Working Class Parenting: Motivation, Education and Inspiration For Parents

Growing up there was two distinctive toys a boy would have; Transformers or G.I. Joe’s. Some may want to add in Lego’s or Star Wars, but these two were my staple with G.I Joe being my toy of choice. I would scrape every penny and would cry, if needed, to get my hands on an action figure. Ten figures turned to fifty and fifty soon turned to 120. I would live vicariously through these guys. They had the coolest military outfits and the latest and greatest weapons. I would plan elaborate battles, buildings, bunkers and hand sown sand bags (no judging please). I would strategically place every soldier and its foe some where in the room. All poised for battle. I spent a many hours screaming, Goooo Joe (fist pump)! Not really, but you get the picture. To this day as a 37 year old father of two, one a ten year old boy, everything about me is a covert operation type play. Man hunt, paintball, air-soft, working out, etc. you could say, my toys reinforced a personality trait or help create one.

Every so often, especially during the holidays, it would benefit us to stop... reflect and be mindful of the season.Despite our best efforts and attempts, we seem to unwilling and almost hypnotically get pulled into the holiday rush. We only realize we have circum to the rush when we are in the mist of the hassle and bustle. Distractions, one of Working Class Parenting's greatest nemesis. However, despite all of this I find it no coincidence that people are more drawn to giving and more open to investing in ours during the Christmas season. It is as if the air is rich with the spirit of giving and love. Despite the distractions, there are clear moments, when we see the need of others and are complied to act. Almost as if we are instinctively drawn to surrender personal needs to see needs of others met. Could it be, that perhaps, the atmosphere is rich with spirit of Gods love? Maybe the air is still charged with the birth of Love in that lonely stable, maybe its coincidence, or cou

Guest post written by Jomary Schulz, 3 rd  grade public school teacher Today as I drove up to my Elementary School I took in the surroundings and viewed it a bit differently than I did last Friday when I had left and had not heard of the tragedy that happened in Connecticut. This morning as I drove up to park my car, on the radio I heard the brief discription of 2 of the children that lost their lives during the unspeakable last Friday. As I walked into my classroom this morning and got ready to unlock my door, I couldn't stop thinking about it all..... About the parents of my students mostly. Thinking about how everyday they send their child to school expecting to see them when they get out. I thought about the immense responsibility that is laid upon us as educators and classroom teachers. As I taught at school today I thought about the young lives sitting in front of me, each and everyone of them. How special they are to their parents, how special they are to our God, and ho

"...And seeing them...he cried, Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?".... God said, "I did do something. I made you." -Author Unknown As the families in Connecticut deal with the darkest day of their lives, let us be the light of Christ with our prayers and actions to help these families. and if you don't know what to do - Pray- Pray for comfort Pray for peace Pray for the Lord to surround these families with his love Always remember God did do something to help, he made you. Parents helping parents through insight, encouragement, and prayer.  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

Guest post from Amanda , former teacher and homeschool mom of two. There are approximately 2 millions students in the U.S. that are home schooled according to an article in A to Z Homes Cool .  In 2007, the number of homeschooled students was about 1.5 million, and from 850,000 in 1999 according to the U.S. Department of Education. This presents a continual rise in parents who are choosing the avenue of home schooling. Homeschooling was not even an option for me.  I even stated, “I will never home school!”  I am now in my fourth year and can’t imagine going back.  I remember spending whole summer beforehand looking for materials and curriculum.  Even as a private school teacher, I was a nervous wreck, thinking I couldn’t home school my two children (14 and 10 year old).  I will admit, home schooling is not for every family, but if you are thinking about taking the plunge, here are a few tips to help you in your first year.

Guest post written by Jomary Schulz, 3 rd  grade public school teacher As your child's Christmas Break slowly approaches it may be a good idea to begin thinking about how you will keep their minds engaged while out of school. Any length of time a child spends away from their normal, consistent, school schedule could be a "holiday recipe" for a learning gap to begin. Now granted, all kids will not suffer from a week to two weeks away from school, but their tendency to become lazy about problem solving or keeping their brains active is pretty normal for any child. Even before they fall into their habit of t.v. watching or video game playing vacation routine, get your children involved with the everyday family tasks that may involve a little problem solving. Here are some excellent way to get this kind of thinking going:

Eric Thomas delivers powerful message to fathers in "Thank God I'm Married Season 1 Episode 2".

Recently found a great article by none other than Focus on the Family on common fears parents share when teaching and sharing their faith with their children. In lue of our recent post on 10 Parenting Tips On Building Faith , we felt it would be a beneficial to share our find. We would like to thank Focus on the Family for their dedication to families and for this great post. Let's look at seven common faith worries parents face and why you don't have to feel overwhelmed by them. I'm not an expert on Christianity. Good! That means you'll be able to talk with your child in plain English, not theological jargon. If you don't quite grasp concepts like the Trinity and original sin, relax. Use a resource like FaithLaunch, which describes them as simply as possible so that you can do the same for your child. My own relationship with God isn't going too well. If you believe the basics — that we can receive forgiveness by placing our f

I read a great article by Bridget Doyle  of the Chicago Tribune on parents dealing with their children's Christmas gift expectations. In the piece many different parents give their tips and ideas on how to deal with this problem. On idea jumped out at me. It was from Tina Peterson, mother of 3, she gets a short wish lists from her kids with four items: one want, one need, one wear, one read. In the article she says, "I heard about the strategy a long time ago and thought it was excellent, "If you give too much, expectations are too high. The best thing you can do as a parent is not spoil your kids." And thats what she gets them 4 things and done. For so many families budgets are tight right now, don't be afraid to keep it simple. I would also put a limit on what you can spend on each item and tell the kids what that number is so they know the budget and keep their expectations in check. So if you want to try this remember

Every parent hopes their kids will turn out right. They pray that when their children leave the nest, they will be ready to face the world. And they hope that their kids will be equipped to stand strong in life's battles. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to successful parenting . . . no secret formulas to raising kids of strength and character. However, there are steps that can be taken to prepare our children for the challenges ahead. While the process of faith may be miraculous, it is not entirely mysterious. Jesus explained it in His parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23). Teaching received without understanding kills the yield. Faith with shallow roots withers and dies. Distractions, worries and desires for other things choke the Word. But one who hears the Word and understands it bears fruit.

Guest post written by Jomary Schulz, 3 rd  grade public school teacher Fostering the Love of Reading is a 5 part series posted on Mondays, it began on November 5, 2012. Part 5 - Middle and High school (Tween - Teen) Don't think that by the time your child gets into middle school or high school, that fostering the love of reading is not that important. It is as important if not more now than ever! Your child has developed habits about reading by now that may be good or bad. We want to continue to be an example of what a "life long learner" is like. And that is, never thinking that reading is no longer important. As a Tween or Teen begins the transition into adult hood reading can be a time for bonding between parent and child. There are many opportunities that can easily present themselves in our weekly schedules that will allow for this time together.  Here are some ways you can begin or continue to foster the love of reading in a Middle or High School child:

I have a soft spot in my heart for running stories. I am a runner, I have been able to get my wife to do a few races and this summer my daughter did her first 5k, so when I saw this video it really spoke to me. As a runner and a parent I try to show my daughter articles about kids over coming disabilities and obstacles to do something they love. I think children need to see their problems in prospective to what other people have to deal with. Not to demean their problems, but to inspire perseverance. These 2 videos do just that. Sami Stoner is a 16 year old high school senior who is legally blind and still runs cross-country with the help of her guide dog. Truly inspiring. Check out the video, and watch it with your kids. There are so many voices in this world telling kids they can't, they need to know that they can. This is a short 3 minute news video about Sami Stoner below, if you would like to learn more about her this  ESPN video  link is a 10 minute spot on her and her fa