What My Parents Did Right
Editor’s Note: I asked teachers ministering overseas to give their students the above writing topic. Here are the responses from one teacher who traveled around from family to family and tutored the children for a couple of weeks to give Mom a break. She also had all the children together for a few weeks each year. I thought you might find them encouraging. (The grade levels given are the levels the children were at when they wrote these.)
Grade 7
RL: “Parents are the people who live with you and sometimes do things wrong that you don’t like. But they have done a lot of things RIGHT. Think of the little, tiny, simple things we overlook in our anger against them: kisses, hugs, playing games as a family, providing a home and food, and especially the three words, ‘I love you.’ I know my parents have said that, and it’s wonderful to know and to say it back.
“The bigger things that my parents have done right are leaving their home to serve God. My mom has given up things she’d love to do just to homeschool me. We read the Bible together which is really important. They have also disciplined me, not because they want to, or because I want them to, but because they need to. For the past twelve years, I have and do see that they truly love me, and are always there for me. When I grow up, I’ll always remember what they did to make sure I became a perfect child of God.”
BF: “Let me tell you about the things my parents do right: As a family we often go out together to eat dinner, go swimming, eat ice-cream, and sometimes we go to the park and jump on the trampolines. My mom homeschools us, so I see her a lot. Our mom is very nice to me during school, and she helps me when I’m stuck. At home, our mom cooks for us everyday and our dad prepares Sunday school for us. Our dad and mom discipline us when needed. My parents pray for me and they encourage me. My parents comforted me during lightning storms in Texas; they let me sleep in their bedroom in my Mickey Mouse sleeping bag (which I was very proud of).”
ES: “I think my parents are the best! Everything they do, even if I don’t think it’s right at the time, I know almost all of it is for the best. But most of the time, I like it. And I’m telling you, my parents know how to do it.
“When I was younger, I would sometimes freak out at night in the village. So I would slowly slip out of bed and dash to my parents’ room. I would quaver, ‘Mo-om, I’m scared.’ Then I would snuggle down in between Mom and Dad and drift off to sleep. Best of all, they didn’t mind my wiggles. Not much, anyway.
“My parents are always there for me. They know how to make me feel like the luckiest kid in the world, and they know how to discipline me, too. I think I am the most privileged person in the world with such great protectors, guides, and eternally loving parents. I love them with all my heart.”
LD: “Even though parents might make some mistakes, mostly they try to raise me right. They want me to grow up doing what’s right, so when I do wrong, they discipline me so I will learn. They want what’s best for me.
“They think it’s important to spend time together, like eating meals together. My parents will go out of the way so I can have friends over, and make an extra trip into town to take me to the pool. They will take a night off to play games with me. Whenever I’m feeling down, sad, or angry, my parents won’t mind putting aside what they’re doing to talk.
“One thing I admire greatly is having family devotions. They find it so important to have devotions, which has inspired me to have my personal devotions. If I have a family later, I’ll teach my kids the same things they taught me.
“Before I would go to sleep, my mom would always say, ‘I love you.’ I know that my parents love me, not only because they say it, but because they do actions to prove it.”
Grade 6
AF: “My parents care for me very much. I know this, because they do many special things for me. Every day my mom makes the meals. My parents pray with me, and they read the Bible with me. My parents enjoy going on outings or playing games and doing crafts with us. Even though they love me, they know they have to discipline me unless they want me to turn into a spoiled brat. But once I’ve learned my lesson, they give me a hug and tell me they love me, just like they do every night before I go to bed. I think I’m one of the luckiest kids to have them as my parents.”
Grade 5
HR: “When us kids do something good, we sometimes go out for dinner. My family tells me I am loved. When I am sad, they always comfort me. When I don’t know what to do, they help me study. My mom and dad work very hard to serve the Lord God. My mom disciplines me when I am naughty. Every night she says, ‘Have you prayed your prayers and read your Bible?’”
Grade 4
MR: “Let me tell you about the things my parents do right. My parents take us out for meals. My mum homeschools me and takes me horse-riding. Mum buys food and cooks meals. My Dad takes me camping with my friends and takes me out for meals. My mum and dad discipline to teach me what is right. Mum and Dad take me to special places.”
JS: “Let me tell you about the things my parents do right.
“Where they take me: they take me to the pool. They take me out for ice-cream and dinner. They take me horseback riding. They do a lot for me.
“What they do to me: They discipline me. They tell me that they love me. They comfort me when I’m sad. And when I’m discouraged, they encourage me.
“What they do for God: They pray, worship, serve, work on translation, help people, and read the Bible.
“What they do for me in school: They help me study, help me with homework, do home schooling with me, and put up with me.”
SL: “My parents do many things right. My mom helps me if I need help with homework. In the village, my dad helps the men work on translating the Bible for the people to read. Sometimes they take us out for dinner. Also, they take us out to the pool sometimes. They also tell me that they love me.”
Grade 3
SL: “My parents do many things right. My mummy does homeschool with me and Davina. My dad translates the Bible. They take us to the swimming pool or for ice-cream, and they always tell us that they love us. Every morning my dad reads a bit of the Bible.”
Grade 2
RR: “Mum and Dad, I like when you take me to the movies and for dates.”
Grade 1
MW: “Dear Mom and Dad, I like it when you give us treats.”
DL: “Dear Mom and Dad, I like it when you let me stay up longer, when you give me hugs, and when you tell me funny stories.”
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