Parenting Tip #82 Illustrated Quotations

I found these photos in a drawer that reminded me of something I did with my children 20 years ago (whoa, that seems like a life time ago). My sister, who teaches school, always has her students memorize inspirational sayings. I decided that was a great idea and wanted to post some good sayings around my home to encourage my children to become better individuals. 

I thought it would be fun and help my children internalize these sayings if I had them illustrate the quotation. So I posed my children depicting the quote, took their picture and then made the sayings into small posters. I laminated the posters and hung them in different rooms around the house. It was so fun to do. 

I wonder if my children remember any of the quotes and if they have been an influence in their lives?
Here are some of the sayings:
Fair’s not there-so stop looking for it! (I must have said that to my kids a million times)

Best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen. Health and strength may fail. But what you have committed to your mind is yours forever. Louis LaMour

Great leaders are scarce. So I’m following myself.

Gossip has been well defined as putting two and two together and making five! Pascal

Here are just a few of some other sayings we illustrated:
Multiply yourself by 4 billion, then ask—would the world have peace? anonymous


Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive, easy to govern but impossible to enslave. Lord Brougham


It’s a shame to waste all these great photo posters. I wonder if they could benefit my grandchildren. They would love to see their own parents as a child illustrating "Fair's not there”. I think I’ll send some to my children and ask if they want to post them in their homes for awhile.


If any Grandmas are reading my blog, here is a way that YOU can make a difference in your grandchildren’s lives. You could photograph your grandchildren illustrating some of your favorite sayings or scriptures, then make the photos into a small poster and give it to your children to hang in their homes. 

Hey, maybe I can take the same quotation, but take a picture of the grandchildren illustrating it too, and have some then and now posters. Hurray for technology that makes it so easy to preserve memories and make it easy to have a picture be worth a thousand words.

Parenting Tip #77 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!
Will there be enough room?

Do you know this book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, written by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault? It’s a well loved preschool favorite that is in rhyme and tells what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.

I love children’s books and especially those which rhyme and have fun alliteration.
Isn’t this fun to say:
Skit skat skoodle doot.
Flip flop flee.
Everybody running to the coconut tree.
Mamas and papas
And uncles and aunts
Hug their little dears,
Then dust their pants.

There are so many fun things to do with rhymes; things that can benefit YOU as a mother. Are you having trouble getting children to brush their teeth? Challenge them to say “skit skat skoodle doot, flip flop flee” 10 times while they brush. That should be hilarious (but watch out for flying toothpaste).

Do you have trouble getting your baby to lie still while you change her diaper? Trouble with preschoolers getting dressed? Trouble with stubborn children eating dinner? Children not doing their chores or homework? Just start chanting sections from chicka chicka boom boom and soon you and they will be laughing and having fun and be surprised that the diaper is already changed, the clothes are on, the dinner eaten and the chores are done.

How about memorizing the whole book????? I just had talent show auditions at my school and I am always amazed at the Kindergarteners or first graders who recite long poems as if it is nothing [I meant your child memorize it—not you!]

Here’s another great phrase to memorize and say fast. Actually it’s a name: Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi- pip peri pembo, from the book Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel. Have your children who are fighting with siblings say that five times in a squeaky mouse voice and see if the atmosphere in your home doesn’t change really fast!