“Calvin,;get;my;hammer-tacker;out;of
the;toolbox.”
“Which one is it, Dad?”
“The;one;I;use;to;staple;the;carpet;pad
to;the;stairs.”
“Oh, yeah. Here it is.”
“Thanks,;son.”
“Now;son,;here;is;how;you;use;this
tool.”
My;job;situation;has;changed;and;this
scenario happens less often. But those
were;good;times.;I;taught;my;children
quite;a;lot;about;installing;carpet;over;the
years.;If;I;were;an;auto;mechanic,;I;would
teach;my;children;how;to;use;wrenches.
If;I;were;a;chef,;I;would;teach;them;how
to;use;knives.;If;I;were;an;accountant,;I
would;teach;them;how;to;use;a;spread-
sheet.;You;get;the;point.
Teaching;them;the;proper;use;of;tools
involves;more;than;teaching;them;how;to
hold;the;tool;and;how;to;care;for;the;tool.
The;proper;use;of;tools;means;knowing
how;to;use;them;for;the;glory;of;God.
Paul;said;in;I;Corinthians;10: 31,;“
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God.”;Tools;are
gifts;from;God;and;recognizing;this;fact
is;one;way;to;glorify;God;in;the;use;of
them.;The;inclined;plane,;the;lever,;and
the;pulley;aren’t;the;inventions;of;man-kind,;but;were;created;by;God.;He;creat-ed;work;for;us;to;do,;a;world;for;us;to;do
it;in,;and;the;mechanical;processes;nec-essary;to;make;and;use;tools;of;all;kinds.
When;we;use;tools,;let’s;remind;our;chil-dren;about;the;God;who;provides;them.
Since;I;don’t;take;my;children;with;me
as;often;now,;I;must;be;more;deliberate;to
use;the;opportunities;that;arise.;I;missed
a;chance;recently;to;teach;my;boys.;After
replacing;a;leaking;faucet;in;our;home,;I
realized;I;hadn’t;called;my;boys;over;to
watch;and;learn.;Next;time,;I;won’t;make
that;mistake.
When;I;do;bring;my;children;with;me
to;work,;people;are;intrigued.;They;often
ask,;“Are;they;out;of;school;today?”
My;response;is;usually,;“They;are;off
track this week.” This answer usually
stops;the;line;of;questioning.;Of;course,
as;homeschoolers,;we;are;way;off;track.
I’ve heard other questions as well:
“Don’t;you;know;about;child;labor;laws?”
I’ve been asked this one many times
while;working;with;my;children.; People
say;it;jokingly,;and;I;joke;back;with;them,
“No,;it’s;not;child;labor.;I;give;them;a
place;to;sleep;and;buy;them;ice;cream;on
the;way;home.”;After;we;joke;about;child
labor, people often make other com-
ments.;Usually;they;say;how;wonderful
it;is;to;see;a;child;working.;They;think;it’s
good;for;kids;to;work;instead;of;playing
video;games;all;day.;Then,;they;tell;me
their;own;story.;“When;I;was;twelve,;I
started;working;with;my;dad.;He;was;in
construction.;I;learned;how;to;work;hard
and;now;I’m;trying;to;teach;my;children
those;lessons,;but . . . “
After;the;“but”;their;voice;turns;mel-
ancholy;and;trails;off.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
churches C families C homeschool co-ops C small groups
PERFECT FOR:
The Firmly Planted Family
Series is divided into
ten-week studies and is
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verses and discussion
questions for children of all
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student workbook is filled with age-appropriate,
full-color, reproducible activities for children of any age!
helping families flourish
firmly planted
www.firmlyplantedfamily.org
Fathers;can;wisely;use;everyday;mundane;chores
to;teach;the;value;of;work.
