Parental Rights Vote on Friday

Hearing Friday on Parental Rights

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: On Friday, April 29, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear H.B. 1471, a parental rights bill. We need you to contact committee members in support of this important bill. House Bill 1471 recognizes that parents have the natural right to control the health, education, and welfare of their children in state law. It will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, April 29, at 2:45 p.m. in Room 100. Please contact committee members in support of H.B. 1471 and attend the hearing if possible.

Action Requested Because this bill affects all citizens in New Hampshire, it is not necessary that you identify yourself as a homeschooling parent. For H.B. 1471 please give the members of the committee the following message in your own words. “I am calling to ask you to support the House Bill 1471, which would explicitly recognize parental rights in state law as fundamental and better safeguard parents and their children. Parents have a right to direct the upbringing of their children, and there should be a high standard before the government can interfere with a family. Parental rights are a cornerstone of a healthy society, and recognizing these rights specifically and explicitly is vital to support for strong families and the state of New Hampshire. Please support H.B. 1471.” Contact members of the Judiciary Committee using the following contact information: Sharon Carson, Chair, R-Londonderry (603) 271-1403    sharon.carson@leg.state.nh.us Sam Cataldo, Vice-Chair, R-Farmington (603) 271-4063    sam.cataldo@leg.state.nh.us Bette Lasky, D-Nashua (603) 271-3091    bette.lasky@leg.state.nh.us David Pierce, D-Lebanon (603) 271-3067    david.pierce@leg.state.nh.us Gary Daniels , R-Milford (603) 271-3042    gary.daniels@leg.state.nh.us

Background H.B. 1471 is part of a national movement to recognize that parents need specific protections from increasing intrusion by government agents into the family. HSLDA recognizes the need for the government to protect children where evidence has shown that they are or will very likely be abused or neglected. However, we have also seen abuses in the system. We are concerned that government agents do not always appropriately respect the important and fundamental role of parents in our society. The case of Justina Pelletier in Massachusetts is just one example that shows that even well-meaning bureaucratic systems can produce catastrophic consequences for vulnerable families and their children. Sincerely,

Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. Staff Attorney

PS: We greatly value you and your support—it is a privilege to serve you! If you or someone you know is not a member of HSLDA, will you consider taking a moment today to join or recommend us? Your support for our work enables us to defend individual families and protect homeschooling freedom for all.

Thanks be to God

Tonight is a night of giving thanks and rejoicing. After an appointment with a doctor for one of my beloveds, there could have been sadness, fear and heartache...and more appointments. But instead God has granted us more time to live with a bit of ease; this child is being spared what some are not spared. We were able to leave the office after an hour-there was a new baby there for hours today. I'm certain his prognosis was not as easy as ours, and for that I'm grieved. His older sister, all of 3, happily played with the toys in the waiting room. He, too small to roll over, is dealing with things we wish no child would have to deal with and I hope he will be able to outgrow. 

It is amazing how fast our lives can change. We recently were going along with everything seeming pretty status quo, and within 2 consecutive days, the story line changed a little. A routine appointment for me is leading to another specialist that I can see the same day and time our youngest finds out if he has an eye disease. It is very unlikely he does, but until we get that confirmation, it is on the heart as a concern. 

God doesn't let us go. What I've seen this last week is the love and care He shows through friends. One brought us dinner tonight, which is such a sacrifice  knowing she has her own family to provide for. It is a comfort that works in a special way, nourishing us all and providing a beautiful example of love and care. I'm amazed at how touching receiving a meal is when I'm tired, or my house is a mess, or the week is stressful and full of concern or worry. 

Thank you, God, for making it so our night wasn't full of new anxiety and fretting. 

We are so grateful

Watching Others' Make Bad Decisions

When you are a Bible believing Christian, it happens that you sometimes see people making decisions that go against God's design, which you know will not turn out well. The fruit hoped for just won't happen. Sadly the decisions can start to show they aren't working long before the 'end' of the matter arrives, and what can you do?

You can't offer any advice when it isn't asked for, that is for sure! You certainly can't try to change the minds of those doing things upside down or inside out if they do not want to change or hear your opinion. 

As a believer, you can do what God has ultimately called you to do--be obedient to Him. He puts us in the families we're in, the neighborhoods we're in, the jobs we're in, the churches we're in etc. and He has a plan and a purpose we may not understand. Our job is to be obedient and trust Him to use us according to His good pleasure.  We may never see any results or fruit, but that doesn't mean we've failed. 

Some plant, others water, others harvest. Just live for God, serve Christ, and leave the rest up to Him. 

Child Rearing 101

A pitfall of raising children when things get difficult is to turn on the other parent as the problem rather than evaluate the situation empirically. Too often I see parents not raising their children effectively, and understandably, they get tired. The solution, they think, is to get more time away from their kids, but in reality, they need more time with their kids so they fix the behavior problems.

Training children to sit still, for example, is something I see newer parents today avoiding. They don't realize that nearly all children have to be forced to sit still for periods of time; it is a learned behavior that will require discipline. Discipline is something parents today often lack an understanding of. Biblical discipline is the right way to go. Spanking works, and it works well. The logic and 'wisdom' of man falls woefully short of God's perfect direction, and it is evident in how children respond to instruction and correction. How my heart breaks for kids whose parents do not love them enough to effectively train them as God has instructed. Everyone suffers, and parents do not enjoy parenting as much as they could.

Another area I see parents often failing in today is teaching their children to be respectful of those around them. Children are allowed to run around restaurants, talk over grown-ups trying to have a conversation nearby, and in general, be the center of attention at all costs. Mom and Dad don't teach them to be quiet, ever, and they fail to see how their offspring act worse when the attention isn't on them. There is manipulation and passive aggressive tendencies being formed, and no one seems to care. Take notice, parents, if when you try to have adult conversations your child starts to get in to something they know they aren't supposed to get into.

Expecting first-time obedience, with a cheerful attitude, is an attainable and desirable goal. Why should you tell your child more than once to stop doing something? They understood you the first time, right? Then they should move their little selves and do what you said. If they know you mean business every time, then they will obey quickly, every time. If you don't think this reality will make you enjoy parenting more, you are sadly mistaken!

I hope that if you are raising young children, you'll take time to think about this. I don't know you. I don't know your kids. I'm just someone writing who enjoyed my children when they were young. It was tiring, but not like the tired I see around me now, and my kids weren't annoying to be around. They knew their place, especially among adults, and they knew how to 'go play' when told to do so.