7 QT - What I hope our Children Learn from Advent

Here's my second 7 Quick Takes, and this week it is all about what I hope that our children learn about and remember from Advent as they grow up.

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Jesus

I hope that our children always know and always remember that Jesus is the reason that we are celebrating Advent and Christmas.  Living in a world of Santa, snowmen, reindeer, and elves this can sometimes be difficult.  I think that living the liturgical year in our home and homeschooling has made this a little bit easier for us, as well as a fantastic homeschool co-op and church community.  I hope that through our Advent Activities that Jesus will always remain the focus.

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Service

 

I hope our children learn to have hearts of service for others.  Their Daddy is an Emergency Room Physician and after his work shifts they often discuss how Daddy "helped the people".  I think it is so good for us to have these discussions as a family to learn and realize that there are a lot of people in our community and world who need our help.  We have started to do little things like Operation Christmas Child and the Giving Tree at our church and I hope that as our children grow that we can continue to add acts of service to our Advent season.

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Family

 

There is always a lot that can be going on during Advent as we prepare for Christmas, and I hope our children learn how to appreciate instead of speeding up to slow down and to enjoy time together as a family.  As it says in Scott Hahn's new book Joy to the World "The family is the key to Christmas...The truth of Christmas begins with a family".  I hope that through the years we all learn to draw closer together and appreciate our time together as a family.

 



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Love

I hope that our children continue to learn to love others like God loves us.  I hope that they use this time during Advent to not only learn how much God loves them, sending Jesus to this world, but also how to love others.  They really enjoy using "The Last Straw" and earning hay after doing acts of love for others to prepare the manger for Jesus.

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Patience

I hope that our children learn patience and the true longing of Advent.  I think it helps when they are little that we celebrate St Nicholas's feast day in a BIG WAY at the beginning of Advent and then slow down again preparing for Jesus's birthday, instead of trying to be patient for Santa Clause/St Nicholas on Christmas as well.  Either way, I hope they continue to learn patience during this special season.

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Forgiveness

I always want our children to know and appreciate the true gift of forgiveness.  I want them to understand the blessing of confession and God forgiving us, and also the importance of us offering forgiveness to those we hurt.  We have been working on discipline in our house and it has been working much better to instead just talking about what they did wrong to talk about how it makes other people feel when they do not listen, do not share, etc and how they need to offer forgiveness. 

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Joy

I hope our  children know that as much that the Advent season is about patience, forgiveness, and service that it is also about Joy!  I want them to grow to love the salvation story that has brought to the birth of our Savior so they are joyful for his arrival!  We have been having a lot of fun doing our Jesse Tree, watching Holy Hero's Jesse Tree DVD and Advent Adventures and these activities are truly helping us learn to prepare and be joyful for coming of Jesus on Christmas Day!

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