Togetherness

TROWEL & SWORD

Resources - Children's Pages

August 2000

Kids’ Page

Togetherness

by Mrs. Anne Groenenboom

“Today I’m having a special day with Mum and Joel at home!” Carla told Chris and Amy as they packed their bags for school. Amy looked out the window at the fog which was so thick that it hid the trees across the road and wished she was still small enough to have special days at home. She decided that little kids have all the fun.

As Chris and Amy hurried off through the fog to catch the school bus, Carla stood beside Mum at the front window, waving goodbye. Mum looked doubtfully at the fog, wondering if she’d get the washing dry. Then Joel started to cry so Mum went to pick him up.

Carla watched a video while Mum dressed Joel and then gave him his breakfast. Soon Joel was sitting on his rug on the floor and Carla played with him while Mum started the washing. Carla built things with Duplo and Joel pulled them apart again. Carla didn’t really mind when Joel broke the things she made, because Mum had explained to her that Joel would eventually learn what to do with the Duplo by watching what she did. Besides, she had plenty of time to build things with the Duplo when Joel was asleep. As Carla watched him, she noticed Joel trying to put two Duplo pieces together. Her little brother would soon learn to make things too.

After Mum finished the washing it was time for Joel to have his nap. While Mum and Carla were having a snack together, Mum was thinking of all the things she had to do.

“How would you like to help me do some baking, Carla?” Mum asked and Carla nodded happily. Helping with the baking was always a treat. Carla helped Mum roll out biscuit dough, then she used her cookie cutters to shape the cookies. She even helped Mum lift some of the cookies onto the baking trays. She rolled the leftover scraps of dough into balls and shaped a cookie man and watched with delight as it went into the oven too. Next Carla helped Mum mix up a cake, then she had lots of fun licking the bowl out.

“We’ve made lots of good things, haven’t we, Mum?” Carla said happily as she wiped up the baking things as Mum washed them. “Dad can have my cookie man for afternoon tea. He’ll like that, won’t he?” Mum nodded.

While they were baking, the fog cleared and now the sun was shining.

“Why don’t we have a picnic lunch in the garden when Joel wakes up?” Mum suggested. “Some sunshine will do us all good, after so much cold, cloudy weather.”

Carla helped Mum make some sandwiches and when Joel woke up, they all put on warm jackets and went outside to enjoy their picnic. Mum set up Joel’s playpen in a sheltered spot and even though there was a cool breeze blowing the clothes about, there was plenty of sunshine to keep them warm. While Joel was playing happily in his playpen, Mum showed Carla how the leaf buds on the bare tree branches were getting bigger and they discovered lots of blossom buds ready to open. They also noticed that the bulbs that Carla and Mum had planted in Autumn were ready to bloom too.

While Joel was having his afternoon nap, Carla helped Mum bring the washing in, then she helped to ice the cake. Mum had some ironing to do, so she gave Carla some pieces of coloured paper and some scissors and paste to make a picture. Carla made a lovely, bright springtime garden picture and Mum put it up on the fridge door, to show everyone. When Chris and Amy came home from school, Carla told them about all the things she had been doing. They sampled the cake and the cookies and admired Carla’s springtime picture. Of course, when Dad came home from work, Carla told him all about the great day she’d had with Mum and he had to taste the cake and cookies too.

“I wish I’d stayed home today,” Amy declared. “I can still remember doing lots of things with Mum... they were some of the best things I remember about being little.”

Chris nodded in agreement. “But we always do lots of good things,” he said. “I really enjoy our weekends, when we all do things together.”

Mum and Dad looked rather surprised when Chris spoke so enthusiastically about their family times together. He’d sometimes been invited to go with his friends for birthday treats to interesting places. They thought he might be disappointed that they couldn’t afford to go to interesting places too.

“I’m glad you enjoy our times together, Chris, because we’re aware that some of your friends go to special places each weekend and we can’t afford that,” Dad commented.

“It’s different for them, “ Chris replied. “They don’t seem to go out much as families... and they don’t seem to have fun together, they just go places and look at things.”

“But you’ve enjoyed those outings... you always tell us all about them,” Mum said.

“I know, “ Chris replied, “but it’s different. Last week when I went to Brad’s place for his birthday, his father took us to a pizza parlour and that was good, but Brad’s mother didn’t go and neither did his sister. Then we went to a baseball game, which was OK, I guess, but we ‘d rather have gone to the basketball instead.”

“Well then, why did you go to the baseball?” Dad asked, surprised, and Chris answered, “Brad’s father used to play baseball when he was young, so that’s where we went.”

“So it doesn’t worry you too much when we just do such ordinary things?” Mum asked.

“No,” Chris replied. “ I like the way we discuss together what we’d like to do and then decide what to do. Sometimes Amy chooses, sometimes I choose and sometimes you choose, but the main thing is that we go together and we have fun together. Even when we stay home, we usually have fun together.”

“I’m really glad you feel that way, Chris. “We’ve always enjoyed being together as a family but I’m surprised that you’ve noticed the difference so much, “ Dad commented.

“Some of the kids I’ve been out with think it’s stupid to do family things together,” Chris continued. “Most of them just seem to want everything for themselves and they hate sharing with the rest of their family. I’m glad we’re not like that.”

“Some of my friends never go out with their families, because their mums and dads don’t live together any more and I think that’s really sad,” Amy commented and Chris nodded.

“Some of my friends don’t see one of their parents very often... and then their parents try to make it up, by taking them on special outings or buying them big presents.” he said.

How do you know all this?” Mum asked. “Do your friends talk about things like that?”

“Of course they do,” Chris replied. “They know what their parents are doing... and they’d rather have their families back together than all the presents and all the outings.”

“That certainly is sad... but there are so many families that break up these days. I suppose it’s hard for them to get together once that happens.” Mum commented.

“It’s always sad when things like that happen... and they happen when people decide to do their own thing rather than listening to what God’s word says,” Dad stated. “They don’t accept the responsibility that God has given them, to keep their family together and in the end, everyone in the family is hurt.”

“Parents have to work hard at keeping their families together,” Mum added. “It’s not an easy job. We always have to try to work things out in a way that’s best for us all, rather than just doing what one person wants. God’s word tells us that we must be loving and forgiving and to care about the needs of others, so that’s what we try always to do.”

Chris and Amy nodded thoughtfully. They could both think of times when things didn’t go their way and they had been angry with Mum and Dad... and they could also remember that they had eventually enjoyed themselves, even though they hadn’t got their own way.

“I’m glad we’re part of this family and I’m glad we listen to God’s word!” Amy stated and Chris nodded in agreement.

SOME THINGS TO DO.

Talk about this story with Mum and Dad. Together, try and work out ways to help and encourage each other.
Work out some ways in which you can have special times together, especially if you’re missing out on spending enough time together.
Write out some prayers to thank God for your family... and read your prayers to them, to show them how much you appreciate them.

A NOTE FOR PARENTS: Read “The Five Love Languages of Children” written by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, for some really great ideas on how to build and improve family relationships. You’ll be glad you did!

All reports of problems and comments concerning this site: webmaster@trowelandsword.org.au

Privacy