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Once a 4-H competitor, now she's a 4-H Mom |
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By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas |
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May 9, 2002 -- As a 4-H member and competitor in her younger days, Janice Luensmann experienced just one side of the active lifestyle. Now, as a mom, she is experiencing the flip-side of that lifestyle. Janice, who lives in Cibolo with her family, is enjoying the role of being a "4-H Mom" to her own kids. It's no surprise that Janice and her husband, Charlie, are encouraging their three children to participate in 4-H. Years ago, each of them showed animals in Guadalupe County, too. They were even president and secretary of one of the clubs. "My husband and I were in 4-H when we were in junior high and high school, and we raise pigs and steers. We thought it was something we'd like our children to do," said Janice. Now, it's their childrens' turn, and Lea, 10, is well on her way to a successful 4-H experience, with Ross, 8, and Carli, 6, following in her footsteps as soon as they are old enough. Lea says that it has taught her a lot of responsibility, after only two years. Most of the Luensmann family is involved in agriculture in the Guadalupe County area. Several uncles, aunts and cousins, along with the grandparents, participate in some way with the childrens' 4-H projects; and being on the other side of the coin -- as the adult -- has proven to be a bit of a change from when they participated in 4-H. "I didn't realize how much parent involvement was necessary, as a child in 4-H. It's gotten so competitive that, nowadays, the parents are really involved in it," said Janice. While Charlie assists Lea with "lining things out" and telling her how to show and detailing chores such as proper feeding, Luensmann said her responsibility is usually one of complete support. "I help her do all the cleaning duties and the washing (of animals). We wash the pigs and we wash all the show steers every Sunday. We started out washing them once a week, that's usually my job," said Janice. (Lea says her mom makes sure her clothes match for the shows, too!) Lea shows steers, pigs and turkeys. While Charlie really enjoys the pigs the most, Janice said she likes the steers, and she ordered the first batch of turkeys for show without telling anyone. Seems one of her sisters had been having a lot of luck showing turkeys, and Janice decided that might work well for Lea, too. With three children and working as the elementary school nurse in Cibolo, Janice, a registered nurse, just thought she was busy before Lea became old enough for 4-H. Now, she almost has to keep a written list of when and where they need to be. "My active role with her (Lea) is knowing when the meetings are, getting her there on time and listening at all the meetings and different contests she's involved in," said Janice. Lea participates in the food and nutrition, livestock judging, method demonstrations and public speaking activities in 4-H. And, as members of two 4-H clubs in Guadalupe County, the Luensmann children often get a "double dose" of the activities. All this means "Mom" has to be there to drive the children to the various homes and farms for practices. "I'm just running them around; when we need to go and where we need to be," said Janice. "The best thing about 4-H is that it promotes self-confidence, and learning how to lose." It's something that all the kids need to learn in order to enjoy and celebrate their friends' successes, too, she added. She said that while caring for and showing the animals teaches a lot of responsibility, parting with the animals at a sale is hard on Lea and Charlie. "I'm the one saying, 'It's okay, it's okay. We'll get another one. He's (steer) going to be with his friends.' It's a good life lesson, the way I look at it. You learn when you love something, sometimes you have to let it go," she added. Janice has had her own challenges in the past four years. Diagnosed with breast cancer in '98, she emerged from the chemotherapy and radiation with new outlooks on life. She had been working for a company in San Antonio with Workman's Compensation and doing case management. When the company closed that office, she had the opportunity to move to the office in Houston, but didn't consider it. After the cancer diagnosis, the position as a nurse in the school where her children are became available, and she has never looked back. "I love it! You'd have to lay me in the street and run me over to get me to go back to hospital nursing," said Janice. She said she decided the commute to San Antonio would take her away from her family too much, and since she didn't know what the future might bring, she wanted to spend all the time with her family that she could. And with all the 4-H activity, she is getting what she bargained for! |
