Seize the Teachable Moment

I have always loved, what we called in my days in college (for elementary education), teachable moments.

These teachable moments, they are those times when you weren’t planning to teaching your kids about a particular thing, but the moment just presents itself. And, instead of giving a quick answer or rushing past it, you stop and you teach them.

Now, I know, there may be people reading this (through the Works for Me Wednesday, maybe) who will be apt to say, “Nevermind — I don’t homeschool.” But, teaching is just what we do as parents, friends, family members, spouses. We all learn from one another every day, and it has nothing to do with how or where your child goes to school.

Last night, we planned to step out in the evening and see the full moon. Only — it was too cloudy. That was, until after bedtime. Then, of course, it cleared up. We could have sent the kids to bed anyway. But we didn’t.

So, there was our family of five last night — in front of our house, binoculars in hand, checking out the full moon. We talked for a long time. And, then we all laid down right on our driveway, and we watched the stars and talked about them.

Instead of my kids snug in their beds, they were witnessing the universe. And, if I had put them to bed instead of seizing that teachable moment, I would have missed my Autistic nine year old son in awe as he stared up at that stars, laying on his back on our cold driveway as he said, “This is amazing. God sure did a great job, didn’t He?”

What a gift it was to the kids — and to me too!

No related posts.