Book Review: Before I Dream Bedtime Bible Storybook

Review: Before I Dream Betime Bible Storybook by Karyn Henley

As we await little A's arrival, we have been reading a bedtime story each night. Yes, I read to my belly, and yes, he sometimes seems to respond. Recently we finished reading Karyn Henley's Before I Dream Bedtime Bible Storybook. I bought this book at an Abilene Educational Supply booksale and got the copy that came with a CD of music. The same issue with CD can be found on Amazon for about $50. You might try second-hand bookstores or Christian bookstore's clearance racks for a better deal. Tyndale gives it a retail value of $15, but it is currently out of print.

That being said, keep your eyes out for this book at any second-hand sales or your church's library! I loved reading through this book. It covers a variety of stories from the Old and New Testament, some children's classics such as Noah and David and Goliath, but also some lesser heard stories such as Samuel and Saul. A's favorite seemed to be the couple with Solomon.

Ms. Henley describes her purpose for the book as sending kids off to sleep with positive images in their minds. She does just that. Even when some of the more gritty stories are included, they are tastefully made child-friendly. There is plenty of onomatopoeia ("clip-clop, clip-clop" "whoosh") in the stories to help the reader and listener get into the spirit of things a bit more. Each story also has at least one illustration, and some have full page art.

Overall, this was a great book and I would highly recommend scooping it up if you find a copy!

Five Educational Toys You Already Own

Educational toys seem to the be the big thing for awhile now. People shell out large sums of money for toys that are supposed to make their kids "smarter." Well, here are some toys that you already have, or can make very cheaply to help your little one develop important motor and cognitive skills.

1. Paper and crayons/pens/markers/pencils/chalk. This cannot be understated. The act of drawing not only helps a child learn important motor skills for penmanship, but it also engages both sides of the brain. Most of us can see how the act of creating an image helps the creative half of the brain. However, it also helps the analytical. The logical, analytical brain is figuring out dimensions, shapes, lines, and proportion. It learns that if it wants everything on one page it has to space it right. Some research also suggests that allowing children to free draw then talk about their drawings encourages communication and social skills, as well as helps to develop emotional intelligence and self-reflection.
2. Wooden spoons. Most of us have a few of these at home. Buy a cheap pair just for play or give your little ones older ones that have been washed (be sure to check that they aren't splintering). Wooden spoons can be used to teach motor skills by using them as bats or hockey sticks and hitting soft balls around the room. They can also teach rhyme and basic math/counting skills by using them as rhythm sticks. If you have a large number of spoons/forks/spatulas you can use them to teach sorting, counting, and even early division skills.
3. A Sheet or Towel. These can be used to teach basic math skills such as fractions. (Fold the sheet in half, then in half again. Now you have fourths.) These are also great at teaching deductive skills and visualization skills. Place a favorite toy or common household item under a thin sheet or blanket. Have your child feel the item and guess as to what it is. You can also give simple clues such as color or use. This is an important cognitive skill that helps with problem solving and creative processes.
4. Family Photo Albums. Use your family albums to teach a variety of topics and skills. The topics you can teach are as varied as your photos. Teach about seasons, families, religious events, geography, history, the possibilities are endless. You can also use your family photos to tell stories and teach sequencing. Put photos together and make your own story book. Kids love to hear about people they know. How neat would be to hear of the story of how Grandpa defeated the evil army to come home and marry Princess Grandma? You can also have your child tell you the story of the photo. Have them come up with the craziest possible story behind that photo of you and your roommate from college. This type of storytelling not only focuses on creative skills, but on emotional intelligence, social skills, and empathy.

But wait, I said five educational toys, didn't I? The last educational toy is certainly not least. In fact, the most important educational toy you already own is your brain. You don't need a computer game or dancing doll to teach your child their ABC's, just sing it with them. They don't need to watch special programing on television or have a collection of made-for-babies DVDs. Go for a walk with them and point to things and name them. Then have your child spell T-R-E-E and B-I-R-D and F-L-O-W-E-R. Soon you can have them counting the trees and telling you the types, what season they bloom in, what fruit or nuts they make. And you know what? All it costs is your time. 

I know we are all very busy people, but if you really want your baby to be a genius or straight-A student, they don't need special books or learning programs. They need you. Get into the habit of seeing every moment as a learning experience and play with your kids. Your son may not solve all the mysteries of String Theory, but he just might turn out to be one pretty awesome kid.

I know that kid!

The father in this video is a guy I went to school and church with in middle and high school. This was their way of helping their daughter remember her daddy while he was deployed. They happened to put it on YouTube to share with friends and it became rather popular. If you need a tearjerker, here you go:

Seven Simple Truths I Learned Teaching Sunday School

I help teach our Kindergarten class on Sunday mornings. Our current class averages about 15-23 kids. This is my third class at this church, and they've taught me a lot.

1. Thank God for everything... In one class we let the kids say a prayer for what they were thankful for and one little boy was thankful for food. "Thank you God for all our food, our ice cream, and our carrots." I don't know that I've ever thanked God for carrots or ice cream, but perhaps I should.
2. The Bible is an unbelievable story... It's never the same story, but there's always a point in which one  kid will let out a good, "no way!" I think it's important to remember the awe that these stories inspired in us the first time we heard them. 
3. Praise twice as often as you punish... I've studied parenting and education through out both degrees, but the one thing that could never be stressed enough is that children thrive on praise and perish when overly punished. Yes, kids need to be disciplined in order to learn proper behavior, but I've noticed that we get much better behavior when focused on positive reinforcement of good behavior than discipline of negative behavior. We recently started giving stickers out for exceptional behavior, and I'm making a point of thanking kids for sharing, helping, and listening, and I have seen a huge change in their behavior.
4. Childlike faith may be simple, but it is real... God is so real to these kids. They don't even think to question if it's just a story or why other people don't believe the same way. God is real and He lives in heaven. Jesus is His son and died on the cross and rose again. And when you pray, God listens. The simple belief of these kids is amazing and wonderful.
5. The kids are watching you... I've seen little kids (five and six) say and act like 40 year olds, and there's only one place they're learning that: from what they see. This can be both good and bad. One little girl was the spitting image of her grandmother and she sat next to a crying child and patted his shoulder. Another group of little girls emulated their fashionista mommas as they stood in a circle and discussed how another little girl's shoes were "ugly" and "not cool." Good or bad, your children will follow in your footsteps.
6. They learn what to expect... Most of the class knows to get their name tag now. They know when it's about time to clean up, and they know what the bell means. They also know whether to show Mom and Dad their picture because they will be excited, or just hand it to them because they won't say anything. (I don't mean to rag on parents. Many of our parents are great, but it breaks my heart when kids are so excited to show their parents their balloon sheep, but then Mom's too busy to notice.)
7. Simple truths are best... Our recent lessons on baptism have been kind of hit or miss. Our lessons are written out for us and we do our best with them, but the baptism lessons were a bit above their level. Cleaning on the inside versus the outside is a bit hard for a Kindergartener, but Jesus is the Lamb of God went amazingly well. People call Jesus "the Lamb of God". Kids can get that. They get that John the Baptist was weird and ate bugs. False prophets and spiritual purity are a bit tougher.

I love teaching my Kindergarteners. It's so amazing to see that little seed of faith grow just a little bit bigger each week. I've even found some amazing role models in the parents whom I can see are making active efforts towards growing their children's faith. 

Childless in Church

This is something that's been weighing on my heart for a long time now, and I thought I'd go ahead and put it out there. There is very little space for childless couples in our churches. You go from the college or singles ministry to young marrieds, but young marrieds are expected to have children. After all, most of the class likely has young children or is trying to have children. So what about those who choose to wait? Or even those who didn't get to make that choice?

Philip and I have been married for four years (the exact time can be found on the counter to the right). We chose not to have children while I finished school, and now we wait for medical clearance before we revisit that plan. There's a lady in my Bible study who has also been married four years, and she has three children. In fact, I am the only one in my Bible study who does not have kids. There's a good portion of our class that I cannot contribute to simply because I have yet to have children. The first week of our class even focused on raising children (we're studying Beth Moore's To Live Is Christ). While I found the lessons important not only for my future, but also for my work in children's ministry, I felt a bit out of place.

Then there's the expectations of those in the church. One lady asked me how I was and when I responded with "Good, just a little tired" she assumed I had young children who kept me up. I laughed it off and told her it was just the cat waking me in the morning, but she quickly ended the conversation and moved on to talking with another lady nearby about her children.

Isolated incident, I know. And I know this woman meant no wrong. She simply didn't know what to say next. However, she's not the only one with the assumption of children on her mind, and to be quite frank, it's my Christian friends who are the worse at this.

Only the closest of our non-Christian friends have asked about our plans for children. But everyone I meet at church seems to expect that we have kids. What's worse is the look you get when you tell someone that kids are still a ways away. It's almost like you have three heads. "What do you mean you don't want to get pregnant on your honeymoon? Don't you know children are a blessing from God?"

Yes, children are a blessing, but no, we aren't seeking that blessing just yet.

What breaks my heart is that while I have made a point of being involved in my church despite feeling like the odd one out, I know there are many who have not. I know that there are many hurting women who feel as if they don't quite belong to their churches because they have yet to birth children. And I know that the people who have hurt them had no idea what pain their words and looks could cause.

Here's my challenge to you. If you are blessed to be a parent in our churches, be kind and considerate to those who have chosen, or have come to accept, not having children just yet.

If you are one of the childless in our churches, please stick it out. Find a way to get involved. Use your great mothering skills to support your children's ministry. Use your time to support those around you. And please, be patient with the well-intended words of others.

Thursday Funny!

It's almost the weekend! Enjoy a little humor to brighten your day!

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