It is time to up some training around here. Thought I’d share how I get my head around planning a training blitz.
Let me first explain: Training means to teach and practice a skill until the trainee gets it. As I said in yesterday’s post: Training is me getting involved, it is not simply telling the child and letting them have a go. It is me helping them get it.
A blitz is a short season of intense focus.
So today I am asking myself “What needs to be my training focus for the next little while?” To come to this point I need to:
- Observe: Before you can assign a training blitz you have to spend some time in observing your child. You need to notice where they are not doing as well as you would like.
- Define: Be very clear what it is you would like to work on in that child’s life.
- Understand: We need to understand where our child is at in the learning process and what aspect of learning do we really need to address. Consider what is missing in their life or in their heart, that allows this bad practice. E.g.
- They may not have been taught yet,
- They may not hold to the same value as you,
- They may need more practice/help before you hold them accountable,
- You may have let the standard drop
- Plan: We need to have a plan of how we are going to turn this around. What scripture verses are applicable, what character traits can we focus on, what stories can I use, what situations can I set up.
One of the things that we are going to work on is conversation/social skills at the dinner table:
- Listen to the discussion even if you are not involved
- Ask questions, and get involved if appropriate
- Try and involve other people in the conversation
These goals are staggered in age appropriateness as each of my children participates differently at the dinner table, especially if we have guests. This is partly appropriate as the younger ones may not be able to contribute to some topics of discussion but my heart is that they show respect to their elders by sitting attentively with the heart to learn something.
The Plan:
- We need to make sure we sit at the dinner table (yes, some nights it gets slack around here and dinner in front of a DVD is very attractive)
- I need to make sure we have specific conversation, maybe that the younger ones won’t automatically connect to (this is to ‘set up’ a training opportunity)
- I need to be aware of my goals as I go to the dinner table so I can direct conversation. (For my children to grow in this area – it relies on me!)
- Review Attentiveness, and address how this applies to dinner conversation
- Proverbs 5:23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly
- Review signals for Attentiveness (Character First activity)
- Review learning from your elders – honour – respect – humility
- Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
