I’m taking a different slant on teaching techniques by showing how humor might be used to teach serious topics. I hope this lesson will be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, Family counselors, and family home evening.

Joke: made bed

My wife and I are teachers, and our jobs often spill over into our family life. One morning as our eight-year-old Maggie was getting ready for school, I peeked into her room to be sure she had tidied it up.

“You call THAT a made bed?” I asked.

“No, Dad,” Maggie replied. “It’s just a rough draft.” Received from Andychap.

I think this is a delightful joke and it teaches is a very important principle. We may never realize who is watching us or when they’re watching; us particularly when it comes to kids. In this joke the daughter is repeating a phrase frequently used by her parents. Kids can also learn of our prejudices, our concerns and even who we admire by what we do and say.

If we want children to be the best that they can be, then we adults need to be the best that we can be to be their example. I’m always amused by the phrase ‘do what I say not what I do’. It is from the day to day lifestyle at home that kids learn morals, perseverance and work ethic. If they see us cheat in taxes they will learn that’s okay to cheat. If they see us lie for our convenience or to achieve a goal they will feel justified in lying to someone else, even if that someone else is their parents.

At church I’ve heard numerous stories of people talking about the caliber of person their parents are and how much they admire them because of the quality of person they are. Their parents didn’t preach by mouth but by example. I grew up with a single parent. She raised seven children by herself. When I think of perseverance and a strong work ethic, she is on the top of my list of an excellent example.

I’ve admired my mother when she would us wake up early in the morning for family prayer before she went to work. I also admired how she would have the family meet together for family home evening. I’ve seen on display wonderful attributes from family members, friends, and even with peers from my various jobs.

If you had a choice of what you want to teach others by your example what would it be? When you die and people attend your funeral what would you like to have said about you? We can each began to be our best selves starting today. It’s my hope that we can each achieve the goals to be the type of people we really want to be with great success.

If you have an example of someone who you admire for a very specific trait, please feel free to give an example of that person. Maybe share a particular experience in the comment section of this blog thank you.