From Carmella Kelemen and the book Fifty Things that Really Matter . . . .
Under the Title “Teaching”. . . . Several years ago, my 14-year old son decided to boil water to add to his package of instant oatmeal. He placed a glass measuring cup filled with water on the burner of my stove turned to high. It wasn’t long before the glass shattered and the water ran down into the stove. When my son told me what had happened I was in disbelief. “You can’t heat something in a glass dish on the stove top,” I reprimanded. He responded, “How was I supposed to know? You never taught me that.” It was true. I had never taught him that or even thought to mention that little piece of information.
The next day my daughter at college called with a problem. She had used liquid dish soap in the dishwasher because they were out of dishwasher detergent. The dishwasher was frothing and bubbles were covering the floor. By the end of the week I concluded there were probably many things I just assumed my children knew, but that I had neglected to tell them: information, principles and behaviors that had not been “picked up” and that common sense had not provided.
One doesn’t always learn by watching another person do something. Children don’t learn to read, play the piano, or cook by just watching. They need to be taught—-carefully taught—-taught to be polite, follow instructions, manage money, maintain good health, get along with others, take care of their clothing and property, and taught to handle anger and disappointment.
We now have a household “Hint of the Day,” which is my opportunity (and my responsibility) to share with the family some things I think they need to know. I can’t teach my children everything, but I can do better by explaining the what’s the why’s, and the why not’s. I can teach as we work, face challenges, and even as we make mistakes.
It makes me smile as I watch my nine-year-old son enter a building, holding the door open for a busy mother with children. He holds it open because he has been taught. ~Carmella Kelemen, Leatherwood Press, 50 things that really matter to Latter-day Saints, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Distributors, 2007) p. 36-38
