The word mantra has several definitions, but my favorite is “An often repeated word or phrase that is closely associated with something; a slogan, byword, or a watchword.”
Do you have a mantra? Is there something you say to your kids that they will take with them and even repeat when they are grown? As the bible says, “train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it”.
My dad had several mantras. He often said, “The early bird catches the worm”, and “beans, beans, good for your heart….”, but my favorite was “find something you would gladly do for free, and then get someone to pay you for it.” He was right, and that statement is true for both my artwork and writing jobs. (Thanks Dad).
What mantras are we passing on to our kids? My husband always tells our kids, “look them in the eye, and learn their name. That will get you far in life”. I like to tell my kids “learning shouldn’t be limited to certain hours”. As a homeschooling mom, I have to give them something that lets them know it is not weird or freakish to be in learning mode all the time, in fact it is wonderful trait to have.
I was quite deliberate about the mantras I repeat to my child, just as I am sure my dad knew that what he was saying to me would last for a lifetime. The things we say the most to our children need to be things that build them up, make them think, and make them grow. When developing my mantra for my children, I thought of the one thing I wanted them to take most seriously in life. My dad wanted responsible but happy kids, and his mantras (or at least one of them) fit the bill. I want my kids to be intelligent adults who maximize their learning potential, and my mantra fits that bill.
Do you have a mantra? What do you say to your kids and will it make them a better person? What do you say to your kids to make them want to learn?
(This essay is an exercise in vocabulary. I encourage you to pick a new word each day and have your children to write an essay. Choose the number of required words according to grade level, age, or ability. Perhaps you will want to do this exercise yourself.) Other words of the day: rapport, dignity, mediocrity.
*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.
*Want to know more about homeschooling? Start here!