You could have said NO *

I was doing stuff with Elijah around the house. First, we made a little wooden school bus. I tried to let Elijah do as much as he is capable of but when he is struggling I tried to tell him a better way. He wouldn't listen, here is a five-year-old that thinks he knows better than I. Finally I took the part and showed him and then he did it the way I showed him and he was more successful. We got the wooden school bus built. Then we painted. What a mess. We got the wall painted with touch up being necessary to the surrounding walls and baseboard. We went outside and the neighbor's 4-year-old asked to play horseshoes. I pounded in a metal stake and of course, Elijah wanted to pound in a metal stake also. I gave him the hammer after I started the stake. I turned my back to talk to Barbara and Elijah was crying his head off. Somehow he managed to hit his finger. He wouldn't let me look at it. I had to threaten him to let me look at it. Anyway as we were thinking what to do, was it serious enough to have a doctor look at it? Elijah says "You could have said No." I cracked up. It was my fault that he hit his finger because I could have said no and not let him use the hammer.  I try to let Elijah do things. It is faster to do it myself and he tries my patience because he thinks he knows more at five than I do with 55 years more experience. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I think about this verse as I deal with Elijah and the other grandkids. Once, Callia got to Gio over some toy and she knew she upset him. I will never forget when she said with a smile on her face, "I am sorry." we smile at the things grandkids say and do. They are learning in almost everything we do with them. It is our responsibility to train them. I do know as I got older I did try to teach my kids more. I remember having Carla watch as I changed oil and replaced a headlamp in a car. I wanted her to have a basic understanding of car maintenance. She surprised me when she put on coveralls and helped pull an engine in her VW. Just everyday stuff, showing them how to do just about anything we do. I remember an incident years ago when I was riding with a Pastor and we drove by a church member's house and saw this member putting up a fence. He was an older man but had never been taught even basics. The pastor stopped and we helped this member get his fence going before it looked too bad. He had never been taught even some basics and I tried after that to show my kids what I could. I learned a lot of things on my own. It could have been so much easier if someone had spent time with me. I remember a friend whose father was a machinist and he taught his boys how to use all those machines. Show our children what we know, and they will remember and do better. God bless, LVZ.