Graduation for 5 year olds at St. John’s Preschool. Happy day for children, parents, family, teachers, and friends!
Here’s a cool comment. “Obedience starts in the highchair not the electric chair” ~ Greg Laurie.
We pray for a time when one day preschool education will be available for all children in our country, public, private, or cooperatives. Give us the faith and wisdom to channel our time and funds to early childhood development programs and eventually reduce funding to the prison system. In this new world economy training children can start before kindergarten.
After years of teaching Sunday school and watching children growing into adults, we have faith that early nurtured education by parents, family, schools, and community will make a positive difference in a child’s future. Reflecting on my past, now I can understand, the good feelings teachers receive as they watched their students grow and contribute in their communities.
Yes, together we can work towards a better future. #startsathome.
Written By Carl Okuyama
Five Year Old’s Addition Workbook – Yahoo!Playing House. Mother Mary and Jesus. How cute… her own idea.
Mom a few week’s before giving birth to Justin. Kimberly 3 years old, Jeffrey 2 years old, and Justin coming soon.
The year was 1983, Amy is at the Hilo Hospital and she just gave birth to Justin, our third child. Kimberly was three years old and Jeffrey two years old, they both were eager to visit mom and their new brother. Like the saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”, before leaving for the hospital I asked the children, “we’re going to visit your brother, the poor guy has no teeth, no toys, and some clothes; do you think you can share and help him?” Jeffrey and Kimberly quickly noded with a smile and said “yes”, Kimberly handed over a toy and said “he can have this”. This was one way to plant seeds for a helpful and sharing family.
It’s now 2015, thirty-three (33) years have passed and Kimberly, RN worked at Queen’s Hospital’s Trauma Center of the Pacific, and Queen’s Mililani Emergency, she and her husband Christian just had their second child his name Cody. Although time has changed the spirit of helping and sharing has carried on. Now, her daughter Andee who just made three years old, in the name of building and helpful family is being promoted to a new and very important job – Mommy Helper. Congratulations Christian and Kimberly, you’re great parents.
Andee gives Cody her first kiss, she’s been waiting for this day for months.
Teach sharing and helping others. It’s good to facilitate the concept of “ours” verses “all mine”. “All mine” promotes selfishness, egotism, and a may foster a bully in our mists. A challenge for an informed parent is knowing the concept of siblings not wanting to share their mommy or daddy when new siblings are born, this can pose a challenge as the earlier born children doesn’t want to loose or share the attention of their parents to the new baby. A suggestion would be mom or dad asking the children to be a Mommy or Daddy Helper, to help with small chores that give children the opportunity to be with their parents and be complimented and encouraged.
These chores are performed togetherwith the older child, newborn, and parent. This may take the form of helping change the baby’s clothes, feeding the baby, giving a bath, pushing the stroller, changing the diapers, going shopping, or other family chores together. When showing the newborn to family and friends, you can keep the older child in the conversation by asking “Andee, uncle Justin wants to know how much did Cody weigh at birth?” Keep giving the children the attention they shared before the the newborn arrived. Keep up the great job you’re doing!
By Carl Okuyama
Andee’s smile says it all. Andee is now a #MommyHelper and #DaddyHelper. Yay!!!
Tony Freitas is the person on far left. Thank you Tony #gooddad.
Before driving out of Walmart’s parking lot at 6:30 am, I realized I forgot my wallet at the Customer Service Counter, yikes, all kinds of thoughts rushing through my mind. What a terrible way to start the day!
About fifteen minutes later I get a call from the person who found the wallet, he came back to Walmart’s front of store loading zone and hands the wallet to me, wow, I’m so relieved.
A parent’s actions speak louder than words.
The best thing about the avoided disaster is when the father passes the wallet to me through the truck’s window and refuses to accept a reward. Watching in the truck is his wife and their young son. What a great lesson for the son, who was just taught about resisting temptation, honesty, and service above self. I saw and felt a wonderful feeling in the son’s and wife’s heart and eyes.
Thank you Tony Freitas you’re a #gooddad. Best wishes to you, your wife, and son. Keep up your good parenting!
Jeffo at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Hawaii saving lives. “Best lifeguards on the Planet” Honolulu Magazine, December 2013.Excel Company hires Jeffo to model their new shark repelling wet suit. Photo taken by Excel two miles off shore Haleiwa, Hawaii
Haleiwa Hawaii – Today was Jeffo’s day off from his work. While on the golf course he get’s a call to take President Barack Obama for a jet ski ride; he didn’t answer his phone. Jeffo’s reply was, “missed a chance of a lifetime”. Jeffo and buddies have built a good reputation “Best Lifeguards on the Planet” by Honolulu Magazine December 2013.
Here’s our son Jeffery Okuyama, aka “Jeffo”, doing what he loves doing best, saving lives.
How did Jeffo get this way:
1) Show them how without fear or reservations. He started swimming before walking.
2) Dispel myths before the children watch the TV that may teach them fear. A good idea was taking the children to the graveyard on a full moon to share with the children how peaceful a graveyard is. The headstones were reflecting the full moon, we enjoyed the peacefulness.
3) During a freak 5:00 am, 80 mile per hour wind storm bringing the children out from their comfortable beds to show them this “cool” experience and opportunity was a good idea. Tall tree’s were snapping across the street; we just had to remind the children to be careful and be focused on what’s going on… think!
4) Prayer works. After winning the State swimming event for the Butter Fly stroke, Jeffo calls as I’m out-of-town, he asked “I prayed before the event, did that help?”
Today, Jeffo is a water safety officer for the City & County of Honolulu, “buddy doubles” as a stunt on Hawaii Five-O, swims with sharks in their caves, hire to do commercials, has a jet ski service business, gave Heather Locklear surfing lessons, and loves taking his niece for a swim or ride on the surfboard. Jeffo remains quiet and keeps a humble social presence. He love’s what he does, we thank God for everything.
We have three children, each one different, with different talents, skills, with the same friendly spirit with less fear than many.
Encourage and train them in the way to go. Have fun with your children and enjoy parenting.
Starts at Home 