Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Nov 26, 2006 4:08:07 GMT -5
"TEACH ME, PLEASE"
Ah, cookies! The wonderful aroma of home baked cookies drifted through the house. How many pleasant memories are there of baking cookies for the children? "Mommy, Mommy, are they done yet?", the children would ask. Soon, three happy children were enjoying warm cookies and milk.
As the children grew, they wanted to "help" make cookies. Now, any mother could tell you that the "help" children offer takes more time and patience than doing the job yourself. In spite of their "help", we had many happy, messy times in the kitchen making cookies.
One day Betsy, our oldest daughter, came to me and said, "Mom, I want to learn to make cookies." She had watched me many times and had stirred and done numerous jobs, but she still didn't know how to make cookies. We got the recipe out, read it together, and she gathered all the ingredients. I showed her how to measure and explained a few cooking terms she didn't understand. Soon the first cookies were out of the oven. Betsy was thrilled to see how good they were!
A few weeks later, Betsy announced that she wanted to make cookies all by herself. She didn't want me in the kitchen! Isn't this what I had been training her for? She had done well with my supervision over the last few weeks. Why did I feel so uneasy turning my kitchen over to this little girl? I swallowed hard, tried to smile, and said, "that would be great, Betsy. If you need me, just call." I tried to keep busy with the never-ending housework, but it was hard to stay out of the kitchen.
Soon the wonderful smell of baking cookies began to fill the house. Daddy had to have the "first cookie." He willingly bit into that chocolate chip and pronounced it "delicious!" Betsy could make cookies! In a short time, Betsy came out of the kitchen to announce that the cookies were all finished and she was going to go play. How satisfying it was to see that she had learned to do a job and to do it well.
I walked into the kitchen to prepare for dinner, and I couldn't believe my eyes. "My kitchen!" How could one little girl make such a mess with just one batch of cookies? It was a disaster. There was flour, egg shells, and dirty dishes everywhere! I had neglected to teach Betsy step two in cooking, "you clean up after yourself."
"Betsy, come here right now!" I called. She came quickly, and I explained about "step two". Reluctantly, I left the kitchen to my young daughter once again. Without much enthusiasm, Betsy began to apply "step two". Dinner was a little late that night, and you realize that her idea of clean and my idea of clean were miles apart, but that came with time and practice.
Soon both of my girls were making cookies. The time and effort it took teaching them had paid off. It wasn't until they were both married that "cookie making" was again my job. They had a few burnt cookies along the way, but they learned from their mistakes, too.
I miss the sounds of my two little girls making cookies in the kitchen. Many mothers miss so much when they don't teach their children to be a part of their family. In some homes, children are treated as houseguests. They aren't expected to do anything but play and not bother Mom. Mothers have told me that it is easier to do a job themselves then to teach a child to do it. "They never do anything right," and "they are more trouble than they are worth," one mother told me.
God's Word tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Training is not an easy job. It takes day-in and day-out effort. Training takes time! Training is often frustrating.
Take time! It doesn't come easy, and you need to make the effort. Take time with your children to show them God's way. Satan is all too willing and ready to show them "his way". Don't let the battle for your children be lost in the home because you didn't have the time to teach and train them. Don't get discouraged, and don't give up! Your child, committed to Christ, is worth any sacrifice of time you must make. Remember, you are not alone!
R. Robert Flatt
www.hopetriumphant.com
Ah, cookies! The wonderful aroma of home baked cookies drifted through the house. How many pleasant memories are there of baking cookies for the children? "Mommy, Mommy, are they done yet?", the children would ask. Soon, three happy children were enjoying warm cookies and milk.
As the children grew, they wanted to "help" make cookies. Now, any mother could tell you that the "help" children offer takes more time and patience than doing the job yourself. In spite of their "help", we had many happy, messy times in the kitchen making cookies.
One day Betsy, our oldest daughter, came to me and said, "Mom, I want to learn to make cookies." She had watched me many times and had stirred and done numerous jobs, but she still didn't know how to make cookies. We got the recipe out, read it together, and she gathered all the ingredients. I showed her how to measure and explained a few cooking terms she didn't understand. Soon the first cookies were out of the oven. Betsy was thrilled to see how good they were!
A few weeks later, Betsy announced that she wanted to make cookies all by herself. She didn't want me in the kitchen! Isn't this what I had been training her for? She had done well with my supervision over the last few weeks. Why did I feel so uneasy turning my kitchen over to this little girl? I swallowed hard, tried to smile, and said, "that would be great, Betsy. If you need me, just call." I tried to keep busy with the never-ending housework, but it was hard to stay out of the kitchen.
Soon the wonderful smell of baking cookies began to fill the house. Daddy had to have the "first cookie." He willingly bit into that chocolate chip and pronounced it "delicious!" Betsy could make cookies! In a short time, Betsy came out of the kitchen to announce that the cookies were all finished and she was going to go play. How satisfying it was to see that she had learned to do a job and to do it well.
I walked into the kitchen to prepare for dinner, and I couldn't believe my eyes. "My kitchen!" How could one little girl make such a mess with just one batch of cookies? It was a disaster. There was flour, egg shells, and dirty dishes everywhere! I had neglected to teach Betsy step two in cooking, "you clean up after yourself."
"Betsy, come here right now!" I called. She came quickly, and I explained about "step two". Reluctantly, I left the kitchen to my young daughter once again. Without much enthusiasm, Betsy began to apply "step two". Dinner was a little late that night, and you realize that her idea of clean and my idea of clean were miles apart, but that came with time and practice.
Soon both of my girls were making cookies. The time and effort it took teaching them had paid off. It wasn't until they were both married that "cookie making" was again my job. They had a few burnt cookies along the way, but they learned from their mistakes, too.
I miss the sounds of my two little girls making cookies in the kitchen. Many mothers miss so much when they don't teach their children to be a part of their family. In some homes, children are treated as houseguests. They aren't expected to do anything but play and not bother Mom. Mothers have told me that it is easier to do a job themselves then to teach a child to do it. "They never do anything right," and "they are more trouble than they are worth," one mother told me.
God's Word tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Training is not an easy job. It takes day-in and day-out effort. Training takes time! Training is often frustrating.
Take time! It doesn't come easy, and you need to make the effort. Take time with your children to show them God's way. Satan is all too willing and ready to show them "his way". Don't let the battle for your children be lost in the home because you didn't have the time to teach and train them. Don't get discouraged, and don't give up! Your child, committed to Christ, is worth any sacrifice of time you must make. Remember, you are not alone!
R. Robert Flatt
www.hopetriumphant.com