Home Training

I have to admit, there are so many of my grandmother's words of wisdom that I'm sure I could keep posting about them for a long time. After this one, I will do 2 more and if need be, in the future I can share more. I've chosen the ones that I did because I hope that it will minister to you as much as they have to me. Also, my grandmother is not the only wise woman to say these things. These are pretty common sayings in Jamaica and so my friends and I laugh many times when we share our experiences about what our grandmothers, mothers and other elderly people told us growing up. While we find humor in these sayings, I have to add that they are not really a laughing matter. The lessons that we were taught by these words of wisdom have helped to shape me into the person I am today.
The saying that I want to emphasize today is, "you must learn how to dance at yard (home) before you can dance abroad." This means that you need to get proper training (learn manners) at home before you can act properly outside of your home. With that said, I would like to address parents with these words of wisdom. Since parents are the ones that mold their children's lives, this is only fitting.


Most of you reading my blog probably already know that I am a stay-at-home Mom(SAHM) of 2 young children. I take my job very seriously and spend countless hours shaping the lives of my children. I believe that parents are ultimately responsible for the opportunities that their children are exposed to. We create the circumstances to ensure their future success.
Nowadays, children are not being disciplined like they were back in the days. Parents have become too lenient with their children and this may be the cause for why there are so many behavioral problems to attend to. If your child can't dance at home then how do you expect that your child will dance away from home? If you are not teaching your child good manners at home, how can you expect them to behave with those skills when you take them in public? Don't be afraid to discipline your child in public too. If your child is out of line, you can excuse yourself and have a "talk" with your child. You don't have to embarrass them in front of their friends or your friends.
Many times parents are in denial about their children's bad behaviors. They do not want it to be a reflection of their parenting so they constantly make excuses. If their child is doing something disrespectful in public, they simply avoid addressing it and if someone mentions it then they will give an excuse and swear up and down that their child is not like this at home. I agree that children will not always do as they have been taught. They will test you constantly to see how much they can get away with. They will also try to manipulate a situation because they know how to read us and they know when we'll give in for fear of embarrassment. Children are much smarter than we give them credit.
I've been around parents who seem scared of their own children (and I'm talking about even a young child). They will avoid leaving their house because they say that their child does not know how to behave in public. They are definitely right about that because if they are not teaching their child how to behave properly then he/she will behave poorly. Children are a product of their environment. They are learning these poor behavior skills at home. Most parents do not deliberately teach their children these poor skills but children do learn from examples. Be good role models for your children and they will follow your lead. From the beginning if you are not teaching your child good manners like please and thank you, then don't expect them to use this when they go out to dinner with your friends. Children will pay more attention to what you do than what you say too so you will have to be careful that you are staying consistent. Consistency is key. Your children will never be perfect; nobody's perfect. However, you may save yourself a lot of headache down the line. No one is saying you have to be so strict that your kids will swear you are a robot but kids need to learn how to respect you first so that they can respect themselves and others. This will make it easier for them to strive in society.

As a parent, I know how overwhelming it gets at times. I know that most of us do try our best to train our children and really want what is best for them. It can definitely get frustrating at times but I believe that proper home training will save parents a lot of frustration. We are responsible for our children's lives. God has placed them in our care. I know that we cannot be with them 24 hours per day and that is why it is imperative that we train them how to dance at home so that they'll be great dancers abroad.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 KJV