Character Building from KidsDiscuss.com

Family Bonding: How to Encourage Father-Son Relationships

 

Encouraging the Father-Son Relationship

 

Fathers everywhere want close relationships with their sons. Our parenting expert and author, Jamie Bohnett shows you how in his book, Letters to My Son. He shares his journey of faith and teaches us through real life stories and heroes. Let's find out how Jamie uses the sports story of Randy Johnson, Jack and J.T. Snow to share an important moral.

Dear Son,

Let me share another father-son baseball story that I read about a few years ago. This is the story of J.T. Snow, who the Red Sox acquired in the trade from the San Francisco Giants. J.T. is the son of Jack Snow, the former All-Pro wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1975. I can tell you, son, as a former L.A. Rams fan those three words "complete to Snow" were music to my ears.

Sadly , but with pride I'm sure, before Jack Snow passed away this January at sixty-two, J.T. told his dad that he would be wearing Jack's old number with the Rams, #84, when he plays for the Red Sox.

The father-son relationship had not been an easy one for J.T. and his siblings. Jack was a stern disciplinarian to J.T. and his sisters while they grew up, and he was often hyper critical and overbearing. J.T., though athletically gifted as his dad, inherited more of his mom's sensitive nature. There came a time just a few years ago when J.T. was playing baseball for the California Angels that he had not talked to his parents for two and a half years. Even when he learned that his mother had cancer, the silence continued.

But the story doesn't end there. Of course you remember ol' Randy Johnson. He would never be accused of being a "touchy feely" kind of guy. Well, in a spring training game in 1997, a 100-mph Johnson fastball hit J.T.'s wrist and ricocheted to hit the orbital bone around his left eye. It was then that J.T. called his parents and they took the call.

As he recovered from the accident, the relationship with his parents went through a healing as well. His mother died that following year of breast cancer. J.T. and his wife named their son, who was born eight months after her death, "Shane" to honor her, as Shane was her maiden name.

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I like how Jamie talks to his son about sports topics and teaches a lesson. Can you guess the moral of this story? To find out more about how the relationship between Jack and J.T. turned out go to page 49 of Letters to My Son.

 
Available at Amazon.com

Let's THANK Jamie Bohnett for sharing this powerful book that Dads can use to discuss with and create an even stronger bond with their sons. 

 
 Jamie Bohnett

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With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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Teachers Union and Charter Schools: What's the Struggle?

Can Charter Schools Teach Kids to Think?

Are you confused about charter schools and teachers unions? Do you want the best education for your children? You must read expert author, Deborah Kenny's book, Born to Rise. Find out what this widowed mother with 3 young children learned. Then read her book and learn how she fought to revolutionize education in Harlem.

Teachers Union and Charter Schools: An Excerpt from Born to Rise

I had always believed in unions. Most of my summer camp counselors were liberal, some were socialists. We all supported better treatment of workers and disenfranchised.

Growing up immersed in these values, it never occurred to me that this ideology could result in poor treatment of low-income children. Yet in just a matter of months, I had become completely disillusioned by union politics.

In her book Nothing's Impossible, the founder of Frederick Douglass Academy, Lorraine Monroe, explained, "The teacher's union would be a major headache for anyone in the principal's role. They'd filed almost a hundred grievances in the previous year, tying the principal up with hearings."

Meanwhile, she added, "kids were running up and down the halls and playing their boom boxes during class." The union did not allow principals like Lorraine Monroe to hire the teachers she wanted or to fire incompetent teachers.

Then there was tenure. After only two years in the classroom, teachers had guaranteed jobs for life regardless of their performance. Teachers, who had "breathed the longest," as education reformers like to say, got to keep their jobs, regardless of the academic success of their students. Teacher compensation was based solely on seniority, with no connection to quality or student learning outcomes.

I learned from Chris that the union spent millions of dollars to influence political leaders and to litigate against principals who wanted to fire ineffective teachers, all in the name of "due process" and fairness. (What about the children, I wondered.) If a motivated teacher wanted to stay late and tutor a student on his own time, well, too bad. Union rules would not allow it.

I heard time after time from teachers who had been scolded by union reps for staying late after three o'clock to tutor a student. This extra effort was "setting a bad example." Other teachers told me stories of holding secret study groups with a few colleagues in coffee shops, for fear of being "caught" putting in extra time to improve their practice.

All of these rules added up to a school system that made it impossible for schools to function and allowed children's lives to be wasted. It was a moral outrage... (pages 43-44)

Born to Rise is a fast-paced book full of struggles. Read about Deborah Kenny's battles to free her faculty from the teachers union as she promotes her charter schools to give children in Harlem a quality education. 

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Let's APPLAUD Deborah Kenny for her tireless learning and efforts to build charter schools that help every child succeed.

             

       Deborah Kenny

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Born to Rise: A Story of Children and Teachers Reaching Their Highest Potential

is available on Amazon.com

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it back, relax, and share your opinions about this blog post. Please comment in the tiny comment link below. We want to hear from you.

With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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How One Boy Inspired Teens, Parents, and Grandparents!

               An Attitude of Gratitude

If you have a boy or girl, would you like them to inspire others. The boy in this post had many challenges. To find out who he thanked and why, read this post by our expert author,  Dr. Parnell Donahue.   

The Next Greatest Generation

Everyday I am more convinced that the next generation will be a great one!
I was certain of it Saturday while attending my grandson's high school graduation. There I heard one of the best speeches on my lifetime; it was certainly the best ever by a high school student!

This young man spoke of his gratitude to those who helped him succeed. I know that sounds kind of routine and a bit dull, but let me tell you about it.

First, he thanked his friends who helped him, studied with him, laughed and played with him. He went on to mention many other reasons for thanking them but concluded with, "I especially want to thank you for being nice to me!" *

Next he thanked the teachers and the high school staff who helped him, taught him, and believed in him. "Without you I would not be standing here!"

Of course he thanked his family and reminded his class mates of the debt, "We all owe our parents."

Finally he thanked "This wonderful country we all share! I know you all appreciate it, but I see it from a different viewpoint." Then he went on to tell of his being born and raised in Argentina and moving to New Jersey when he was in eighth grade and unable to speak English.

He was  pretty miserable there, and, "... developed a really bad attitude." The attitude did not change when he moved to Brentwood and was rejected from a charter school. He started public school taking general core classes hoping to somehow get through the school year with a chip balancing on his shoulder.

"Then, some of the teachers started to notice me and took a special interest in me. I found some friends who were nice to me, and things began to change." He spoke of this transition and the work he, his family, his friends, and his teachers did. "My attitude changed and my GPA followed it."

He concluded without a foreign accent, "I will be attending one of the country's best school [Georgia Tech} on a scholarship. If I can do this with your help, think of what we all can do together."

He sat down to a standing ovation! The first one I have ever seen for a high school salutatorian! And well worth it!

There is a "Gratitude Attitude" movement in the country. Join it; see how we can change the world by being grateful for what we have, what we are, and what we can become!

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Let's give a BIG HAND to Dr. Parnell Donahue for sharing this uplifting post.


*To read more about the value of being nice see Chapter 23 "Just Be Nice" in "Messengers in Denim." It's available on Amazon.

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What are your opinions about this blog post or your beiefs in the next generation? Please answer in the comment link below. We want to hear from you.

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With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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Parents and Teachers: 3 Fun Outside Games to Teach Your Kids

  Teaching Kids to Play Fun Games Outdoors

Parents, would you like 3 fun outdoor games for teaching your kids? If your goal is to get them to experience healthy exercise and have fun together, consider our guest blogger, Sarah Oxley's, 3 games. For many of us these games bring back cherished memories.

"Introducing Your Children To The Great Outdoors

Not that long ago, children spent the majority of their time playing outside, no matter what the weather. Now, children spend up to 6 hours a day watching TV or playing video games. TV alone can’t be blamed, as many modern children don’t know what to play outdoors. Concerns for their safety have risen, too. The solution to safe and interesting play is simple. Let your children roam your backyard while teaching them some of the great outdoor games.  

To get the most out of these games you’ll need a group of 4 to 8 children. Go through the rules of the games with them and supervise for the first 2 or 3 rounds. Once they have understood the rules, leave them to play alone. As it is still cold outside, consider making some space in your garden shed adding some chairs and a table. This can be their snack area as well as their HQ for discussing more games. Below are some examples of great outdoor games:

1. Parents ~Teach the Red Light- Green Light Game

One player, the traffic light, has their back to the group and shouts ‘Green Light’. The group takes slow steps toward the traffic light. These steps should be heel to toe. The traffic light faces the group shouting ‘Red Light’. No one is allowed to move. If someone does, they have to return to the start. The first person to reach the traffic light wins, and becomes the next traffic light.

 2. Parents ~  Teach the Freeze Tag Game

 Freeze tag is just like your traditional tag, except that when someone is caught, they’re not ‘it’ instead they have to freeze where they are. They can be unfrozen by another player, but whoever is ‘it’ can also catch the player trying to free the frozen one.

3. Parents ~ Teach the Wolf’s Dinner Time Game

One player is Mr Wolf, and the rest of the group faces him from a distance of about 15 feet. Mr Wolf has his back to the group. The group shouts ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’, and the wolf turns to the group and must answer with a time. If Mr Wolf says ‘6 o’clock’, then the group takes six steps toward him. The wolf then turns his back on the group again. He may only face them when answering. Once the wolf believes the group to be close enough, without looking, his answer becomes ‘Dinnertime!’ and he chases the group. Whoever is caught and ‘eaten’ by the wolf becomes the next wolf.

Conclusion for 3 Fun Outside Games to Teach Your Kids

When the children have had a chance to enjoy these games, encourage them to make up their own versions, or invent new games. Outdoors can be a fun and safe adventure."

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Parents are the best teachers. Children love to learn from them. You can teach your kids to have fun together, play outside, and get healthy exercise with these 3 games. Let's give thanks to Sarah for reminding us of these great games.

Contact Sarah at  sarah.oxley@searchlaboratory.com and Garden Shed

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 Bonus Article:

3 Parenting Tips ~ Teaching Character with Social Skills

Parents, it's your turn to take the microphone:

What are your opinions about this blog post or your suggestions for helping your kids have outdoor fun? Please answer in the comment link below.

With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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****** If you liked this article, please send it to your social media sites below.