Sunday, April 26, 2015

Missing the Moral of the Teaching

My husband and I are not great bunny lovers, because like peter rabbit they always seem to enjoy our garden. However, this Sunday evening I was eager to show my find to my two year old daughter who is always loving especially to animals and babies. So as my husband, daughter, and I gathered around our backyard window to view the tiny baby rabbit who was nibbling on some grass I knew I had hit the jackpot and she would remember this memory forever. Turns out I will...

She gasped in horror at what she saw through the window and hurriedly bustled towards the door. I asked her where she was going not wanting her to miss seeing the bunny. She responded with a smile on her face, "I have to go bop it." Not believing my child could possibly know exactly what she was saying I asked for clarification. Again with that smile, she began to act out the brutal bopping of a baby bunnies head. There was no question what she meant. Not sure what a good parent would do at this point; I allowed my daughter to go bop the bunny.... I will never forget watching her little pajama legs slinking around the deck and popping around the corner of where the bunny used to be. She seemed relieved when it was no longer there and sprinted back into the house for safety.

Nursery leaders my child is learning, even if it is not the moral of the song!

It is amazing how we can teach a concept and kids just run wild with a little bullet point and miss the bigger picture. I recently taught four year-olds about having a living prophet on the earth today. I wanted them to relate to Thomas S. Monson and so of course I told them about lots of wonderful things he did and happened to include the fact that he can wiggle his ears. Two weeks later I am teaching again and one little boy can hardly sit in his chair he is so excited to show me that he has been practicing for two weeks, and sure enough he can now wiggle his ears. I was delighted that something had sunk in and again we had the opportunity to reinforce the concept of following a living prophet.
I didn't realize the teaching might have been a little skewed until I asked the class this question: Why do you want to be baptized?" I got the usual answers from the class; for instance to be like Christ and because I like to swim. However, when it became this boys turn with pride in his voice and confidence brimming his tiny four-year-old body he said, "Because I have to get to God to show him I can do this" (while wiggling his ears). Correction little four year olds while it is good to follow the prophet I do not know that wiggling your ears will win you any brownie points....

Don't worry I was recently removed from that calling and now teach the 8-year-old class who have already made the choice to be baptized.

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