So, I've been doing some major pondering on what this coming school year will "look like" for our family.
I was reminded of an entry I wrote last year during our Freedom Project class...
What Did Their Mothers Know?
The Family Proclamation states, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” In the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary of the English Language, the word nurture is defined as:
noun - that which promotes growth; education; instruction
v.t. – to educate; to bring or train up
Who knew the stewardship of truly nurturing would be so all encompassing for mothers??
I have four boys (and a sweet little girl :). I love the idea of the key “Inspire, not Require.” I’ve heard that force trains followers, not leaders. But, to be a mother who truly inspires her children to become great is hard work! Good thing I love to work... I came hard-wired that way. Elder Christopherson recently said, “All honest work is the work of God.” I often think of women like Lucy Mack Smith, Margaret Walker Wythe, and the mothers of the 2060 Stripling Warriors. They raised great men who had a love of liberty and a great desire to serve God. So, what did their mothers know?
My son is 9. He is a thinker. He is a talker. He is a listener. He is a reader. He has a mission. One night, a few months ago, after reading about the gifts of the spirit in his scriptures, he was unable to sleep. We quietly sat together on the stairs next to his room and he said,
“Mom, I finally get it. Heavenly Father has blessed me with the gift of understanding.”
At a recent large family Christmas celebration, I caught a glimpse of my son standing in the center of numerous adults including his Great Grandmother and two of his Grandma’s brothers, one of which was his learned Uncle John. My son was fluidly speaking for a considerable amount of time and all adult ears were intently listening. A few minutes later, Uncle John approached me, put his hand softly on my shoulder and with a tender voice and tears in his eyes, he proceeded to share the experience he just witnessed as my son spoke. Uncle John recalled the information that was passionately shared about love of freedom, gratitude for George Washington’s sacrifice and leadership during the Revolutionary War and of his understanding that many men had to die in order to create a free land and for God to do His work. My son also shared the importance of Abraham Lincoln’s mission and the men who sacrificed during the Civil War so that many of God’s children could be free of slavery. Uncle John’s tender voice cracked as he said, “I had an overwhelming sense that this must have been what it was like to listen to the boy Jesus, confounding the learned with his pure spirit and understanding.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once stated, “When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?..”
So, what did their mothers know? I like to think they knew their children had a mission. My children have a mission. As we create an environment of self-governance and love of liberty within the four walls of our homes, our children will become great men and women, our communities will be strengthened and our liberty will be preserved.
Ideas are still rolling around in my head and I hope to solidify them soon! :)
But, in the mean time, the kids and I have created an Exploring Room! (It's our same old "school room" we created years ago, but with a fun twist for the hot summer afternoons)
What are we exploring each afternoon?
1. Classics
I love Heather Burton's definition of a classic: "A work or experience worth returning to again and again because each time we do, it deepens us and leads us to be more of what we hope and need to be."
We just finished exploring the Secret Garden and Misselthwaite with Mary, Dickon, Ben Weatherstaff, and Colin. We pondered and discussed the transformation of character in Mary and Colin as the story unfolded, which prompted a discussion about our own assumptions and attitudes about ourselves and others :)
We just started Little Women...
2. Geography
Through Literature, Biographies, and Lewis and Clark, of course!
Some of our favorite Classics we've read over the years and are considering reading again:
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnette
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Motgomery
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnette
Carry On, Mr Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
