Comments on: Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/ on young adult books Mon, 14 May 2012 20:02:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: sally apokedak http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/#comment-2992 sally apokedak Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:54:51 +0000 http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/?p=6520#comment-2992 Thanks for taking the time to comment, Debra. And you, too, Loren, with all your business with the kiddies. And, oh, yes, I learned so much from my children about grace and Jesus Christ, too. And about my own sin. I thought I was an even-tempered, generous person until I had kids. When you have people demanding from you all day, you learn who cranky and selfish you really are. Deborah, thanks for commenting. Great article. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Debra. And you, too, Loren, with all your business with the kiddies. And, oh, yes, I learned so much from my children about grace and Jesus Christ, too. And about my own sin. I thought I was an even-tempered, generous person until I had kids. When you have people demanding from you all day, you learn who cranky and selfish you really are.

Deborah, thanks for commenting. Great article.

]]> By: Deborah Reumann http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/#comment-2990 Deborah Reumann Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:11:12 +0000 http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/?p=6520#comment-2990 Loved the speech...what a kid! Your comments made me think of the current, very interesting, author interview I just read in the Wall Street Journal about the superiority of the French when it comes to parenting. I have a feeling you'd agree with much of what the author says: http://tinyurl.com/87jcb3g How I wish my own parents had known how to help me become a 2 marshmallow kid! Loved the speech…what a kid! Your comments made me think of the current, very interesting, author interview I just read in the Wall Street Journal about the superiority of the French when it comes to parenting. I have a feeling you’d agree with much of what the author says:

http://tinyurl.com/87jcb3g

How I wish my own parents had known how to help me become a 2 marshmallow kid!

]]> By: Loren Warnemuende http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/#comment-2980 Loren Warnemuende Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:24:38 +0000 http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/?p=6520#comment-2980 I've been wanting to chime in throughout the week, but I've been rather busy. You know, doing things like making sure my children are clothed and fed, wading through temper tantrums, answering mind-boggling questions, getting them to and from school, etc., etc., etc. I suppose I really should have skipped all that and learned a page or two from my kids. If my seven-year-old had been in charge, we could have been late to school every day. My four-year-old who talks like an adult might have wowed me with her vocabulary, but watch out for the vale of tears that can pour forth as soon as things don't go her way. And as for my two-year-old? Well, maybe he can run things once he's learned how to go to the bathroom by himself! Oh dear, am I sounding a little sarcastic? :) Sorry, it's been a long week. But it's also had some amazing parts, and those include my kids who continually teach me to see Christ more clearly as they believe him without my grown-up skepticism, and who force me past my innate selfishness simply because of their dependence. So yes, they teach me. But I can guarantee I wouldn't learn half as much from them without the years of plain-old life experience under my belt, not to mention years of seeing God prove his faithfulness. Adora may have, as you said, some good end-points, but she still lacks a vital ingredient of being adult: life-experience and the wisdom and compassion that can come from that. Her presentation was admirable, but I couldn't help but wonder how much it looked like an imitation of adults. Who is she herself? I wonder if she's ever even had the opportunity to <i>be</i> a child, childish or childlike. Personally I feel sorry for her more than anything else! So that's my rant on the topic :) . Regarding the movies and shows you mentioned I couldn't agree more. I am blessed with a husband who is an awesome dad and role-model, but it would be easy to bash that if I followed the norms of our culture in how I treated him as a wife, and how I presented him to our kids when he was swamped with work and providing for us. I’ve been wanting to chime in throughout the week, but I’ve been rather busy. You know, doing things like making sure my children are clothed and fed, wading through temper tantrums, answering mind-boggling questions, getting them to and from school, etc., etc., etc. I suppose I really should have skipped all that and learned a page or two from my kids. If my seven-year-old had been in charge, we could have been late to school every day. My four-year-old who talks like an adult might have wowed me with her vocabulary, but watch out for the vale of tears that can pour forth as soon as things don’t go her way. And as for my two-year-old? Well, maybe he can run things once he’s learned how to go to the bathroom by himself!

Oh dear, am I sounding a little sarcastic? :)

Sorry, it’s been a long week. But it’s also had some amazing parts, and those include my kids who continually teach me to see Christ more clearly as they believe him without my grown-up skepticism, and who force me past my innate selfishness simply because of their dependence. So yes, they teach me. But I can guarantee I wouldn’t learn half as much from them without the years of plain-old life experience under my belt, not to mention years of seeing God prove his faithfulness.

Adora may have, as you said, some good end-points, but she still lacks a vital ingredient of being adult: life-experience and the wisdom and compassion that can come from that. Her presentation was admirable, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much it looked like an imitation of adults. Who is she herself? I wonder if she’s ever even had the opportunity to be a child, childish or childlike. Personally I feel sorry for her more than anything else!

So that’s my rant on the topic :) . Regarding the movies and shows you mentioned I couldn’t agree more. I am blessed with a husband who is an awesome dad and role-model, but it would be easy to bash that if I followed the norms of our culture in how I treated him as a wife, and how I presented him to our kids when he was swamped with work and providing for us.
Loren Warnemuende´s last [type] ..The Butterfly EffectMy Profile

]]> By: Debra Mayhew http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/#comment-2967 Debra Mayhew Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:07:15 +0000 http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/?p=6520#comment-2967 Great post, Sally. I've been wrong on many occasions as I raise my kids, and I'm not ashamed to apologize to them when it happens. But for the most part, there's a big reason God made parents parents and kids, kids. When my dad was growing up his parents wouldn't let him watch "Leave it to Beaver" b/c the kids were disrespectful. I wasn't allowed to watch "The Dukes of Hazard" b/c the police were portrayed as imbeciles. For me, it's about respect. I know my children won't always agree with me, but they know they need to respect the authority God has given me. There's no doubt that children are amazing, bright, and often right. It's why I want to be a children's author. But you hit the nail on the head in this post. Often times wisdom comes with speaking less and listening more. Great post, Sally. I’ve been wrong on many occasions as I raise my kids, and I’m not ashamed to apologize to them when it happens. But for the most part, there’s a big reason God made parents parents and kids, kids. When my dad was growing up his parents wouldn’t let him watch “Leave it to Beaver” b/c the kids were disrespectful. I wasn’t allowed to watch “The Dukes of Hazard” b/c the police were portrayed as imbeciles. For me, it’s about respect. I know my children won’t always agree with me, but they know they need to respect the authority God has given me. There’s no doubt that children are amazing, bright, and often right. It’s why I want to be a children’s author. But you hit the nail on the head in this post. Often times wisdom comes with speaking less and listening more.
Debra Mayhew´s last [type] ..Lights Out!My Profile

]]> By: sally apokedak http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2012/02/adora-svitak-what-adults-can-learn-from-kids/#comment-2966 sally apokedak Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:24:15 +0000 http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/?p=6520#comment-2966 Patrick, you make several excellent points. Thanks for adding to the conversation. I love Bill Cosby, too. Patrick, you make several excellent points. Thanks for adding to the conversation. I love Bill Cosby, too.

]]>