Insight Jar: like a "bug jar" for thoughts

I've been wanting a place to keep record of what I learn each day. I guess, to be more accurate, it's not that I'm really learning that much every day, but there are "insights" that come bouncing into my brain and I want somewhere to catch them. I hope that I can then observe, analyze, compare them to other thoughts, and hopefully learn something at the end of it all. I want to inspire my children to keep records of their thoughts, too, so I figured I have to be the example.



Today, I've been reading "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. Something she wrote describes an aspect of human behavior that was also pointed out in a parenting book called "Between Parent and Child". I love it when the "truth" is confirmed by another witness. The idea is that parents (or teachers) can show empathy for feelings, but the less said about behavior--the better. The only way to encourage better behavior is through example. Bronte's character, Helen Burns, is constantly reprimanded and flogged by one of the teachers for her lazy and disorganized behavior. I know that faultfinding and critisism doesn't work to change behavior, but what about praise and loving guidance? Helen's other teacher is "gentle and full of goodness". Helen says, "One strong proof of my wretchedly defective nature is, that even her expostualtions, so mild, so rational, have not influence to cure me of my faults; and even her praise, though I value it most highly, cannot stimulate me to continued care and foresight."



If this really is true, then it makes my job as a parent easier in some ways and more difficult in others. I can relax and lay off constantly telling my kids how to "be". However, I need to "be" better myself. The greatest teacher told parables to illustrate princibles. I'd like to stop myself during those times in the day when I'm tempted to talk about behavior and instead, research stories from my life or the lives of others that model good behavior in that aspect. Then, later, if I still feel the need to say something, I have a parable. In trying to be a better example myself, Pres. Packer said, "The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."