Supernanny Rules

A Month Rich In History Lessons

by kadi on February 16th, 2008

February is a month chalk full of opportunities to teach children about culture, history and leadership. Even though the public school system touches on these topics, I feel that so much more could be taught if we, as parents, would make efforts to further these lessons in the home.

Our family celebrates black history because it is important for the kids to learn about other cultures. We read books about slavery and the people who are responsible for contributing to the abolition of one of the biggest mistakes our forefathers ever made. My kids always ask the same questions pertaining to why our ancestors would ever find it acceptable to use people as slaves. It is not a proud part of our history, but it is a part, none the less. I find that answering the questions with complete honesty is the best policy. I have planned a field trip to the Museum Of Tolerance, for my older kids. My hope is that they get a better grasp of how it felt to be treated differently because of race, religion, or creed.

We also celebrate Chinese New Year. We host a small celebration in our own home, that focuses on the many rich and time honored traditions of the Chinese culture. My sorry excuse for Chinese cooking would probably offend those who are really of Chinese descent, but it is the effort that counts, right? We decorate the house in red and gold, make paper dragons and give little envelopes with yen. The kids have a blast and don’t even realize that they are learning in the process.

Tomorrow and Monday, we will be celebrating the lives of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Since most of my kids are still very young, I am planning activities that kids of all ages can participate in. The first will be a short reading of their biographies. We are going to play a game where the kids match famous quotes to the correct corresponding president. We will make our own family constitution, dress up in homemade wigs and make Famous Abe’s hats. Being that Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president, I am going to focus on his presidency more so. I plan on incorporating his views on slavery into our previous black history activities. I want to show the kids that even some people in Lincoln’s era, had enough decency and morals to know that slavery was wrong. We will end the day by making homemade cherry pie as a tribute to the story of Mr. Washington and his inability to tell a lie (even though I believe that all politicians are born liars.)

Few months present us with so many holidays that allow us to instill lessons about ideals that will stay with our kids and create a greater appreciation for diversity. I think it is all too appropriate since February is also the month in which we celebrate love. Love for our fellow man is one of the most important lessons that President Lincoln tried to teach. It was his belief that a man should strive to be the best person he could,  while on this earth. Loving our neighbors and teaching our children to do so, is a great way to keep President Lincoln’s legacy alive.

Share This

Related Stories

• 92 Years Of Mother’s Day History
• Our Final Blogtoberfest Prize Winner - Drumroll Please
• Supernanny - Super Rich!
• Design Your Perfect Nanny
• What makes people do such stupid, barbaric things?

POSTED IN: Family Holidays