Lessons Learned: The Gebel Way

I will tell anyone who wants to listen that I am not a teacher. What I mean is that I don't sit down with workbooks and lessons and try to get a point across. However, I do take frequent opportunities to ask questions and get their little minds thinking or answer questions they have for me. I have no problem using the radio, passing trucks, or even the television as a tool to challenge them or instill some pertinent information in them.

Depending on our surroundings for intellectual stimulation can make things interesting...like the time I had to explain that Toby Keith can sing "slap your Grandma" in a song and that's OK but that in any other context it's not nice to say that or act on it. See? Interesting.

So, one thing that we do pretty much weekly as a family is watch America's Funniest Home Videos. Something I say several times during this show is some variation of, "Why do boys do such stupid things?" I wasn't intentionally trying to teach the kids anything about foolishness, but they learned anyway...at least Gracie did.

Friday morning it was a cool 44 degrees when we left for school. Gracie, Tyler and I had sweatshirts on and I asked Jace if he was going to wear his and he said, "No, I won't be cold. I'm a boy."

To which Gracie commented, "And boys do stupid things, like not wear jackets when it's cold outside."

That same morning we saw a boy getting on a bus with only shorts and a t-shirt on (at least my son had pants and long sleeves!) and Jace said, "See! He's not wearing a jacket."

And Gracie added, "Because boys do stupid things, like wear shorts and t-shirts without jackets when it's cold outside!"

Jace just laughs at her. Scott and I laugh at all of them, constantly picking up on things we don't know they're even noticing. Little sponges.

So, we'll continue to be entertained by them...and I'll hope and pray that none of our kids end up on America's Funniest Home Videos as a lesson for someone else!