Questions to Increase Critical Thinking Skills and Discernment

These are questions that I used to ask my kids when we would watch a movie.  It helps to increase their critical thinking skills. This is great for ages 8-12, since that is when they are able to start thinking abstractly.

Questions to Increase Critical Thinking Skills and Discernment:

• "Which character did you admire most? Why?"
• "Do the themes in this movie reflect reality? Do they reflect truth?"
• "How do the morals on-screen compare with the values you've been taught at home, in school or in church?"
• "Do you think movies like this have any effect on how close you feel to your family, friends or God? Explain."
• "How might you imagine God reacting to this movie? Why? Would you feel comfortable if Jesus sat watching it with you?" (See Matthew 28:20)
• "Beyond God's opinion of the movie, does the movie have an opinion of God? What is it?"
• "What would happen if you imitated the lifestyles or choices of the characters?"
• "How does it make you feel to know that, by renting this video, you are supporting the morals and ideas it's promoting?"
• "What would you say is the main point of this movie? Do you agree or disagree with it?"

TRAIN Up a Child

Window: Ages 2 - 5 = Discipline

My favorite season of parenting was ages 8 - 12.  In parenting you are given definite "windows" to instill into your kids.  Age 1 - 5 is the "window" of establishing discipline.  A disciplined child = a child with a good self-esteem.  If you do that job well, life is much easier than if you miss that window. 

Window: Ages 8 - 12 = Training

At age 8 - 9 a child's brain develops to the point of being able to think abstractly.  What that means is that they are able to comprehend spiritual concepts.  It is this "window" of time that your majority of training will take place.  It's after the baby stage and before the teen stage.  It was this season of life that I drilled wisdom into my kids.  This is how I did that.  Again, it takes being intentional. 

1.  Video Games = sound effects turned OFF, and teaching tape on LOUDLY!!

I hate wasting anything.  I hate wasting, money, I hate wasting food, but I especially hate wasting TIME.  My time and energy are my most valued commodities.  When the kids were ages 8 - 12, they started getting interested in video games.  The only way I could justify them playing video games was if they played with the sound effects turned OFF and a teaching tape playing in the background.  I'm fully convinced that this policy is a key factor to the success they are experiencing today.  They listened to so many tape series they had them memorized.  They listened to Pastor John's sermons any time they played video games. 

2.  Family Devotions: AKA "Nugget Night"

Every Friday night we had "Nugget Night" which was family devotions.  We named it "Nugget Night" because of the nuggets of truth we would discover in God's Word.  We would all gather in the living room, everyone with their workbooks and pens and we would listen to series on "The Armor of God", " The Holy Spirit", or "Teenagers". We would fill out our discussion questions and do a round table discussion on what we learned.  The kids loved "Nugget Night", because we always ordered pizza and ate ice cream after our Bible study time.  They would also invite their friends in the neighborhood to come to "Nugget Night", so it was a great evangelism outreach. 

3.  Discipline = Training

Another thing that changes dramatically during this stage of life is your style of discipline.  You use misbehavior as an opportunity for training.  By this time your child is too big to spank, so you need to change your parenting strategy when it comes to how you correct your child's behavior. This strategy replaced the "Swat Chart" on my punishment board when my kids got older. Though it was a new strategy, it still enabled Tim and I to "always have a punishment in our back pocket."

Negative Reinforcements for ages 9-12:

1. Wash Dog

2. Sweep Porch

3. Don’t go to CHAT (Our home school support group)

4. Clean Mirrors

5. Do dishes

6. Write Chapters of the Bible

7. Write 100 times: "I will not be a “Beamer” based on Matthew 7:1-5. ("Beamer" = Focusing on the faults of others.)

8. Write Matthew 7:1-5

9. Memorize Matthew 7:1-5

10. Write: “I will be kind to my brother” 100 times.

11. Write: “I will be kind to my kids.” Note: This was for me, if I did not hold up our family's "kindness" policy. (Yes they could punish me as well. More on this later.)

12. Memorize Proverbs 3

13. Write an essay on punishments

14. Write: “I will not stir up strife or anger."

15. Vacuum

16. Pay money

17. No Telephone

18. No TV

19. No Computer

20. Raking pine straw up into the pine islands

I know when you are struggling just to keep your head above water, get dinner on the table and the kids to hockey practice, it might be hard to keep in mind the big picture.  But it is vital to keep in mind what you are aiming for. 

Tomorrow I will cover my parenting strategies for the teen years. 

Cheering you on!!