Whether you think about it or not, you are raising imitators, especially when you home educate your children. In reading Teaching from Rest, that I urged you to read, last week I was reminded again that we as parents should model what we want our children to do. Nobody wants to just do something because they are told to do it but children like doing things they see others doing.

In Teaching from Rest Sarah quotes Andrew Kern of CiRCE Institute, “Teaching is the art of being imitated.” This thought struck me, as I was thinking about it in regards to school teachers but then I remembered what I’d learned so long ago about modeling and making disciples.

I guess I just wanted to remind you that your children are watching everyone they come in contact with. Many they will imitate. It is important to be cautious about those they are around the most–are they acting in a way you want your children acting. Are you doing things you want them imitating?

I’ve written about this before when I spoke about Mother Culture, but it is just as important for fathers.

When my children were very young I’d let the watch some shows on PBS. One of those was Arthur. After a while, I realized that I did not like how Arthur and his sister DJ interacted–it was not behavior I wanted my children imitating. I stopped allowing them to watch that show. How do the characters in the shows your children watch behave? Is it behavior you want your child to mimic?

Just something to think about.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº