As a parent of three and a follower of Christ, instilling the virtues of Christ is one of our top priorities as parents. However, how we do it, is easier said then done. There are many ways to try to teach our kids these virtues but many times we fail because we try to do it the "adult" way.
If we come to the kids eye level, how do they learn? By doing, by having fun, by engaging them instead of lecturing them.
Ms. Courtney DeFeo book is exactly that. As a mother of two, through her own experiences and observations, her book is about teaching our kids the Godly virtues by having fun with our kids.
She shared her own personal journey in getting to this point and understanding what's the best way for her kids to learn.
She takes the twelve virtues of Joy, Love, Forgiveness, Faith, Patience, Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility, Service, Humility, Gratitude and Generosity and breaks them up into twelve chapters full of actitives and short lesson.
She suggested that each month, the family can focus on one of the virtues and do the activities in it. She explains each virtues in a very clear and concise manner, that's easy to understand and explain to the kids. At the end of each chapter, there is an activity relating to that virtue. For example, for the virtue of respect, the activity is planning a party, but not the parents planning it but the kids. It's about kids learning to plan the party and then interact in a respectful way with the guests.
I love the one about service, where we service, in conjunction with other families to learn to serve others.
I can't wait to begin to try some of these. I love that sprinkled throughout the book, she has 60 ways to bring out the giggles. Some of them are silly but isn't that the point. to do silly things with our kids and to bring joy to our family.
I highly recommend this book for parents who want to instill the above virtues to their kids in a fun and engaging manner.
Below is a short excerpt from the Introduction
Introduction: Why Giggle in This House?
Before my two girls came along, I had a vision for my home. I wanted it to look very similar to the home in which I grew up—full of life and joy. A house of love. A place where my children would feel welcome even when every single toy was not put away. Where they would feel free to be themselves and even to make a mistake or mess up.
In my ideal vision of home, each member of the family feels accepted no matter what. There’s a lot of running and playing. You may hear an occasional word of correction or see a rule enforced, but all is covered with love and grace. If you peek inside those children’s hearts, you see them yearning to be just like their mom and dad. They are excited to grow up but anxious to return home to make more memories. And the sound that rings throughout that crazy house? Giggles!
That’s what I had planned for our family home: love and grace, memory making and giggles.
And then I had kids.
Some harsh reality came my way. Instead of giggles, critical words often echoed in our home. On some days, it felt more sterile than warm. Everything might be scheduled and organized, but smiles were fading.
Despite my early hopes, my home felt little like the one I’d envisioned—and a lot like the houses of fear I’d witnessed while growing up. In those homes, emotional tension and a lot of rules led to a sense of nervousness and fear. You could almost hear the Von Trapp family whistle calling everyone to scurry and line up for instructions. If you could peek inside these kids’ minds and hearts, you might observe them counting the days until their release from that home.
What a heartbreaking situation, and certainly not what I wanted for my family. Over time, my husband and I realized we wanted to make some changes. We began to loosen up on the schedule and noticed that everyone’s heart became lighter. We became less concerned about behavior enforcement and more interested in heart development—and we saw love and delight blossom in our home. And while we absolutely believe in the value of discipline and guidance, we started looking for fun, enjoyable ways to teach our children what matters most. As we daily make choices to lean toward love and giggles, our home is becoming much more like the one I dreamed of before I became a mom.
How about you? Which sort of home did you grow up in?
When you think about God and how you view Him, is He like the parents in the first home or the second?
Which home and view of Christ do you want for your kids?
Do you believe the joyful home is even possible?
I have to tell you, I’m convinced it is. And this book is all about taking steps to make that joyful home a reality for all of us.
