Why I Love Rabbi Shmuley

I love Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Several years ago he had a reality show called Shalom in the Home, (Matt and I were so disappointed when it went off the air), and I've been a fan ever since. Raising Outstanding Children is one of the best short articles on parenting I've seen in a long time. My best friend, Ashley, sent this to me and suggested printing it out to keep these values in the forefront of our minds. Some of my very favorite quotes...

"Stop asking your child what he wants to do with his life - start asking who he wants to be...If your child becomes a president, but is a corrupt politician, then you've failed, he says. But if he's an honest garbage collector with a good heart, you've succeeded." Preach it, Shmuley.

"Stop speaking to your child about a career - talk instead about a calling...God has given you a unique gift that no one else has - find out what makes you special, and then give it to the world." Oh, how I want to help my children find their gifts.

"Stop focusing on grades and start focusing on intellectual curiosity...Stop making kids into human 'doings' who know how to perform but never develop any real desire to know." Kids who desire "to know" - how I pray for that.

"Stop speaking to your kids about happiness - start speaking instead about purpose...Your child's happiness shouldn't be the goal...It should be the byproduct of purpose." Maybe I love Rabbi Shmuley because he reminds me of my mom. I'm not here to make my kids happy, but I do hope to help them find their purpose.

And that is only four of the six values Rabbi Shumley suggests for raising outstanding kids! I want to be sure instilling all six values into Sophie, Will and Lillie. I've read a lot of great parenting books, but I think this little article packs several books worth of information into just a few paragraphs. Thanks Ash for passing on the inspiration and encouragement.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sophie's 8th Birthday

Image
Sophie had one of her most perfect days on her 8th birthday, and I loved that we were able to give her a dream-come-true day! She woke up to a birthday breakfast, but without our typical doughnuts because we were headed straight for the Franklin Farmer's Market. We showered her with art supplies and an Ariel birthday sign, and she was thrilled about all of them!  At the Farmer's Market, Sophie roamed around like the gypsy she is, thrilled to have $10 (instead of her usual $5) to spend! You can't imagine how much Sophie can buy with $10 at the Farmer's Market! When honey sticks are going for a quarter, that can make for a long day! It was hotter than blue blazes, and we'd brought Aunt Tori, Uncle Derek, Aunt Hope, and Zoe, so over half our crew had to head inside The Factory before Soph had finished her shopping, but not before we all enjoyed treats and lunch from Biscuit Love!  After the Farmer's Market, we all head to Honey's, a new candy
Read more

Happy 31st Birthday!

Image
Happy 31st Birthday Matt! Most people say things like, "I can hardly believe it's been a year since we fill-in-the blank... My, where does the time go???" Well, I know where the time since your last birthday has gone. It's been right here backing over us like a mack truck! All I can think as I remember last Halloween is how has it only been one year since you were celebrating your 30th birthday by going to a Halloween bash designed for teenagers while Aunt Pam and I took the kids trick-or-treating in the rain? It seems like at least three years ago since you and I were in the house with a princess throwing a fit about something while Aunt Pam was on the front porch knocking on the door to let us know our dragon had just made himself throw up to avoid wearing his costume. Seriously. Are you sure you're not turning 35? Since this year has been oh-so-eventful, I thought it would be no problem to come up with 31 memorable moments from the past year! 1. Begin at the b
Read more

The Bane Bane Game

Image
This was one of the last things I saw before collapsing in the bed last night. I went to check on Soph and Will, and when I saw them holding hands asleep, I almost heard God laughing-ly whisper, "this blessing was brought to you courtesy of the condo!" So, I went downstairs, grabbed the camera, and whispered back my thanks for children that are getting to, not having to experience sharing a room. Several hours later (though I would have sworn it was only a few minutes), I'm sleeping peacefully, with Lillie and Matt tucked in beside me, only to see two grinning roosters, loudly crowing, "Happy Bane Bane Day! Happy Bane Bane Day! Come downstairs and have your breakfast! We've played the Bane Bane Game!" Jolted awake, I yelled at Matt to check the time. He was meant to be at the office by 9 today, and I was so upset that we'd somehow slept through our alarm. I just knew it must be somewhere in the 10s because Sophie Roden never ever gets up on her own be
Read more