Do you ever feel LOST?

Do you ever just feel LOST when it comes your child's interests? 

Boy I do! 

In recent years we've gone through Skateboarding, BMX biking, Minecraft, Xbox, Playstation, Painting, and now Photography...

Gone are the days when he would he turned to ME for all the answers. Now I find myself turning to him most days. 

When did these roles change? 

When did Google become my new best friend when it comes to just carrying on a conversation with my son?

Well I am choosing to embrace this season in my life. To stretch myself in areas I never thought I would. You'd think with a boy, I might have had an idea about a few of these, but things are so much more technical these days. It's not JUST riding a bike... 

...it's gears and bearings and grips OH MY!

I encourage you to jump right in there with your children. Get some grease on you hands, paint under your fingernails and learn a few terms that you'll NEVER use in conversation with your peers.

Your kids will love you for it and you'll have spent some truly precious time watching them learn about things they are passionate about if even for just a month or two (as is often the case in my home).

Where are your manners?

This is my Braydon! I talk about him often on here because... well, let's face it... my world revolves around him. LOL 

 

He's handsome,

 goofy,

 ornery,

 and down right silly!

And I am steady finding these random streams of photos in my phone that he took when I wasn't looking! These are just a few, I promise there are TONS!

Well, this post is not a run down of ALL his attributes, today I just wanna talk about one... his manners. Particularly his manners in public. I have always had very high expectations for how he interacts with adults, whether they be people he knows, or perfect strangers. One thing he is ALWAYS doing is holding the door for people. Many times I will get all the way to the car before I realize he is still holding the door open for droves of patrons as they file in an out of an establishment. 

NOTE: This is where I will be climbing onto my soapbox and it will very likely not be pretty, so I will understand if you need to turn away...

First of all let me say my sweet little boy has been raised not to expect anything in return for his kind gestures. He knows that manners are not an option in this house AND that he was created in the image of his Lord. That kindness to strangers is a terrific way to show them God's love. So, this rant is really for my sake more than his!

I watch him there, smiling sweetly as he selflessly stands there holding the door for as long as he's needed, never complaining or groaning at the endless masses of people who move past him as if he's not even there. I watch as these people shuffle by without so much as a thank you. Our world today had become such a selfish place, where people are in too much of a hurry to politely comment to an 11 year old boy who is so excited to be of service.

I watch all of this and I pray for my son. I pray that he doesn't become as jaded to the kindnesses of the world as the people who pass him by with no regard. I pray that he doesn't grow weary of serving others. I pray that his sweet spirit will not be broken by the carelessness of the world around him!

So, as I shake my virtual finger at those of you who forget to encourage our youth, I ask for you to be more aware! Pay more attention to the children around you and tell them when they've done a good job! Pat them on the back and thank them... OFTEN!

Helping Hands at Home Review

Well here it is... my first review of 2013 for Gabby Moms!

 

Helping Hands at Home

by Mrs. Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement

This eBook was such a fun read. In typical Lorrie Flem fashion, it was down to earth, to the point and full of her special spirit. Lorrie and I live two completely different lives but her products always have a way of connecting with me right where I am!

This eBook is a terrific "how-to" about getting your kids involved in keeping your kitchen and bathroom clean. Lorrie breaks the approach down into three easy steps.
These steps are clear and concise and relate to just about every family, big or small.
The first step is my favorite as it is all about motivation. As a mom, I often forget that MY attitude sets the mood for the whole family. This eBook offered me a nice reminder about attitude and even ways to implement it and benefit from it.

Not only does this book break out three steps of how to get your children involved, but it also provides detailed descriptions of each cleaning step and how to instruct your child in every area. These instructions are given for both the kitchen an bath!

Lorrie also provides the reader with recipes for homemade cleansers and soaps. This is especially nice for the frugal mom. She even breaks out the price of store bought laundry soap versus the price of homemade to help you better understand your choice.

This product was especially helpful for me, as I have been struggling with a broken arm that recently required surgery. I have needed the help from my son over the last few months, and this book gave me the tools to get him started in a way I could teach and he could understand.

Helping Hands at Home is on sale right now for the Kindle for only $.99 at Amazon, so there's no reason not to go grab it!
I promise you that once you read something Lorrie has written you will become fast friends with all her products!

**Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for a fair review through the Gabby Moms Program.

I hope you enjoy this review and will add my blog to your Google Reader or subscribe to the RSS feed to receive reviews in the coming months.