Created
For Work: Practical Insights for Young
Men
Lessons
in Responsibility for Boys Levels 1 &
2
Practical ways to teach boys work habits and
responsibility!
 
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Valentine's Day:
Time for a Talk about True Love and Purity
This Valentine's Day might be a good
opportunity to talk to
your children about the difference between
real love between a
man and a woman (e.g., unselfishly seeking
the welfare of the
other and committing to life-long marriage)
and the world's use
of the word "love."
Depending on the ages of your children,
you might need to
scale it down for all of them, and then have
a more specific
conversation with your older children.
Do not assume that Christian children,
growing up in a godly
Christian home, know about these issues. You
need to come
straight out and talk about them.
For instance, many or most will agree with
the concept of
keeping themselves pure until marriage, but
what exactly does
that mean to you? To them? And how is that
ensured?
One of the most basic rules of conduct for
you and your
children is:
Never be alone with a member of the
opposite sex unless
you are married to him/her or he/she is part
of your immediate
family.
This rule was common for all decent
people, Christians or
not, in our country until relatively recently
when the practice
of dating became common. This rule:
• Protects you
and another from temptation too great to
bear.
• Protects you
from abuse or harm.
• Protects your
reputation from false accusations.
• Provides a
good example so that others may enjoy the
same protections.
Resources
"Not Even a Hint: Guarding Your Heart
Against Lust" by
Joshua Harris. Also "I Kissed Dating
Goodbye" and "Boy
Meets Girl" at www.joshharris.com.
What Love Is Like
God tells us in I Corinthians 13:4-8 what
love is
like. Here are a few
thoughts to stimulate your further
consideration.
1. Love is patient.
We are loving when we are willing to give
up our
time in consideration of someone else or to
explain a
math concept yet again.
2. Love is kind.
Sometimes we need to stop and evaluate
whether it
is real kindness, or the easy way out, when
we fail to
lovingly confront a problem with a loved one or
discipline our children.
3. Love does not envy.
We might not recognize it as such when we envy
another home schooler who apparently has it all
together when we feel that we do not.
4. Love does not brag.
It is sometimes a fine line between
affirming the
benefits of home schooling and
bragging.
5. Love is not arrogant.
This might be a temptation when we are
standing up
for our rights or what we think is
right.
6. Love does not act
unbecomingly.
A test for this one might be: would we act and
talk the same way to our family if a friend were
present?
7. Love does not seek his/her
own.
Selflessness is a true badge of love.
This is not
the world's way, but God will reward us for
it.
8. Love is not easily
provoked.
If we find ourselves taking everything the
wrong
way, it's time to realize that we need love
"to cover a
multitude of sins."
9. Love thinks no evil.
Give others the benefit of the doubt and don't
jump to the worst conclusion. Don't hold a
grudge or
remember past wrongs.
10. Love does not rejoice in
iniquity.
The failure of public education should make us
sympathize with those harmed, not rejoice
that the
schools are so bad.
11. Love rejoices in the
truth.
We should be happy when justice is
done.
12. Love bears and endures all
things.
Yes, life is hard, but love enables us to bear
wrongs against us, even by those we
love.
13. Love believes and hopes all
things.
Oh, the many mothers who have never given
up on
their families, but have prayed and believed,
and hoped
that they would follow the Lord!
How can we attain these
wonderful characteristics of love?
The Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace,
patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-
control in the lives of those who abide in Him
(Galatians 5:22, 23).
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Activities for Presidents' Day
Since 1971 Presidents' Day has been
observed on the third
Monday of February, honoring all past
presidents of the United
States of America.
Choose from the following activities for a
one-day unit study.
1. Learn about Presidents' Day.
Presidents' Day with information on
Washington and Lincoln at www.patriotism.org.
Annie's Presidents' Day Page.
Information, activities, and links at www.annieshomepage.com.
2. Memorize the names of the 43
presidents.
Also study their major contributions, and
learn to recognize their
portraits.
3. Research the presidents of the United
States.
See background information, election results,
cabinet members, notable events, and points
of interest for each
of the presidents. You will find links to
biographies, homes, monuments,
documents, audio and video files, and other
sites at www.ipl.org.
4. See a biographical
sketch and portrait of each president
at www.whitehouse.gov
and www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
5. Compare and contrast
the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Charles
Darwin—born on the same day, but
their lives had completely different effects!
See www.americanminute.com.
6. See speeches and
documents of all the presidents
at odur.let.rug.nl.
7. Find lots of
interesting information about our
presidents at www.factmonster.com.
8. Read the Christian
testimony of Washington and Lincoln at www.christiananswers.net
and www.crministries.org.
9. Listen to the voices
of 22 American presidents. at www.lib.msu.edu.
10. Make a presidential
timeline. (1789 to the present)
•
Alternate red, white, and blue strips of
paper; each the length
of a President's term (i.e., 1/2 inch per
year = 9 ft. total).
•
Label your timeline with dates and
presidents' names.
•
Add a small portrait (printed off the
Internet or drawn) of
each president. (See link above.)
•
Add major events in U.S. history. See www.infoplease.com.
11. Draw or paint a
portrait gallery of our past presidents.
or some of the ones that you admire
most. See portraits at www.ipl.org.
12. Draw the presidential
seal. See americanhistory.si.edu.
13. Color portraits of the
presidents.
•
Use crayons or colored pencils. See a page
for each at www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
•
See many coloring techniques with crayons,
markers, colored
pencils, and paints at www.crayola.com.
14. Study the Poem "O Captain, My
Captain."
This poem was written by Walt Whitman
about the assassination
of President Lincoln.
•
Recite or read the poem with appropriate
expression.
•
Study the meaning of the poem. See poem and
link to "poem
explanation" at www.galegroup.com.
15. Listen to, learn to
play, or sing "Hail to the Chief" at bensguide.gpo.gov.
16. Visit the White
House at www.whitehouse.gov.
•
Tours and activities for younger and older
children.
at www.whitehouse.gov/kids.
•
White House and Washington, D.C. information
and activities at www.enchantedlearning.com.
•
Check your local library or video store for
videos on the
White House (by A&E).
