Little Men - Louisa May Alcott

"Demi was one of the children who show plainly the effect of intelligent love and care, for soul and body worked harmoniously together.

The natural refinement which nothing but home influences can teach, gave him sweet and simple manners; his mother had cherished an innocent and loving heart in him; his father had watched over the physical growth of his body, and kept the litte body straight and strong on wholesome food and exercise and sleep, while Grandma March cultivated the little mind with tender wisdom of a modern day Pythagoras - not tasking it with long, hard lessons, parrot-learned, but helping it to unfod as naturally and beautifully as sun and dew help roses bloom.

He was not a perfect child, by any means, but his faults were of the better sort; and being early taught the secret of self-control, he was not left at the mercy of appetite and passions, as some poor little mortals are, and then punished for yielding to temptations against which they have no armour.

A quiet, quaint boy was Demi, serious yet cheery, quite unconscious that he was unusually bright and beautiful, yet quick to see and love intelligence or beauty in other children."

page 19 LITTLE MEN Louisa May Alcott

Melbourne 6th November 2010

Hello,

I will be speaking in Melborne on Saturday 6th November
10 am - 12 noon
$10 (includes morning tea)
Winner Hall
Arrow-on Swanston Building
488 Swanston Street
CARLTON VIC

please book through
sarah@lifeexpedition.org

It will be lovely to meet you there!

Daily

Nothing
has an impact
on kids
except
for what they do
daily.

- Ralph Winter

Adult or Child Life

I heard an interesting comment a few weeks ago.

A generation ago, families revolved around the needs and activites of the parents.

This generation, famlies revolve around the needs and activities of the children.

True or false?

Good or bad?

Positives and negatives of each ?

Food for thought.

Martin Luther

Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says,

'Alas! Must I rock the baby? wash its diapers? make its bed?

smell its stench? stay at nights with it?

take care of it when it cries? heal its rashes and sores?

and on top of that care for my spouse,

provide labor at my trade,

take care of this and take care of that?

do this and do that? and endure this and endure that?

Why should I make such a prisoner of myself?'

What then does Christian faith say to this?

It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant,

distasteful and despised duties in the spirit,

and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval

as with the costliest gold and jewels.

Its says, 'O God, I confess I am not worthy

to rock that little babe or wash its diapers,

or to be entrusted with the care of a child and its mother.

How is it that I without any merit

have come to this distinction of being certain

that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will?

Oh, how gladly will I do so.

Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised,

neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor

will distress me

for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.'"

--Martin Luther qtd. in The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot, p. 87

Redeeming Time

The weekend paper claimed that
90% of teenage boys and
75% of teenage girls
exceed the two hour daily recommendation of TV viewing time.

Add to that texting,
social networking pages,
computer games
and web surfing
and many hours per day are spent in non-real interactions.

How incredibly sad.

Forming healthy patterns in the toddler years,
of a balanced day,
of including time with others,
time outdoors
and time alone
in real pursuits
is more crucial than ever before.

Holidays filled with outdoor hobbies,
picnics and fun activities with other families
are an enjoyable and helpful aspect of this foundation.

Think ahead and see the importance
of what your 'everydayness' is planting for the future!

Free Books

Good morning!

It has been on my heart to donate some Terrific Toddler books

to those who may not be able to afford them.

Do you know a playgroup, mums group, church , school, course,

communinty that could benefit from them?

Please email me mel@terrifictoddlers.com.au

with details and a mailing address.

Enjoy the gift of this wonderful day!!