1. David Steals the Show!

Should we teach children that it is wrong to lie, steal and cheat?   I wondered what parents might say.  Cecilia CampoVerde, Bilingual Family Coordinator and Co-Director of Education, set aside a couple of hours one Thursday afternoon for some impromptu individual interviews.  I thought we could probably talk to about 12, but 10 would be fine.  So engrossing was the subject that time limited us to five.   They all pretty much answered,  “Of course!”

Of everyone we interviewed, however, the standout was David, a Kindergartener, who chose to be co-interviewed with his mother.    He and Mom quickly refused to get tied up in “nots”.  They agreed, in the positive, that being truthful, respecting other’s property, and having integrity is very important.  He and Mom talked together about how important it is for him to always tell her the truth, so she can trust him.   He added that it is also important to be “able to trust parents.”

2. No one is Perfect:

Stop right there!  Once again, we learn from our students.   David reminds us that we are the children’s model for truthfulness and trust.   He also causes us to think about the fact that not a one of us is perfect.  It is no use pretending to be faultless or to hide our imperfections.   We will be found out sooner or later.   Better by far if we own up to our inevitable gaffes.  In so doing, we establish that we are human, a factor that will become more important with the years of parenting; we also model for our children that making mistakes is just a part of being.  Thus, the children feel less inadequate when they falter, and are able to take risks and “learn from their mistakes”.  They will also not become (less) disenchanted, disappointed and indubitably disillusioned with us when they find out we are not godlike at all.

Thank you, David; more of our conversation, and the interesting answers adults gave us to such questions as, “How do we teach children trustworthiness?” and “How soon do we start?”  will appear in future.  P. S.  Your thoughts are welcome, too.

We may not be in an Abbott district with its funding benefits, but if David is a sample, we are doing a pretty good job.  No way this child of ours will be left behind.  Thank you, community, for supporting Better Beginnings and the outstanding job our faculty is doing.

4. Honestly,

it is good to have friends.  Loida Wilson stopped by to donate some items, from neighbors and herself, including a computer that will help in our efforts to close the tech.gap; the Autumn Club continues to collect copper coins for us; Felicia Justice shared toys, and Ondina and Wilfred   (cont.)

5. Right thing, Right Time, Right Reasons:

Ruby Ketron, age 70, shares this story:  “My daughter got killed by a horse in 1975. She was unconscious for one day, which gave us time to get her to Oklahoma City, just in case they could do something for the massive brain injury. We live in a rural area, a tiny town with a small hospital. But, no trauma center or transplant work. My daughter was only 15 and was going to have the information put on her driver's license to donate her eyes and her kidneys. I only have one kidney, so that was close to her heart. She had not gotten her permanent driver's license so; I asked for and signed the paper to donate those organs. This is not an easy thing for a mother to do. But, I did it because it was the last and only thing that I could do for my daughter. Her corneas went to two teenagers and her kidneys to two young people. Two young people could see now and two more would lead normal lives because they got her kidneys. Part of her still lived, even though my daughter went on to Heaven.”   Thank you, Ruby, for sharing this touching and inspirational incident.

6. Penny Pincher feels it is a good characteristic ...

to reuse items instead of throwing them at the landfill.  She observes many plastic bottles being tossed away.  She suggests a pleasing alternative would be to make them into treasured decorative items.  This is a project Mrs. Bell first introduced to me Minnie years ago.   Make sure the bottle is clean.  Gather tissue paper, all different colors, including white.  Tear it into scraps.  With some watered down white glue and a simple children’s art brush, and your fingers, randomly apply the scraps of paper to the bottle.  This comes out so pretty, no matter how the paper is applied.  I like it best when colors overlap to form another color.   Penny made one for my bedroom window.  It is beautiful with the light shining through; importantly birds no longer hurt themselves banging into the glass.

7. Two Cents Worth:

Lie has several meanings.  Steal has another word that sounds the same.    “Cheat” stands alone; deceitful, a con artist, tricky.  Not much fun to be around, nor anyone you would want your daughter – or son - to marry.  And that’s the truth!