my new "weekly"

kay so I am a little later than I said I would be, but I am going to try doing something "new." I think I am going to do a spiritual post each week. You don't have to read it, I just want to have this where my kids can see that I do have a testimony. And I hope it will help me apply the things that I read into my life if I document my insights. I have been trying really hard to read one article from the Ensign each night, as well as some scriptures. I only have the conference issue of the ensign so I am going to share some feelings and excerpts from one of the conference talks that touched me. I have had a discussion about this particular subject with different people.. so I will just preface it by saying that I will share my opinions and feelings I have for MY life and family, and I respect that others have their own for their lives. I have read the talk my Elder L. Tom Perry titled "Mothers Teaching Children in the Home" many times. He speaks about how his mom would prepare to teach Relief Society and practice on her kids. He also says that his mom never allowed an idle moment because she was constantly exercising their minds, even during physical labor. wow.. does that mean that they didn't watch TV?? He did make me feel a LITTLE better when he said that times are different now than they were back then, so parents now have other ways to teach- there's my justification! jk My main thought in my head while reading this is about how Bailee is going to school this fall and there is such a controversy about whether public schools are "good enough" (for lack of a better way to put it) for our kids. I understand both arguments, but the feeling I get in this article is that no, they aren't. Public school ALONE is not good enough for our kids. but that doesn't mean we need to send them to private schools or hound our kid's teachers telling them that their curriculum or teaching methods our not enough. It means we, as parents, need to step it up in the home. Send them to whatever school you want to, but the responsibility is on US. Home schooling is an option, but I am a firm believer that I survived public school and I learned A LOT in school that I am sure I would not have learned at home. And that has NOTHING to do with how my mom was. She was and is an amazing example and I am constantly wondering.. "what did my mom do in this situation.."I have completely gone off on a tangent.. umm Elder Perry said "Parents must resolve that teaching in the home is a most sacred and important responsibility. While other institutions, such as church and school, can assist parents to 'train up a child in the way he [or she] should go,' ultimately this responsibility rests with parents. " So I figure, I will send my kids to the school they are supposed to go.. no matter what curriculum they are teaching, who their teacher is, or where the school is located. And I will think of that school as an "outline" in my child's learning path. Then, hopefully I will apply what Elder Perry's mom did- "My siblings and I were quizzed very carefully by our mother after we had been taught away from the home to be certain the correct lessons were reaching our ears and shaping our minds." He went on to explain that he would come home from school thinking he was through with learning for the day, but would see his mother and knew that more was coming. I heard the argument a couple times that their child will be at school for 8 hours and then come home and the parent has only another few hours to teach them the things they want them to know. Sooo they are assuming, then, that the child is just doing nothing at school for those 8 hours? Maybe I am not putting enough energy into my child's education, but I really have the faith that if I do the best I can at following the Proclomation to the World by "rear their children in love and reighteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of god, and be law abiding citizens," then the rest of the knowledge they need to learn in school or at home, will come to them in due time. I will follow promptings on what they need to know at what time and I am sure they will ask questions that will lead into a learning experience whether it was in my planned lesson or not. well there is my soapbox. I don't think the others will involve such "political" issues. but this has been on my mind since Bailee is at that age. I spoke with Dan and said "Are we bad parents because we are not worked up about all these little facts about the school Bai is going to, or what her teacher is going to be teaching?" and then I read this that night. And I was reassured that I have the control at home. That will make the difference as to what will go on in her mind. okay.. i am done now. promise.