them outside after Mass, but you are trying to teach your children to be silent in the church.
*Don’t let your children leave their seat. Children being allowed to run up and down the aisle or near the altar during Mass is something I find totally unacceptable. If they don’t comply they need to be taken out of the church into a quiet area where the Mass can still be heard. Don’t take them outside and let them play, that is counterproductive.
*Don’t allow your children to attend “Sunday School”. A child will never learn to sit still and be quiet if they are allowed to go out of the church 10 minutes into the Mass to do colouring in and often “soft” teachings. Keep them with you, where they belong.
Now for the DO’s:
*Do give your children a solid grounding of their faith at home so that they have some sort of understanding of what they are doing at Mass and why. Set a good example in the church – genuflect, whisper or be silent, move in a posture of respect. Children need to see faith in action.
*Do remind them of the rules before entering the church if necessary. Children need to know what is expected of them.
* Do reward them for good behaviour in the church. Suitable rewards for us are praise, a trip to the shop, a special outing etc.
*Do remove your child/ren from the church if they are misbehaving and refuse to stop. Don’t make this an easy way out, they are to stand or sit quietly somewhere as a punishment. If the child is crying or noisy I would take them out of earshot of the rest of the congregation but would never let them run and play. The idea is that you make the idea of being in the church more desirable than being stuck outside in punishment mode.
*Do allow them to take religious books into the church. If they start to get restless, this can be a welcome relief.
*Do sit right up the front! What? I hear you say- my kids are so naughty, we always sit down the back for a quick exit! Sitting near the front means they can see what is happening, feel more involved and are less likely to misbehave.
*Do sit between children who are misbehaving, however you can separate them. I often do this still as I see little developments and lack of concentration.
*Do, if at all possible (and I know for some it isn’t possible) have a helper. Whether it is your husband, a friend or relative it is so helpful to have someone else, especially if you need to take one child out and leave the others.
As you can probably tell, I have fairly strong feelings about how children should behave in Mass and I see parents constantly getting it wrong. For me, this is all a very necessary part of giving due respect, reverence and worship to our God who deserves the best from all His children.
“There is a proverb; a boy will keep the course he has begun; even when he grows old, he will not leave it”.
Proverbs 22:6
Questions? Ask away!
