Building A Model Takes Time

1979 Monogram Models Advertisement

Isaac brought home a model airplane the other day and wanted us to put it together after dinner. I tried to explain to him that model airplanes take quite a bit of time to assemble; days, sometimes weeks, maybe even a month or two! In addition to a lot of time, building models takes patience especially in learning how to use the tools and supplies properly; painting the pieces, cutting them out with an X-ACTO® knife, applying the model glue and putting the pieces together with tweezers while looking through a magnifying glass. It's a lot of work. Then I tried to explain to him that model airplanes are not supposed to be played with, but displayed and 'looked' at. He crinkled his nose at that bit of information.

All of this didn't stop or deter him. He was determined to put it together and play with it. So, after dinner, we slapped it together with super glue because we didn't have any model glue. We didn't paint it because we didn't have any model paint. We left out a lot of pieces too because he had removed them from the spruces. (In case you don't know, a spruce is the plastic frame that the parts come attached to. On the spruce next to each part is a number that corresponds to the instructions. This is how you know where each piece is supposed to be placed. You don't remove a part until you need it.) It was a learning experience for both of us. I'm just glad the thing only cost $2. Although it looks nothing like the picture on the box, he's been playing with it as it slowly falls apart.

I couldn't help but draw a connection between this plastic model airplane and Biblical models that we should have in or communities. Like the plastic model airplane, Deacons are to be observed by the other members of the community as models. Plastic model airplanes are a miniature replica of an ideal or perfect aircraft while Deacons are not perfect individuals, but rather, believers in Yeshua who are exemplary in their walk with Him. They fit the requirements found in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1; they have been tested and have proved themselves fit to bear the title of Deacon. If someone is put into the office of a Deacon without first being tested, it will only be a matter of time before they are tested. A Deacon that falls has the potential of causing other members of a community to stumble.

"...let them also be tested first;"

1 Tim 3:10, ESV

Isaac wants to buy another model airplane so we can assemble it together. This time, he says, he wants to do it the right way so he can display it for all to see.

Below a timely AdWeek article on the topic. I hate the term 'tween'. Anyway...

At one time, 80 percent of tween lads built plastic models. Not any more.
By Robert Klara



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Culture of Death In Children's Clothes

A cute array of clothes for boys (0-24 mos)

I haven't been to the mall in a long time. Actually, last year I went to the Apple Store, but that was an in-and-out visit. I'm not a mall shopper. Anyway, Margaret was on a quest for the sturdiest boys pants. In the past we got the boy's pants at Walmart, but they don't last very long. One time Aaron wore a hole in his Walmart pants in one day! We stopped by Old Navy but the pants there seemed a bit thin too. Margaret recalled a pair of pants that Isaac had from the Gap that withstood his rough handling, so we went there to see what they had.

Because we are followers of Yeshua and observers of His Torah, I knew that the whole mall would be filled with fashions and designs that we would not agree with. I knew that in the Gap there would be clothes that we would not want for our children; but what I saw really took me by surprise. I did not expect to see this. Keep in mind, today is November 16th, two weeks after Halloween. All of the Halloween decorations are gone. The mall is now covered with Christmas colors and embellishments; Christmas songs are played in most of the stores and Santa hats are on all of the mannequins. Like the other stores, the Gap had their winter clothes prominently displayed in their windows.

As I walked through the boys clothes in the Gap, I noticed a green and blue argyle sweater that I thought would look nice on Isaac. After I picked it up and looked at it closer, I noticed that it had skulls woven into the pattern! I couldn't believe it. Why? Why would anyone want skulls on their children's clothing? How is this acceptable? I thought maybe it was a leftover sweater from Halloween, but it was a new item. As I continued to walk through the boys clothes I noticed more skull patterns and prints on many of the shirts, sweaters, jackets and hats. These clothes were not dark and creepy looking, but were bright and with fun colors. It's as if skulls have become an acceptable image to wear on our everyday clothing. Are skulls no longer associated with the occult and death but now accepted in our society as ordinary symbols? How did this happen? It's a juxtaposition of images, colors and children that I cannot fathom.

What was even more alarming to me was that these patterns were not only on the boys clothes, they were also on the baby's clothing. Below are photos of the clothes for baby boys 0-24 months old. Click on the photos below to see them in detail. Would you put these clothes on your baby boy?

Flannel skull shirt

Printed skull socks

Skull shawl cardigan

Argyle skull hat

Skull argyle sweater vest

Related Links:
Gap - Baby Boys (0-24 Mos)
Punk Baby Clothes
Crazy Baby Clothing



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Training Wheels Are Not Neccessary

Aaron rides 'The Rockit'.

Me:		"You can do it Aaron, you're a big boy!"
Aaron:		"No, I'm not a big boy."
Me:		"Yes, you are a big boy.
Aaron:		"You are only telling me that to make me happy."

When I began to teach Michaela to ride her bicycle seven years ago, a friend of mine told me about a technique that I had never heard of before. He referred to it as the "The Undersized Bike Approach". Using this technique she was riding on two wheels within seven attempts. I then used this same method with Maya. It took her five attempts. With Isaac it took three tries and with Miryam, five. Over the past few days I've been working with Aaron and he had it down during his second lesson. After successfully using this technique with five of my children, here is my take on The Undersized Bike Approach...

The Bike : How Small Is "Undersized?"

Make sure the child (or adult) is larger than the bicycle that they will be learning on. When they stand with both feet on ground while straddling the bike, there should be some space (1"-2") between their bottom and the seat. You may have to adjust the seat in order to accomplish this.

It is near impossible for a child to learn how to ride a bicycle that is too large for them to handle. This is a common mistake that parents make; one that I made with my first child. It sounds like a good idea to purchase a bike that a child can grow into, however bicycles are not shoes. Consider the professional BMX racers and freestyle riders; they look like giants on the bikes that they ride. A bike is easier to wield around when the rider is bigger than it. When learning how to ride a bike, it is much easier on a smaller bike.

Look how big this guy looks on this BMX Bike!
Brian Patterson (6' 3"), Winner, 1983 Murray World Cup of BMX II 

Maybe you don't want to spend a lot of money on a new 'undersized' bike—get a used one. Go to yard sales or second-hand stores and find a good used one. This bike is temporary and if all goes well, it may only be used for one or two years. I kept the little bike that Isaac learned on and have used it with Miryam and now with Aaron. If it holds up, I may hang on to it for Moses.

Other Options : Balance Bikes, Run Bikes

This Undersized Bike Approach is a common technique used in Europe where riding a bicycle is almost a necessity in some countries. You can now find European 'balance bikes' or 'run bikes' here in the US. These training bikes have been sold in Europe since the 90's and seem to work well, but in my opinion, they are really not necessary and they are too expensive. Here are a couple of examples of the training bikes that are out there today:

The Like-A-Bike 'Midi' Model - $355.00
(Like-A-Bike is the original balance bike for children)

The Norco 'Alloy Run Bike' for Boys - $125.00
(The Girls version is Pink)

Balance Daniel-san! Go Find Balance!

Before a person can ride a bike they need to know how to balance themselves on it (hence the advent of balance bikes). With an undersized bike this can be achieved easily and over a fairly short period of time. First remove the pedals. Yes, remove them; take them off. Not the crank and sprocket, just the pedals. This will allow the person who is learning to sit on the bike and 'walk' it around with their own two feet. They will not need training wheels because their have their own legs to support them when they fall over (Note: until they can balance themselves, they will fall over; over and over again.)

Next, find a nice long, flat surface with a slight grade to practice on (e.g., yard, park, field, sidewalk, street, cul-de-sac etc...). I have used school parking lots when teaching my children especially during the summer months. Most parking lots have a grade to them and schools are typically not in use during the summer.

Keep in mind that younger children will need to build strength in their legs and become familiar with their bike first. When Miryam was learning, I had her ride her bike with the training wheels on (yes, she used training wheels) so she could strengthen her legs. After one complete summer of riding with the training wheels, after her legs were strong enough, I removed the training wheels and the pedals. At first, she didn't like the idea but it didn't take long for her to step up to the balance challenge. I took Aaron's pedals off last year so all last summer he walked his bike up and down the side walk and around the yard. He became very familiar and comfortable with his bike and by the time the weather was right this spring, he was more than ready to begin.

To learn balance, 1) have the child sit on the bike and walk it down the parking lot as fast as they can, building momentum, 2) once they are rolling, have them lift their feet in order to coast down the slight grade 3) allow them to use their feet to keep from falling over. The first few times they may only get a short distance. I tell my kids to "push, push, push and glide". This step requires patience from the parent and a positive attitude. You must continually encourage your child as they try this over and over again. Keep a smile on your face and keep praising them as they try it over and over again. It may take three tries, it may take thirty. It may take one day it may take three months.

Once the child can consistently coast down the length of the parking lot (or field, or sidewalk, or whatever) without assisting with their feet, then the pedals can go back on. Once the pedals are back on the bike (after they have learned to balance) it should only take a few more tries before they are riding the bike on their own.

IMPORTANT: As soon as the child knows how to ride the bike, teach them how to brake, and stop on command!

Building Your Child's Confidence

Here is one of Aaron's first attempts rolling down the parking lot and pedaling:

Every time I've taught a child to ride a bike (I've taught a couple of other children in addition to my own) I have been blessed by seeing the happiness in their eyes because of what they have just accomplished. They have a glow on their face that I wish would stay forever. This is a huge milestone in their young life. It's something that you can bring to mind for the next year or so reminding them of this accomplishment. It may seem like a small thing to you, but to them, this is a major achievement, one that will help build their confidence in their own abilities.

My next bicycle lesson will be in three or four years when Mo is old enough. Until then, I need to keep my other children challenged. Maybe we'll get in-line skates or skateboards...


Related Articles:

Teaching Kids To Ride
by Sheldon "Two Wheeler" Brown
revised May 3, 2010 by John Allen

Training Wheels, Balance Bike or Gyrobike?
The best way to teach kids how to ride a bike.
By Heather Turgeon, June 8, 2010



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Raising Fathers

Early on Sunday morning, Itzik (8) comes upstairs
to spend some time with his little brother Moshe (2 mo).

When I was ten years old my younger brothers, who are twins, were born. It wasn't long after their birth that part of the responsibilities of us older siblings included changing their diapers, which were the cloth type, and feeding them. On occasion we bathed them and sometimes we could pick out what outfit they were going to wear for the day. We took pride in taking care of our little brothers and made sure to do the best job that we could. Almost twenty years later at the birth of our first child this knowledge came in handy. Because of the circumstances of the birth Margaret spent the first three days of our daughter's life recovering. During this time I had to care for our infant baby by myself. I had no problem taking on this important task because I had past experience in this area. Although I was confident about my skills, I probably did not do the same 'quality' job that Margaret would have; but the nurses did compliment me on my eagerness and effort to own this responsibility.

One of the benefits of having more than just two children* are the opportunities that become available for all the children to learn from. For instance, their skills grow in the area of socialization because they are forced to interact with and relate to a variety of ages—younger and older. Since the birth of our sixth child, all five of the older children have been eager to help out with little Moses. Not all of them are allowed to care for him unless Margaret and I are around; but we do find age appropriate areas for each of them to participate in. Their eagerness to be involved in the life of their baby brother blesses me. I wonder if this is the same experience that other families have had. I can't help but sometimes notice the apathy toward little children by the youth who did not grow up with younger siblings, cousins, nephews, or nieces. It is especially alarming when a young girl is completely uninterested in an infant baby. But I do, however, find it a special blessing when a young boy acknowledges and comments on a little baby.

As we raise our boys to be men, we need to keep in mind that we are also raising them to be husbands who will hopefully become fathers. Some have said that there is a 'fathering instinct' within men that kicks in when a baby is born. I don't buy this concept. I've seen men who refuse to change their own children's diaper, who will not bathe their children, who will not cook for their children, and who will not be in their child's life at all. What happened to the instinct in them? I'm not saying that fathers should be the ones who primarily take care of the little ones, but fathers do need to participate in the care of their children. I believe being a father must to be taught and demonstrated to boys by their own fathers and the men in their community. Guys, let's step it up and be the fathers we are called to be. Let's show our boys how to be fathers.

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*In my opinion, a family of 8 (i.e., 6 children, like ours) is NOT a 'large' family. In today's society, however, families with more than 2 children are considered 'large'. That's too bad. In fact, "in 1800, the typical American woman had seven to ten children" says historian Steven Mintz. "But by the latter part of the 20th century — and as women became a growing presence in the workplace — two was the desired number." The value of children declined when the pursuit of material wealth increased.


Related Article:
Does size matter? For today's families it does
By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY 05/06/2011



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The Pink Toothbrush

My toothbrush was too gnarly to display here, so I posted this stock photo.

When we first got married, toothbrushes were not something that Margaret and I ever put too much thought into. We would buy the Oral-B 2-pack or whatever was on sale. I would get, what we considered, the more masculine of the two colors. We never formally discussed our method of selecting toothbrush colors, it just happened. If there was a blue and a green, I'd get the blue. If there was a green and a red, I'd get the green. If there was a red and a purple, I'd get the red. You get the idea. Now that we have children, it's interesting that this same method continues without us saying anything about it. The boys select the masculine colors and the girls select the feminine colors. It just happens.

Now with seven of us in the house brushing our teeth up to three times a day, we go through a lot of toothbrushes. We usually keep a few extra packs of 'back-up' toothbrushes in the cabinet, just in case. Recently, our supply ran low and I was in need of a new toothbrush but the only color available was pink. Since I had already thrown my old toothbrush in the trash can, I had no choice but to use this one. That evening, while I was alone in the bathroom brushing my teeth, I considered my feelings toward my new pink toothbrush. Why did it bother me? I guess because it is such a personal item that is never used by anyone else, a toothbrush is like an extension of yourself. When we find a blue toothbrush left out on the sink we know that it belongs to one of the boys; and when we find a purple one on the sink, we know it belongs to one of the girls. But associating a pink toothbrush with me, the Dad—unthinkable!

On occasion, you can find a few of us brushing our teeth together huddled around the sink in one of the bathrooms. Everyone at work, gazing at each other through the reflection in the mirror as we brushed away the grime of the day. But since I've had this pink toothbrush, I've avoided these family gatherings. I felt a little uneasy about using the pink toothbrush, especially in front of my boys.

A few days later, as I was rounding up the kids for bed, I forgot about my toothbrush dilema. I loaded my pink bristles with Tom's of Maine, walked into the upstairs bathroom and joined two of my youngest at the sink. My youngest daughter, Miryam (6), just stared at the toothbrush in my hand; it was the same color as hers. My middle son, Aaron (4), who was standing on the toilet seat, laughed out loud. He could not hold back his big smile and chuckle as he pointed at my toothbrush and asked, "Are you going to brush your teeth with that one? Is that your toothbrush? It's a pink one!" I set it down on the sink and began to help him brush his teeth. I explained to him, in a matter-of-fact adult-in-charge kind of tone, the reason why I was the owner of a pink toothbrush and how it could happen to anyone; even him. He continued to chuckle as I finished him up. Miryam just watched and listened, very respectfully not saying a word. Once they were both finished, I shooed them off to bed and then brushed my own teeth. That night I could not stop thinking about how tickled Aaron was because of my pink toothbrush. Actually, I was pleased with his response.

It is a concern, I assume, with father's of older girls and younger boys, that their boys would look up to their sisters so much that they would begin to 'act' like them. On one occasion my two oldest daughters brought me their baby dolls and a baby blanket so I could wrap them up the same way that we would wrap up their new little sister, Miryam. I wrapped up Michaela's doll and then I wrapped up Maya's doll. As they cuddled their babies and walked upstairs to their bedroom, around the corner came 2-year-old Isaac. He handed me a baby doll and a blanket so I could wrap up this doll too. I remember trying to redirect his attention to his trucks or blocks but he was determined to get his baby wrapped up so he could join his sisters. So I did it for him. As I watched him climb the stairs, doing his best to hold the baby without dropping it, many thoughts came to mind. I must be working to much and not spending enough time with him. He is spending too much time with girls. He needs a brother or a male friend. Before I went into panic mode, I noticed him standing in the hallway at the top of the stairs holding his baby out in front of him, examining it. With both hands, he grabbed the baby by the ankles and began to repeatedly slam it's head against the wall. He then threw the baby and the blanket to the floor and ran into the room with the girls. At that moment I realized that spending time with his sisters was not going to change the fact that he was a boy, through and through.

I'm getting a new toothbrush, maybe a black one...



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Classrooms Are For Girls

With our sixth child due in less than a month, Margaret and I have been to the doctor's office a lot. Because I've done this a few times now, I am no longer uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room or walking down the hallway to the examining room. It's usually the same ol' rigmarole so I know exactly what to expect, especially in the lobby. I know that the magazine selection is typically going to be geared toward women so I go prepared. Now, I do admit that they will often have a few token (outdated) issues of Field and Stream and Sports Illustrated; but since I don't read that stuff either, I bring with me a book or something to read while we wait. During a visit a few weeks ago Margaret shared an article with me that she found in this month's issue of Parents magazine called Help Your Son Succeed in School. I would never have found this article on my own because I never read Parents magazine. It's called Parents but this magazine is obviously geared toward women or mothers. Anyway...

The description of the article was this:

Today's classrooms are geared toward girls, and it's easy for boys to get discouraged at an early age.

The fact that classrooms are geared toward girls was one of the first things I learned when we started looking into homeschooling our children. Just because they are physically active, many boys are falsely diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This wasn't a big deal when I was a kid. If it had been, I'm sure they would have used me as the poster child for ADHD. In fact, my brothers were pumped full of Ritalin when they were young because my parents were bamboozled by the 'experts' and they believed this lie. They thought there was something wrong with them because instead of paying attention to the teacher, their minds would wander and they would think about playing outside. They were just being boys, that's all.

Because of the topic of this article, I was surprised that it was even in Parents magazine. I did notice that it didn't speak against public schooling so I wondered if the author knew anything about homeschooling; so I did a bit of research. I found out that the author, Jennifer L. W. Fink, is actually a registered nurse and a single mother of four boys that she homeschools. Check out her blog: bloggingboutboys.blogspot.com It's obvious now that she intentionally wrote this article for public, private, and charter schooling parents of boys. Good for her. I only wish that in her suggested 'blueprint for boys' she would have added as a final option - homeschool your boys.

If you have young boys, whether you plan on homeschooling them or not, read this article and then begin your own research on how to raise them God's way. You can start with the Proverbs.

I also recommend the book Future Men by Douglas Wilson:

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