Monkey See, Monkey Do. . .

My Grandma gave me this little booklet called "The School of Manners." written for children in London in 1701. It's been an interesting little book to read. To say they were strict is putting it mildly. I wonder if they ever let their children be children? However there is one statement in the book that really provoked some thought. It says in reference to parents dealing with character defects in their child that "children have their own (as in the parents) image in mind as well as body."

I find that to be so true. My children don't just look like me, they also tend to act like me. They are little monkeys. I can talk to them about doing what they should until I'm blue in the face, but in the end it's the way I act that they copy. They see me do good things and then they go and do it, and I have to admit that I've also found them doing not so good things that they have also learned from me. I see character flaws in my children that have opened my eyes to the same character flaws in myself. It is a very humbling experience.

Quite often this issue is the subject of my prayers at night when I lay on my bed thinking over my day. I wonder how I can raise my children to be God-fearing, kind, and generous people when I, the one who is supposed to be teaching them, am so flawed. I realize that it is only with God's help that I can tackle such a daunting task and I pray that He guards their little hearts from my failed attempts.