Online Book Club: The Headgate Week 1

I'm so excited to be participating in my good friend Rebekah's online book club. This month we are reading and writing about the e-book The Headgate by Brian and Keri Tibbets. (Click here to read.)

The Headgate: Week 1: Preface, Introduction, and Step 1: A House of Order

I was first introduced to the e-book The Headgate about a year ago by several of my favorite bloggers. There was such an online conversation going on about it that I was anxious to get a copy of it and read it for myself. When I first read it I was so inspired by the principles that it contained. Throughout this past year, I have tried to implement many of the principles talked about in the book, and I have seen amazing changes in my children and our home atmosphere because of those changes. I'm excited to be re-reading and studying the book again. By rereading it a year later, I see that there are a few key things that I had forgotten about and several things that had just fallen by the wayside, because, really, who can implement something new and get it all perfect right away.

This week as I was reading, I was struck once again with how critical it is for parents to create an environment in their homes that is conducive to learning. The Tibbets' tell us that if our home environment is right it allows our children's hearts and minds to be "free to fall in love with the most valuable and refined things this world has to offer... great books."  They also tell us however, that if the environment is wrong, "they will not recognize great books as appetizing, because their senses will be dulled."

This has been so powerful to me as I have thought about it and sought to create this kind of enviornment in my home over the past year.  The Tibbets' tell us that a child's senses were "created to guide them to the most nourishing activities, that would build and develop them into the best they can become."  They also state that children are "naturally attracted to the most nourishing and staifsying, the most gourmet and refined, the most heavenly and enriching, because these things inherently provied the most growth."

Isn't that truley amazing?  Our children are naturally drawn to those things that are the best things.  We don't have to force it on them.  They also come into the world and into our homes with a love for learning, and  a willingness to educate themselves in the best things if ,the conditions and the enviornment are right.

The Tibbets' tell us though, that their senses "can become dulled through entertainment and overstimulation, they then need greater and greater stimulation all the time if they are to feel anything. It is in this way that the delecate system of the sensory is misused rather than used."

A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation said that the average 8-18 year old, spends an average of 7.5 hours per day with media. Those numbers do not reflect time spent using media at school or for homework. It also doesn't include using cell phones for talking or texting, which would include another 2 hours a day.  Their study states that almost two-thirds of young people indicated that their TV was usually on during meals, and nearly one half (45%) said that the TV was left on “most of the time” in their home, even if no one was watching.  And, most youth today, say they have no rules about how much time they can spend with TV, video games, or computers.

Dr. Kim John Payne, in his book Simplicity Parenting says that he is seeing and treating, more and more children from average American homes, for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS).  The same disorder that he was treating children for in refugee camps in war torn countries.  He indicates the PTS symtoms these children are showing are stemming from being over stimulated all of the time, most of that stimulation coming from excessive media. He even gave these children a new diagnosis called Cumulative Stress Reaction (CSR).

Is that really surprising?  That children are spending on the average 7 1/2 hours a day, the equivalent of a full time job, being stimulated and entertained by media, and that it is causing them to be overstimulated?

It seems as though we as a society have to be stimulated and entertained all the time. We can't go for a drive without listening to the radio or popping in a DVD for the kids.  As soon as we come in the door of our homes we turn on the t.v. and check the computer.  We have our ipods on constantly and  for family time together we watch movies and play the Wii. 

How are children supposed to be creative, think deeply about great ideas, develop their talents, and even hear the spirit if they are being constantly entertained? 

The Headgate tells us that children exercise no self-discipline on how they spend their free time, but will spend their time doing what their heart desires.  They most often will choose to do what will give them the most thrill for the least amount of effort.  That is why creating the right enviornment  for your children is so important.  Children can't create their own enviornment.  The parents must do it.  


The Headgate gives us the steps to follow to create the right kind of envirnment for our children to thrive in. 

Because, my post is so long this time I will start next week's post with Step 1:  A House of order.

Next week:  Step 1: A House of Order

Step 2:  Require Work

Setp 3:  Inspire Daily