The Kids of Integrity Challenge is finished!

Perseverance wrap-up, and what's next

It was high time we finished off our Perseverance lesson, so I purchased a 750-piece puzzle at a garage sale. The image of puppies in paint cans was attractive to our mini problem solvers, though it had way more pieces than they were used to. Since it was a garage sale find, it also had the added intrigue of potentially being incomplete.

Initially Ben and Jess were quick to get the easy chunks together. Then they abandoned the project for a few days. After I helped with part of the frame, they got excited again. Over the course of the next ten days, the three of us picked away at it. In the end, we lacked six wayward pieces but had two thrilled kids. I was just relieved to get my table back! Completing the puzzle wasn’t a monumental “aha!” moment, but it was another baby step toward instilling perseverance in our kids.

This has been one of my very favourite lessons. I found it easy to think of ways to incorporate teaching into routine life, and discussion on the topic pops up almost every day. In fact, I’m kind of sad that it’s over because it has been so crucial not only for Ben and Jess, but for me, too! We’ve come a long way since we started.

So what lesson will we tackle next? Here’s a clue:

“I don’t like the way that hoodie looks.”

“I will NOT wear those pants.” 

“Mom, I really want a yo-yo” (after a demonstration at school). 

“Can we go to the dollar store, ‘cause I want to buy something.”

“I don’t want to play with that anymore. I’d rather have a new one.”

I’m hearing these phrases more and more from my clothes-picky son, and Jessica is freaking me out with her insatiable appetite for more STUFF! Looks like our home needs a colossal dose of CONTENTEDNESS.

Tags:

• Contentedness
• Perseverance