The Moral of The Story Part 1: Teaching our Sons

A very interesting conversation took place at work this week. It revolved around the responsibility of teaching your children morals. The two ideas were: A) Send them too church because they know how to teach good morals. and B) It is up to us as parents to teach our children morals. We shouldn't leave it up to someone else. A very intense debate took place and I just sat back an listened. Both sides presented well said and not so well said arguments. I have been thinking about this all week, and I have even talked with a few people about it since then. I think the topic is a great one and I wanted to write a little bit of my view on this and ask others to share theirs in the comments section. Who is responsible for teaching our children about morals?

I am not here to tread on anyone's beliefs, any religion, or any person. I was raised in a Christian home and my children are raised in a Christian home. Morals have been taught to my sister and I since a very early age, both in the home, and at church. Many families, no matter what religion they have their faith in, teach their children morals based on a religious standpoint. They also rely on their places of worship to teach their children morals as well. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this in my opinion but that is all the time I wish to spend on the religion aspect of it. Where should good morals start? Who should be the first responsible for teaching your children about morals? It has always been my opinion that teaching anything related to core values should primarily come from the parents. I cannot speak to what it is for a Mom to teach a child. In the next few posts to come I will speak a little of what I think it means, at least to me, to be a Dad, and teaching children about values, morals, and core ethics. Today: Teaching our Sons

The Importance of Reading: Literature is a Gateway

It comes as no surprise that despite the many advancements in technology, reading continues to be a gateway to the imagination. It also remains a mainstay for educating and teaching young minds. Be it text books, playtime books, alphabet books, whatever the case, reading remains important for the young minds of this world.

Sure there is the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad, and other electronic devices for getting great content to read. But sometimes you just can't replace the good old ink and paper, black and white. Getting kids excited about reading is also a good way to get them excited about learning. Children can learn a lot through what they absorb. They also learn to expand their imaginations, be creative, and open them up to an endless world of possibilities.

My son is just now getting to the point where reading with him is becoming exciting, and he will soon be learning how to sound out words and read on his own. It is exciting and joyous to watch him light up when we are about to read, and watch his excitement when he gets a new book. The thrill of turning new pages, new adventures, and learning new things are just experiences that technology and other activities cannot replace.

Reading carries a lot of importance, especially with younger children. It is a stepping stone to higher learning, a gateway to education and imagination, and encourages children to get away from the television and computer for a while and get lost in words. Literature is very powerful. It can build us up, and tear us down. It can educate us, it can help us grow, and it can forward us into new levels of understanding.

No matter what age your children are, start reading to them. Encourage them to dive into literature and the endless worlds that open up through the pages of a book. Let their imaginations soar and develop as they explore new adventures, new places, and new characters. Get them excited about one of the basic building blocks of knowledge and learning. Reading is knowledge, and as we all know, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!


Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend! We'll see you again on Monday!