FAMILY EXPECTATIONS

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS

My consultant and web designer, Valerie, says I need the reader to get to know me, and you can’t get to know me without knowing my family. I got permission from them to post pictures. The stories I tell may get pulled at a later date, but I’ve heard it’s easier to give an apology than get permission.

Here’s a long Grammie Rant and some parenting tips.

Be proactive in raising your children.

When the my girls, Stephanie, Amanda, and Melissa, were growing up, my constant reminder was for them to be a lady. Expectations of behavior were set high and exact ways of proper behavior were explained. “Sit like a lady!” “Ladies don’t do that.” “Would a lady act that way?”

In my Sgt. Slaughter persona, I would reiterate my expectations. The ‘try it again’ mantra I used for piano practice and the constant reminders to be a lady allowed for mistakes to made and actions to be improved upon.

This picture shows the truth of it. In case the writing around the girls isn’t legible, it says, “I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn’t last long.” There were things that were allowed and considered funny at home that were frowned on in public. Don’t ask – you can guess. My friend, Belva, gave wise words. “What you do at home is the practice field. What you do in public is the game.”

Work at family identification. “Remember you are a Huddleston girl!” was our often-repeated chant. As a dean’s daughter, each girl knew she needed to toe the line. The only referral one ever got was for inadvertently parking in the teacher’s lot.

Missy, my youngest, probably deserved a detention or two. When she was called into an empty classroom and challenged on the length of her dress, she demonstrated the fingertip rule was in compliance and let the teacher know in no uncertain terms that he’d better back off or there would be consequences. She challenged a teacher in front of a class about the woman’s poor teaching and got away with it because she was right! Is it a wonder that she is my little crusader for the unborn?

Corrections were made. With the Good Lord’s help and plenty of nagging, we raised three lovely ladies who are raising their own children to not only be ladies and gentlemen, but also godly young people who know how to think and find Truth.

Here’s a bunny trail. When using the word godly, did you know the small case ‘g’ is used for people? God gets the capital ‘G’, for only He is Godly. I learned that writing rule last year.

Back to the subject with a connected detour – I didn’t let my kids say, ‘holy cow’ or the like. Only God is Holy.

The girls and their husbands are establishing their own families with family mission statements, signature Bible verses, and steady times of Bible study and church attendance.

Back in the day, I loved the saying, “Give the child a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a child to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” I taught them to sew, and Ronald displayed a great work ethic that they have followed. Thankfully, my girls take after Ronald when it comes to their cooking skills!

(They get their silliness from their daddy!)

We appreciate the many teachers who poured into our children’s lives at school, church, and in private lessons. But please don’t leave the educational community to teach values and Truth. That is the parents’ job!

The question is, what kind of seeds are you, as a parent, sowing that will produce fruitful children?

Though there are many verses about children in the Bible, I want to share Hebrews 12:11. Discipline doesn’t seem pleasant at the time (for the child or the parent). Later it will result in a ‘harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.’ NIV

There you have it folks!

Blessings on you and your family.

                Kara Beth