Let's Talk About It Outside

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6,7 (NIV)

Ahh - Fall, my favorite time of the year. Breakfast picnics along rushing streams and waterfalls.  Hikes through a rainbow of colored leaves. Jackets and sweaters that become too hot by afternoon. Nuts stashed in our pockets.  Wood smoke from fireplaces. Snuggles with blankets around campfires and tales of long ago. 

Studies from Harvard and MIT reveal the importance of time spent talking to children from birth to three. Those babies love the woods, actually any part of the outdoors. They are full of questions and listening ears. Yes listening ears. They are more calm outside than indoors. But back to the research. Research with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who have conversations with adults shows that in ten years their IQ and literacy skills are ahead of others who lacked those conversations. These skills are necessary for success with all other areas of learning. Poverty seems not to be the biggest player in learning gaps.

So how do you have a conversation with an infant? a toddler? a pre-schooler? A conversation is when an adult or child initiates a conversation and the other replies. An infant my only coo or babble but there is eye contact and facial expressions that convey a message. An infant may cry and the adult responds with "What's wrong? Are you wet? Do you need a diaper change? Are you hungry? And the child will either continue to cry or will calm and listen to the adult speech. Either way, it's a conversation. The same with toddlers and pre-schoolers. The child says, "Look tower." The adult responds, "You want me to look at your tower?"

The conversation about life should be going on all day long as Deuteronomy instructs us, when we wake, when we walk or sit and when we lie down, we must be talking to our children. God knew what it takes to help our children grow. He told us long before Harvard and MIT figured it out. Let's put down the iPhone, iPad, Tablet and yes turn off the TV. Let's get outside and talk to our children. Let's make connections to God's creation and His word. Let's go hiking.

Hey Kids:

Have you had a conversation with someone today? Was it a little kid or a parent or maybe a grandparent?
What did you find interesting about that conversation? 
Was it funny or silly?
Did you speak a different language or pretend to use different dialects and dance to silly tunes? 
Was it a serious conversation about times long ago and the difficulties faced?
Did you ask for help with lessons or join mom for a cooking adventure?
Did you take a hike with dad through the woods?
Did you learn the names of trees and nuts?
Did you turn your conversations into a journal entry?
Conversations are the first part of great learning. Writing is the second part because you are using more movement. 
So dance like no one is looking and who cares if they are.
Sing and talk like you're on a great stage because you are on life's great stage.
Write like it will be read by scholars 100 years from now because it may and the scholars maybe your family. 
Enjoy being loud and silly and adventurous because that's what makes life so much fun. The world wants to know that living your life for Christ is the best life.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,

    our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations,

    “The Lord has done great things for them.”Psalms 126:2 (NIV)

Blessings, 

Gail