Generation Clean

One summer day I was sitting on the back porch with my then toddler son. He was standing next to a large empty hammock and was pushing it back and forth. The momentum was increasing and I was worried that it would eventually come back too fast and knock him over. I said to him, “be careful sweetie.” He continued to push the hammock. I said to him again with more concern, “be careful!” He looked at me with a puzzled face and asked, “What is careful?” I realized that I had not made it clear what I really wanted. I had not talked to him about what was worrying me. My saying, “be careful” meant nothing to him. I think about this a lot when I find myself speaking in generalities and admonishing my kids to “be careful” online, or “be good.” Being specific is an essential part of teaching children how to analyze a situation and make a decision on what they should do about it. We need to teach them what it means to be careful, good, or bad.  The ultimate goal is to teach our c...

They are a blessing and a curse. Screens everywhere: phones, tablets, games, televisions, and computers. Many things we find on them are good, clean, and fun. However, kids are able to find trouble or stumble across things that are not good for them too. As interactions with electronic devices increase, so does the risk of exposure to the trash that is floating around out there as well. There are numerous ways kids can see inappropriate things. Unfortunately, much of it is inappropriate for adults as well. It can seem so overwhelming- like there is no way to have control over what they find. Here are some ways that we deal with it in our family. We have only one computer in the house which is out in our main living area. We also only have one television in our house. I know, it’s shocking. It has always been very important to us that our kids be out where we can see them and not holed up in their rooms watching who-knows-what. But it’s getting harder to keep that up. ...

I have a friend named Marilyn who is a professional story teller. I think that is just about the coolest job there is. She has such a talent. I believe it is a real blessing to be able to tell a story that is meaningful, interesting, imaginative, and teaches something. Entertainment is often noisy and visually over-stimulating, so it is a relief to quietly sit and listen to a story being told or read. And if there is beautiful artwork to go with it, that makes it even better!  Marilyn recommended that I look at  Barefoot Books , and I'm so glad she recommended it!   The next time I'm in Massachusetts I would love to go experience their studio with my kids. Their website is wonderful, and even offers podcasts featuring some of their stories, which are great for older children who are able to focus a little more and use their imaginations to create the pictures in their heads. For younger children, there are also some fun videos featuring book illustrations and so...