To Train up a Child

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

We watch the children at various times of the day. One thing you can see, these children are not idle!! They are lovingly being trained to work with their hands and redeem the time wisely. They wash clothes, hang them on the line, wash dishes, garden, cook, and help their mommies (the name they have for their housemothers). They do it with a willing and cheerful heart. My mom talked with the housemothers after we made these observations. The following is a general schedule that they follow:

1) Wake up (6 A.M. on school days and 7 A.M. on week-ends and holidays).
2) Make up bed.
3) Chores (inside and outside the house).
4) Prepare for school.
5)Eat breakfast/wash dishes.
6) 7:30 - 8:00 morning devotion.
7) 8:00-2:00 school.
8) 2 P.M. snack - they nap.
9) 3 P.M. wake up and play.


10) 4-5 P.M. continue playing, water plants.
11) 5 P.M. begin baths.
12) 6 P.M. supper (take turns and help with the cooking).
13) Each child washes his own dishes after supper.
14) 7:00 - 7:30 activity (review reading and math).
15) 8:00 or 8:30 go to bed.



Every Saturday morning is laundry day. Every day they wash their school uniform.



As one housemother reflected, "We must train up the children so they can be productive and responsible adults when they go back into the community.

Ephesians 5:15-16 "See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."