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I was just getting ready for work recently when my daughter randomly commented, “Mom, do you know that thing with the four guys [Mount Rushmore]....I want to see that someday!”  This led to a brief discussion about monuments and memorials and why we build them which got me thinking about monuments and memorials to God. As we celebrate graduations this week, we know the excitement and importance of recognizing this significant milestone in young adults’ lives. But do we put the same excitement and importance for God’s great works in our lives?

When a child turns 3 or 4, parents often begin to wonder if their child is ready to go to preschool or a kindergarten prep class (K4, T-K, Pre-K). Some might even get that parental anxiety that comes up every now and then (like me) and wonder if you are doing enough to help prepare your child for adult success. As my son turned 4 in April, I began to think, “Does he know his ABCs?” “Can he write his name?” “Does he recognize shapes?” “Does he have social skills appropriate for his age?” These questions led me to ponder, “Does my son need a Kindergarten prep class?”

Since 1994, Heritage Oak's goal is to prepare Tehachapi students for their kingdom vocational work, both locally and beyond Kern County with a Biblical worldview. Our first senior graduates walked across the stage in 1998 and from then on, we have seen our students make a huge impact across the globe.

It may be called reasoning, logical thinking or critical thinking, but they are essential skills in adult life whether it be at work or at home. The definition of logic is reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity. You hear people say “You need to think logically.” But why is it important to teach children to be logical?

When we talk about preparing for college financially, we tend to think of college saving accounts, scholarships and the financial aid packages.  But even as we save and seek out ways to help the family finances, too often we neglect preparing our student of financial independence. Take this quiz below to gauge your high school student's preparedness for financial independence.   

“It is just crazy to believe in Creation!” “How can you ignore actual science and believe in some all-powerful being creating everything?” “Don't you know that evolution is a proven scientific theory?” These are just some of the comments that our middle and high school students will have to face when they are dealing with the topic of evolution. Evolution is a difficult topic to discuss with your children. It can be a very complex issue but it is also a very important one. How can we help prepare our kids to have this discussion with peers and teachers?

 The American diet, full of processed foods, salts and lack of vegetables, leads to poor health.  Even more misleading, celebrities tout ‘healthy’ diets such as organic or gluten free diets (for those without diagnosed celiac sprue), which have no evidence regarding health improvement.  The internet and glossy magazines in the supermarket, offer endless myths, legends and lies about ways to improve your health. Try the keto diet, buy this supplement or try this 24 hour cleanse!  Meanwhile, despite trying these fads, the average American remains overweight, inactive and sleep deprived.  Have you ever considered what ways you could sustainably improve your personal health and your family’s health? Where do you turn for advice?  

We learned from last week’s blog post, Eliminating College Debt, One Latte at a Time, that the average college graduate will carry about $37,000 in debt into their adult life. One way to help eliminate this debt for our children is to start a college savings plan early on. Another way is to have our kids apply for grants and scholarships. Each year about $49.3 billion is given in “free money” (students do not have to pay this back) through grants and scholarships by the U.S. Department of Education, colleges and universities, and private sources such as individuals, foundations, churches, professional groups, and many more.(1) But how do our high school students get awarded some of this money?

 37,152 will buy you a lot of things.  It’s the price of a new Audi A4 or a 20% down payment on an $180,000 home or 8,353 Grande Gingerbread Lattes from Starbucks.  It’s also the average amount of student debt carried by college graduates. In 2018, the total outstanding student loan debt hit $1.53 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. What if there was a way to decrease this debt for our kids and start them out on the right path after graduation?  Great news! By beginning a college savings account today, the future can look brighter!  

Certain life lessons are critical for success and happiness such as looking both ways before crossing the road. Or the consequences of not obeying traffic laws. Or why it’s a bad idea to spend more money than you make. Even as we strive to teach intentionally, our behavior influences our children all the more.  More is caught than taught. How we handle money in day to day life speaks volumes to our children about its purpose and its role.