Making Good Memories-Part 1

I have been thinking about this so much lately, making memories. Every morning I awake to the smiling beautiful faces of my children. God has blessed us so much with them. They are so smart and each has their own distinct personalities and gifts. I want their childhood to be a beautiful thing, full of great memories that they created with each other and with us.

Recently I wrote about beginning with the end in mind. Making good memories is just one more aspect of that. Why should we make good memories with our children?

Well, a lot of adults have issues that result from bad experiences in childhood. Many people have things that they have to overcome as they get older in life stemming from bad memories. I believe that if we as parents can make sure we are doing our part to create good memories, it will give our children an anchor in life, to family, home, and love. Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Practicing this scripture will be so much easier for our children if we help them create good memories.

So what are some practical ways that we can make good memories with our children?

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t make a big issue out of little things. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Don’t cry over spilt milk?” Well that is a good one. Don’t let all the little mistakes your kids make, overshadow the big picture.

2. Laugh a lot. The Bible says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine,” (Proverbs 17:22), and “A happy heart makes the face cheerful,” (Proverbs 15:13). I did a little research and read in different places that children laugh between 200- 400 times per day, whereas adults only laugh about 15 times. Laughter distributes oxygen to cells in all parts of the body, which is also conducive to learning. (I think I am going to do an experiment one day and see how true this information is….)

3. Hug and kiss them. Let them hug and kiss you! I am reading a book right now called The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley and one of the things they talk about in the book is that part of blessing our children comes through physical touch. Both boys and girls need physical touch in order to grow into healthy adults. I know if I sit in the floor with my children, they are all over me. They just want to touch me and hang on my neck, and hug and kiss me.

So what does this have to do with homeschool you ask? Well, as homeschoolers we are with our children all the time. We are the people who have the greatest and most direct impact. We are making memories all day long. So, I just wanted to write about how we can make some good memories, in the midst of our homeschool experience. And...when I started writing this, I didn’t know how long it was going to become. I didn’t realize how much I would have to say about making good memories, and what a huge topic it could become. There is a part 2,3,and maybe even a part 4 to this blog post, so please come back and check it out!


What are some good memories you have from your childhood? What are some good memories you are creating with your children now?

~Beth