Dear MOPS Friends,
We missed each of you last
Thursday and hope that you are all well, and will join us again at our next
meeting on Thursday, April 25th.
Judy Carter opened our meeting
with her special devotional that centered on the verse from
Proverbs 3:6:
In all your
ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
As many of us
are beginning to experience, the spring time for moms is a busy, busy
time. Our motherly duties center around our child(ren) and their many
activities and commitments, and then as a wife, we have our homes and husbands
that also require care and attention. We may at times feel overwhelmed,
with cluttered lives, half done lists complete, but in our every day
“busyness,” does God exist on our list? We must put him on top of our
list, and NEVER MARK HIM OFF. If we keep him on top, he will keep us
moving in a straight path. Our focus will turn to him and he will keep us
on track and on target. Ask his spirit to GUIDE and ORGANIZE you. How do
we communicate with God throughout the day? Through prayer…continuously,
an open and ongoing conversation.
1
Thessalonians 5:17
Pray
continually
We were so
honored to have Mrs. Sue Johnson join us and lead a wonderful presentation on
“Getting Your Child Ready for School.” Mrs. Johnson spent 33 years at
Grace Community School, teaching in various grade levels, and spent the last 13
years as the school’s principle. In a moment of honesty, Mrs. Johnson
indicated Kindergarten was her favorite class to teach as the children were
“untouched by the baker’s hands!” Her talk was mostly in two parts.
She focused on two areas that were paramount in preparing our children for
school…Character areas and Academic areas.
1. WE,
as mothers, will homeschool our child for FIVE YEARS! Yes, we may not
know it but we are! We have them with us for their most formative years,
and they are LEARNING from us. From birth to age 5, we are providing
their foundation for formal education. YOU are your child’s MOST
significant teacher in his/her life!
2. CHARACTER
AREAS…His Heart…Who He Is--- is much more important than what he knows!
a. Respect
for Authority (obedience)and Respect for Others (getting along)
i.
You, as the mother, must establish authority
with your child (ren); the teacher CANNOT do this for you!
ii.
You, as the mother, have to be concrete about
obedience. Your child must listen and do what you ask in a manner that is
thorough, immediate, and done with a smile/good attitude.
iii.
Ephesians 6:1—Children, obey your parents.
It is the ONLY command in The Bible directed to children.
b. Ability
to Listen and follow directions and Concentrate
i.
Scholl is all about listening and
concentrating…”give me your eyes.” Train your children to look at you,
show them you are listening.
ii.
Don’t ask or say it more than once
iii.
Check and see if they do what they said they
would do
iv.
Concentration requires them to pay attention for
an extended period of time; let them stick with it! The reward will
be great whey they try and succeed! BUILD MARGIN into your life to help
them accomplish tasks (putting on clothes, shoes, etc…we are always so rushed,
but take your time with these few things!)
3. ACADEMIC
AREAS…His Head…What He Knows. Your child can be smart in OTHER ways
besides, reading, writing and arithmetic! Find out what he is good at,
and recognize/maximize his strengths! And they DO NOT have to be good at
everyting!
a. READIN’
i.
It is SO IMPORTANT to read to your
children! Help them to love the written word.
ii.
Don’t try to teach them to read. Get them
READY to read by saying the words together, and having them understand them
(comprehension). Also building their vocabulary helps with reading
b. ‘Rithmetic
i.
Counting is essential. They need to learn
how to count to 100
ii.
Just make it fun! Count objects out
loud. Avoid doing too many workbooks at home, they may get sick of it
when they start school.
iii.
They should know their telephone number and
address by the time they enter kindergarten.
It was a
wonderful presentation, and gave many of us insight and practical skills to
help our children prepare for school!
Lastly, FALL
registration has begun. Please find attached a registration form for the
new year, and a MOPPETS registration form if you will be using childcare.
Please remember to complete your registration form, AND bring in $25 for MOPS
International (cash or check, made payable to “Marvin MOPS”) to the next
meeting. We need BOTH your complete form and dues to secure your
registration and spot in our group. We hope you will join us for
another great year together!
Debra Bochow
