Have you struggled with how to reach the heart of your child—in a way that seems more like fun than like correction? Today on Home School Heartbeat, HSLDA President Mike Smith talks with Mark Hamby about one strategy.
Mike Smith:
This week, we’re pleased to have Mark Hamby, the founder and president of Lamplighter Publishing. Mark, thanks for joining us!
Mark Hamby:
It’s good to be here, Mike, thank you.
Mike:
Mark, I know one of your core parenting principles is that it’s much more important to reach the heart than to try to realign behavior. Is that true?
Mark:
Well, that’s true Mike, because actions ultimately flow from the heart, just as it’s true that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Mike:
Well, excellent point! I'm sure our listeners agree with you, but in practice they may actually struggle with reaching the hearts of their children. How can stories help with this?
Mark:
Well, in a great story, from the first chapter, a bond needs to be formed between the characters and the reader. This leads to a vicarious experience. They need to see themselves in the story. Then moral or immoral values need to be demonstrated through those role models, who are either rewarded for right decisions or they suffer the consequences for wrong decisions.
I once heard that, we will be the same today as we will be five years from now except for the people we meet and the books we read. For example, it was the story of D.L. Moody and George M�ller, those two stories God used to change my life. I learned that what D.L. Moody did on his feet, George M�ller did on his knees. And those books went on to inspire me to start praying differently, to start living differently, and literally to start reading differently. Not only will stories reach our children’s hearts, but they’ll reach ours and help us guide us along the way.
Mike:
Mark, that’s a practical and encouraging perspective. And thank you for it, and until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
