From time to time, when the situation warrants, I try to explain to Benjamin and Jasmine that there are children in the world who are not as lucky as them. Ok, so they are still too young to fully understand, but I do want them to grow up thankful for what they have been blessed with, and compassionate towards those who haven't had the same good fortune. For example, I was watching a Blue Peter report on children in Malawi a few weeks ago, and explained to them both that there are children in the world who do not have mummies and daddies, and that there are children who don't have any toys at all to play with or books to read. Of course they wanted to know why - and that's where it gets tricky. I didn't want to frighten or upset them, so I simply said that their mummies and daddies were too poorly for the doctor to make them better, so they have gone to live with Jesus and the angels in heaven. 'Where is heaven?' Ben asked. 'Way up in the clouds' I said, feeling rather pleased with my explanations. We have had the heaven talk a few times already as my great-grandmother died last November (God Bless her) and I gave a similar explanation - that she was too poorly so she has gone to live with Jesus. A few weeks ago Ben was playing with his toy mobile phone and I overheard him talking to granny asking her if she was with Jesus and if she was better yet. It was very bittersweet.
Today however, we were again talking about children who don't have any toys (I can't rememeber how we got onto the subject) and Ben said; 'that's because they wouldn't put them away so their mummy put them in the bin!' well, what can I say?!?!? I have been guilty of threatening to throw the toys in the bin if they don't tidy them away - normally after I have been asking and asking for a while, and frustration creeps in. Guilty as charged! Well, that's what I mean about things coming back to haunt you - you can often say something to a child that seems harmless at the time, but when you hear them repeat it at another time, it suddenly sounds so much worse. it's not the first time I have been made aware of something that I say in passing and don't give much thought to, when one of the kids has said it during play - or to me even! So today's post is a little bit of advice - only say to or around your children what you don't mind hearing them repeat. Sounds like common sense huh? Well, you'd be surprised just how often we don't use it when it comes to the conversations we have around our kids. All is not lost though, I was reminded just what good traits I have passed on - Ben then said to me 'we can take some of our toys to the children and we can all play with them, ok?'.
A child is never too young to be taught good values. Don't underestimate what they are capable of understanding and doing. I have learned many a lesson from mine.
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