by Which would you rather it be said about your child, that he be lazy or stupid? It’s actually a more difficult question than the first glance. We tend to put a lot of emphasis on innate mental ability. We celebrate that our kids our smart, that they have above average intelligence in an area, but what usually accompanies above average intelligence is below average work ethic.
This is especially the case in a public school setting. I can remember two things about being in the accelerated classes in high school. One was the competition among us. The other was the bragging about how much or how little one had to do to have that passing grade (especially if you didn’t get the highest grade and you “should have”).
We as parents can’t change how intelligent our child is– God determined that when He created them. We can help mold their work ethic.
Hi, there! Thanks for your kind comment on my blog today. How did you find me? I guess it’s one Christian to another, right? I am glad to meet you, and your blog here is so very very interesting. I am a news junkie myself and love to read on various topics.
Do you homeschool your kids? I do and have began using the Bob Jones Press curriculum for certain subjects. I read you are an alumnus so I wanted to mention that.
As for stupid vs. lazy: well, I admit that my son is rather lazy, probably very normal for a boy of 9. He is smart though, has great memory, enjoys some school subjects. We are trying to constantly encourage him to work better by showing him fun stuff for school. I think overall very few kids are really stupid, they just need extra attention and they will do fine. Maybe some have trouble with certain subjects over others (like I did with math and science) but I think God gave talents to everyone, just not the same.
Again, it’s nice to meet you. God’s blessings to you and yours.
You’re welcome for the comment. I’ve been searching around blogs looking for Christians and homeschoolers to talk with. We want to homeschool our kids (and they’re just about getting old enough)! I’m wondering how best to do it with them being close together in age!
I think that I’m definitely prone to the lazy side, though I wish I was more disciplined in getting things done. I think that’s part of the problem with my generation when you compare it to my grandparent’s. We’re a little late to the game.
Thanks for commenting, and if you’re interested in contributing (you mentioned that you like news, etc), I’m looking for like minded Christians who want to help me weed through the fight for Christianity in today’s culture.
Register on the site, and I’d be happy to have you contribute!
well……lazy is fixable. stupid is not. so i guess i’d rather the “lazy” but i hate labeling kids.
Hi!!!!
about homeschooling: you can begin at any age, don’t wait until they are 6. We began when my kids were 4 yrs old each (now 9 and 7) and it was good to begin early, now they are advanced in some subjects/topics in comparison to others their age, but that’s not really a point, I wanted them to begin learning early so they could learn more. Don’t ever be afraid to introduce your kids to “serious” stuff because you (or main stream educators) think they are too young. My kids know and learn about current events, history all the way back to ancient, watch historical movies (which maybe rated R but they know why there is so much blood in a battle scene, we have educated them about that). They do not have to be 11 or older to begin learning the chemistry element table, for example. Make it fun for both you and the kids, they will appreciate it. Bob Jones Press has some great stuff already, but talk to other homeschooling parents for advice, try to attend a homeschooling conference, go to a homeschooling bookstore, ask those folks and compare books in person. Don’t be afraid to switch books and curriculums from year to year, you CAN be very flexible. But first, check the homeschooling laws for YOUR state and make sure you are protected to have this freedom for your family, laws vary by state.
Please email me if you have any questions and I hope you will do homeschooling, it’s very rewarding and so much better than public schools, especially if you are a religious person.