Mommy Life: Teaching compassion and generosity

Reading Now

The American Catholic Experience

Leaving Cold Sassy

On Being Catholic

Sister Wendy's Story of Painting

Les Miserables

Rules for Radicals

How did Obama do it?
Here's the blueprint.

World

Our family has been subscribing to this news magazine for 12 years - News from an enlightened, intelligent Christian perspective - and getting better all the time. Great reading for teens too.

Surprised by Truth 2

15 men and women - including some evangelicals who were deeply prejudiced against Catholicism - share their personal experience as well as the biblical and historical reasons why they became Catholic.

Reading to Kids

Story of the Orchestra

With CD!

My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories

Love this! Check Giveaways

The Little Red Hen

Hooray for a good work ethic! The little red hen asks but receives no help in her efforts to put bread on the table. Yet all who wouldn't help would like to eat. In a refreshingly old-fashioned triumph of moral consequences, they don't get to!

Noisy Nora

Poor Nora! The loveable mousette experiences all the pangs of the child-in-the- middle, caught between the demands of baby brother and bossiness of big sister. Catchy meter, playful illustrations make for a wonderfully satisfying mouse's tale. Baby-Preschool

A Chair for My Mother

A remarkably beautiful story told by a young girl whose mother is a waitress. Since they lost all their furniture in a fire, they've been saving mother’s tips in a jar – so they can buy a big comfortable chair for their whole family to enjoy – daughter, mother and grandmother. Life has its ups and downs, but there’s always lots of love. Ages 4-7

Caps for Sale

Be dramatic! Shake your fists! Stomp your feet! You and your toddler will have so much fun with this wonderful story, in which common sense prevails over temper tantrums! 3-7

See more great kids' books under Barbara's Picks

Character Sketches From the Pages of Scripture, Illustrated in the World of Nature

Institue in Basic Youth Conflicts

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June 19, 2006 10:10 AM

Teaching compassion and generosity

Received this email from Joni, who blogs at What It's All About

Hi Barbara,

My name is Joni. I am the SAHM to a 4, 3 and 16 month old. I found out about you after reading The Mommy Manual, which I love. It is in my top 5 books on mothering and I recommend it to all of my mom friends. Then recently I found your blog, and I love it!

I'm writing to share with you that I used an idea from your book at our vacation Bible school this week with my class of 90(!) five year olds. Our lesson was one the rich young ruler. I shared with my class of rather affluent little five year olds how blessed they are with material things, but that the real treasure is Jesus. I then used my World Vision gifts catalog (thanks for your inspiration to use mags like this!) to share with them photos of how other children live. Not to say, goodness, aren't we glad we don't have to live like that? But to raise their awareness of how most of the world lives and to promote gratitude and generosity in their little hearts.

I do this with my own children as well, thanks to your great book. Thank you for the many wonderful ideas in your book and on your blog. You are a light in my mommy life.

I linked to your blog today in my post as I was sharing about the above idea. Thanks for your encouragement to us mothers of young children. Please continue.

Warmly,
Joni

NINETY five year olds in a VBS class. Ay-yi-yi! And she lived to write about it :)

Thanks, Joni. I'm happy to pass this on. I especailly appreciated your sensitivity to showing the pictures in the proper spirit:

Not to say, goodness, aren't we glad we don't have to live like that? But to raise their awareness of how most of the world lives and to promote gratitude and generosity in their little hearts.

And anyone wanting more information on how to increase your child's awareness of what Joni is talking about, see my entry under Barbara's Picks: Early Education for National Geographic or Countering a Culture of Plenty.

Love,