Friday, April 25, 2014

Lessons From the Edge

Kids remember what moms say.

One of our favorite games to play at Edgewood is "Hangman".
You know the game, right?
*First you draw steps and a pole with a noose.
*Then you decide on a word or phrase to be guessed, and draw the appropriate dashes and spaces for each letter.
*And then you invite people to guess letters which might be in the puzzle - and you fill in the dashes with the correct letters as they're guessed. And, the incorrect guesses turn into body parts drawn into the noose, with a goal of solving the puzzle before "hanging" the man.
Wow, that sounds really morbid when you write it out. *wink*
Anyway, there is a significant group of folks who love playing that game with me at Edgewood. And I love finding words and phrases which will get them thinking.
I use lots of nursery rhyme titles - which always ends in us reciting the ditties, spending a little time "remembering when".
But my favorite Hangman category has to be "Adages". Except this week, we re-named that category. Now I'm calling it, "Things Your Mother Probably Used to Say".

Because...

When I was picking this week's puzzles, T was in the activity room talking with me. She asked about the categories for Hangman this week and I told her I was choosing nursery rhymes and adages. T told me how much she loves the adages, because they remind her of her mom. Seems T's mom often spoke those wise sayings to her daughter.
"A man is known by the company he keeps," T recited. And, "Haste makes waste."
I enjoyed the smile in T's eyes as she remembered moments with her mother.
And after just about every adage puzzle was solved on Wednesday, I heard T saying, "My mom always used to say that!"
So there you go, mom-friend. Keep speaking words of Truth and wisdom to your children.
Day after day after day.
Kids remember what moms say.

Karen
Disclaimer: The ideas and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and may not necessarily reflect those of Vista Springs Living Centers.

3 comments:

Leah Adams said...

Thanks for a trip down memory lane. I always loved Hangman...still do, but haven't played in years. It is true, the words of our parents embed deep in our hearts.

Joanna T. said...

Brought back memories...
"Smart people don't get bored."
"Being poor is no excuse for being dirty."
"You can do anything you put your mind to."
I pray the messages I tell my kids over and over reflect God's words to them!

Karen Hossink said...

Leah - I also play hangman with the girls in my Sunday school class. You should play it again soon. It's so fun. :)

Joanna - Yes, it can be a bit convicting, too. Because I don't want my kids to be remembering things like, "We can't do that. It's too expensive." or "I don't have time to play."
Makes me question what it is I say the most...