Kids Today

I took my kids to the park yesterday. This isn't a major event and typically I wouldn't blog about it. But I noticed something yesterday that found me thinking, "I MUST blog about this..."

My daughter decided to swing, so we headed to the swings together. Shortly after my daughter sat down on a swing, the girl next to her, whose mom walked halfway across the park to help her stop the swing, fell out of it. Backwards. The mom was already heading back to her gaggle of friends who were harassing her in Spanish, so she did not notice her daughter (about six) holding her elbow and crying. I asked if she was okay, and she looked at her mom walking away, then nodded her head, "Yes."

I then saw NOT ONE, NOT TWO, but FOUR other children fall out of the swings. Two were too young to be on the swings alone. (And the parents were no where to be found). One was plenty old enough, but still fell backwards. The other fell off the swing backwards with parents RIGHT THERE. She was also old enough to swing alone...about three...but she could not. I then saw a girl, about three, sit on the swing and grunt until a parent came and started pushing her.

What is wrong with kids these days?!!!

I can't imagine having a child that can't sit in a swing without falling out. Keep in mind that the swings were not even swinging! Are kids today so uncoordinated that they can't sit in a swing or get it going themselves, or, I don't know...ASK for someone to push them? I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but then quickly realized I shouldn't be surprised at this since I see how parents coddle their children. Granted, my kids started MyGym at the ages of two and one year. I remember going to the park and watching my two year old daughter scale a ladder effortlessly and then see a 5-6 year old not know how to climb up. I'm not sure how this happens. If you can't get your kids into programs, or don't feel they are necessary, at least take them to the park! Play with them. Push them in the swing. Let them climb the ladders. Because if you wait too long to get your kids active and into doing natural kid activities, there will be a mom at the park with your much too old kid, just looking for something to blog about. Oh, and because they will look like a fool at school...should they attend.

Also, stop letting your kids run free at the park if they are under two. What are you, crazy?

Struggling Basketball Players

It was a regular day at our homeschool basketball camp, until my son approached me to get a drink of water. "Guess where he put me?"
"I don't know..."
"Point guard."
Silence.
"Point guard?"
"Yep."
I had to see this...
My son is in his third year of basketball. Well, his second year, if you take out the first year that he played and his teammates learned not to pass the ball to him. Even during practice, they would scrimmage, and leave him out. He ran up and down the court...for nothing. I stayed silent, though I felt the coach was making an error, because I knew his teammates would learn their lesson when they HAD to pass the ball to him during a game and he would not know what to do with the ball. He was eight at the time, and could barely make a free throw. The one time he did try to shoot, he was fouled, and missed the free throw.
The next year, he played at the Y. I drove an hour away to get him into a better program, where I hoped he would learn more. His fundamentals improved slightly, and he learned to be a great rebounder, because he had to in order to get the ball! He still needed work on ball handling, but that would come in time. I can't remember if he ever tried to make a shot that year. He certainly didn't make any.
This fall, he played his third year, and also played again in winter. He was now one of the tallest boys on his team, and his feet were probably twice the size they were when he was eight. He fell over them a lot. He made a lot of rebounds, and finally...FINALLY...made his first basket! He had a lot of close shots, certainly better than not shooting at all, but the anxiety he causes himself was definitely diminished after he finally got that first one out of the way.
So now it was time for homeschool basketball camp. They had seen him play for three Wednesday afternoons. Six hours all together. And they put him at point guard. Were they crazy? Or was this coach a genius who knew what would make him step up?
The scrimmage got underway, and I suddenly got it. No longer was he allowed to piddle around in the background while everyone else moved the ball. He did not just run up and down the court, hoping for a pass. He couldn't. He did forget, numerous times, to stay back and get the ball. "Oh yeah...I have a different job." And he didn't listen to me to keep the ball down and got it stolen from him as well. But as I watched, I couldn't help but wonder if the coach was really that smart, or if this was divine intervention? For weeks I had been trying to figure out how to make him understand that every player has a job to do, not just the player with the ball. On defense players would go right by him, even though I know he knows what he's supposed to do. He just gets so busy watching the game and forgets that he's IN the game! As a single mom, I knew I had to choose my words carefully. Nobody wants his mom teaching him basketball when he is almost eleven years old. But I never came up with any words. How do you teach a child to get IN the game?
You put him at point guard.
Afterward, he said he loved playing point guard. He has lots to learn, but now he has the motivation to work on the ball handling drills he has learned at camp. He may never play point guard again, but the lesson he learned will stick with him. It is difficult to become a great athlete when you only have a mom and a little sister at home. Thanks to good coaches who look past the surface, he is well on his way...

My Potato Project: The Importance of Organics

This video is very interesting, because my son did the potato experiment and got...NOTHING. Now we know why. Here is the video:


This has inspired us to do our own experiment on something else. Stay tuned for the experiment video and results!

Answers in Genesis SALE on DVD's

This is an AWESOME sale if you want to stock up on DVDs about creation-based topics. I just got some for my kids and myself. Sale DVDs are just $7.99 with coupon code 1202, plus every 5th DVD is FREE. Just visit Answers in Genesis Bookstore.The sale is good through March 31. Just go to the DVD Super Sale page and they will be listed for you. I bought 10 DVDs, some with double discs, and shipping was only $4.99. Some titles include:
Genesis: The Key to Reclaiming the Culture
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made
Genetics, Evolution, and Creation
Dinosaurs and the Bible
and LOTS of other great titles!

Poor "Reporting" in Politics

I get a free copy of our local paper, The Wichita Eagle, which is left in my driveway for me to "read." The paper was a week old, but as I went through the paper for pertinent sales or coupons, I noticed an article entitled Kansas GOP gets ready for Caucus in March by Dion Lefler. I must be a slow learner, because I'm used to the national mainstream media neglecting to cover the whole story, but for some reason I was surprised to see a local paper doing the same thing.
If you are a Ron Paul supporter, aka "Paulbot" or "Paultard," you know what I'm talking about. I've found myself wondering if our schools are so bad that they don't teach reporters how to properly report the news, or are they learning in the field to only partially cover their stories? In any case, you can read a similar article online if you'd like to see what I'm referring to. Feel free to leave a comment there.
http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/06/2205610/kansas-gop-preparing-for-march.html

Call me a Paultard, but call me FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Online Parental Controls

Due to an incident with another child using my son's computer, I was up until 3:30 am making sure everything that was supposed to be getting blocked actually was. But it wasn't. It was very frustrating, because while facebook was blocked, another website, with "porn" actually IN the domain name, was NOT! And you know that the very first page of that website had all kinds of filthy images you never want your 11 year old son to accidentally come across. It makes me sick just thinking about it.

I came across the website quite by accident. All I did was google my maiden name. A number of sites came up, including these disgusting porn pages. The text in the results was bad enough, but clicking on the url made me about lose my stomach. We use Titanium Maximum Security for keeping these kind of websites unviewable, but I had to go in and manually block this url. And it wouldn't "take" so of course I was up all night until it would.

I bring this up so that YOU can double check your parental controls. And to let you know that you need them. As much time as I spend on my computer, you would think I'd be on top of that, but the fact is, our kids go looking for things sometimes and sometimes it is pushed right in front of them. Don't take the chance, and make sure your kids' computer is locked up tight! They will never get those images out of their heads. Trust me.

Five Biggest Misconceptions About Unschooling

Here is a great article on unschooling. We do part unschooling, after we have done our math, reading, and writing for the day. I don't stress so much about the science and social studies or history lessons, because they learn those throughout the day and just by living life. Here is one family's perspective:

Five Biggest Misconceptions About Unschooling

Excellent Creation Curriculum for Kids

Recently I stopped by Answers in Genesis on a quest for a curriculum for my kids. I own numerous tools already purchased from AiG, so I already knew I liked their stuff. But when my daughter informed me that, "We don't really learn about God in church," I knew exactly where to find information that I trusted to be accurate.
You might be wondering why we are attending a church where the kids aren't learning anything. To be honest with you, I am suspicious of all church programs because even when they ARE learning "about God" what are they learning about Him? Most church teachers are as confused and misled as the unchurched are about creation, which leads to numerous errors in teaching, so really, what's the point? I do like that their teachers care about kids, enjoy the kids, and provide them with good life lessons (based on the Bible, at least), but it is my job to correctly teach them what Creationsists believe and have discovered about the beginning of life.
What I discovered at AiG was a wonderful Bible curriculum that can be used at home or at church for ages 7-11. Perfect! It arrived last week and I've been reading through it. I am SO excited about starting our lessons next week. The book contains 30 lessons for the teacher, student handouts, a music CD, and a teacher resource DVD-ROM with illustrations and printable worksheets. You can also order separately additional student handouts if you are teaching more than one child. You can learn more by visiting Answers in Genesis. I highly recommend this curriculum if you are interested in creation-based Bible lessons. If you have no clue what "creation-based" means, I highly recommend it for you as well. The best way to think of it is this: If, when you are reading with your child information that includes "millions of years ago," you don't stop and remind her that the earth is not that old, you have been taught to believe contrary to what the Bible says. Learn the truth according to the Bible, and pass that truth onto your children!

Red Ear Slider: Turtles are a LOT of Work!

About a year and a half ago, my son decided he wanted a turtle. To his dismay, it is illegal to purchase turtles in the state of Kansas. Darn it.

His dad told some friends of ours to be on the lookout for a baby turtle in their creek. To my dismay, they found one. It was a red-eared slider, maybe an inch and a half long. He was a cute little booger. But soon, I found out how much trouble turtles are, and how much they cost!
At first, we dug up worms and fed him that. Then it got too dry and worms were hard to find. But that was the least of my concerns. We kept him in a little plastic box with water. At least I knew it was an aquatic turtle, but that was all I knew. At the pet store, thankfully I ran into someone in the turtle aisle who knew all about red-eared sliders. I realized then how little I knew, and it was a miracle that the turtle had survived thus far! I did know enough to take the turtle outside everyday, but did not realize how much water they needed to be in. They have to be in enough water to turn 360 degrees, because if they end up on their back, they have to be able to turn over. If the water is too shallow, they can drown. Weird, huh? Here are some other things I learned...
1. An adult red-eared slider will need a tank AT LEAST 40 gallons in capacity.
2. It is necessary to have both a basking lamp (over a "turtle dock") where the turtle can bask, as well as a lamp providing UVB rays, necessary for keeping the turtle's shell healthy.
3. Young turtles should eat everyday, while adults can eat every other day. Commercial pellets are available, which are very convenient and not expensive at all.
4. The average life span is 20-40 years with proper care.
5. Cleaning a turtle tank is very important to keep the turtle healthy. A filter appropriate to the size of the tank must run constantly. The sides and bottom should be scrubbed when scum begins to accumulate. It is easier to have no rocks at the bottom of the tank, so that debris like turtle poop and leftover food can't hide. When debris accumulates, there is s simple siphoning vacuum that works well. The water should be changed frequently. The filter should be replaced about once a month.

As you can imagine, most of the responsibility of the turtle, aka "Snappy," has fallen on me. My son does help me, but I would prefer it not be my job at all. I mean, it's not like a puppy that can warm your lap or give you "those eyes." It's a turtle! A cold-blooded, hard-shelled, appreciate nothing turtle! But my son loves him, so I do what I need to do. He wants a parakeet for his birthday. That's NOT gonna happen! Here is Snappy now...

In-line Skates Review

Before I had kids, I enjoyed rollerblading, and did it often. But once pregnant, and then pushing a stroller, I gave up the hobby and got rid of my skates, thinking I would probably never skate again. Then my kids got older and loved going skating on weekends, and of course, I had to join them! When my son outgrew his roller skates, he wanted "rollerblades," or inline skates. I found a great pair at Sports Authority a couple of years ago. They adjusted from sizes 1-4, and he put them on and loved them from day one. My daughter continued to wear her "Barbie" roller skates until she outgrew them, and got her brother's hand-me-down rollerblades, which were still as good as new. He moved up to the next size, which fits sizes 5-8. Shortly before Christmas, I found a great deal on some for me, and then found the male version of my skates for my boyfriend. We were all set to go. Or maybe not.

My boyfriend had bought his three kids some inline skates from Target. Like my kids', they also were size adjustable. They were a little cheaper than what I paid for my kids' skates, but looked very similar. One of his daughters had worn my daughter's rollerblades, so she immediately complained that the wheels on her new skates did not "go" like they were supposed to. They did not sound the same either. They had a plastic sound, where ours have more of a rubber sound. They all felt rubbery, but obviously they are not all the way through. Then, my boyfriend's son put my boyfriend's on, and my boyfriend put his son's on, and that's why I am writing this. His son was unable to hold his feet quite right in his own skates, but when he put on his dad's skates, his feet were straight, and he immediately was able to skate better. My boyfriend said that he could actually feel the line of wheels under his foot in his son's skates, rather than feeling like his foot was on the platform that sits over the wheels. It was a HUGE difference! Why is this?

Well, first off, price has a lot to do with it. All of the skates for me, my boyfriend and my kids were Rollerblade brand inline skates. I did not realize it at the time, because my kids' were labeled "Bladerunner" which I found out later are made by Rollerblade. There are other brands out there, which I'm sure are just as good, but the only experience I can speak of is with Rollerblades. My boyfriend's skates are the Rollerblade Spiritblade Xt Men's Skate, my skates are the Rollerblade Spiritblade Xtw Women's Skate, and my kids' are the Rollerblade Bladerunner Phaser Kids 4 Size Expandable Skate. I looked at the construction of the skates, comparing the cheaper skate to the Rollerblades. Visually the construction is a bit different, but structurally, the cheaper skate is much more flimsy and doesn't seem to provide the stability necessary to keep the ankles straight. The brand to avoid is Schwinn. I'm not sure if Rollerblade was the first company to put out inline skates, but I know that they have been making them a lot longer than Schwinn, and I'm guessing that Rollerblade has worked out the kinks over time and Schwinn is putting out a product that most people won't know is inferior. But after seeing both brands next to each other, and with three of us able to try both kinds, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, the difference in price is insignificant when you look at the difference in quality. It is possible that a child in the Schwinn skates will never be able to skate well. They can literally turn a child excited about skating into a child who puts them away to never try again.
If you are shopping for inline skates any time soon, save up a little longer and get the better brand!

Benefits of Sports and "Extra" Curricular Activities

As a homeschooling parent, it has always been important to involve my kids in sports. That was their way of getting to know other kids in town. They have both been involved with swim team, basketball, football, cheerleading, softball/baseball, soccer, Taekwondo, bowling, dance, and gymnastics. They have also participated in art and choir with a homeschool group. My intent in having them participate in numerous activities would be to allow them a variety so that they could pick which one(s) they wanted to stick with. After about five years, my daughter has narrowed her focus to competitive dance, art, and learning guitar as well a singing. My son still enjoys all the activities, and plays sports year 'round at the Wichita YMCA.
Over the years, I have seen a definite benefit to having them try out different activities. First, they obviously are more active, using various muscle groups and learning various skills. This keeps them fit, while they enjoy spending time with kids their own ages. Second, they are mentally challenged learning the various rules of the sports they play. I find this very important since I did not have this opportunity as a child. I began competitive swimming very early on, and made time somehow for softball from the ages 10-18. But I do wish that I was able to learn different sports so that it would be easier to help my kids with them.
Finally, and this is my most important point, sports and activities allow a child to gain self esteem in natural ways. I have seen my kids grow immensely by trying new things. Even if they aren't the most athletic kids around, eventually they will gain new skills, and when they do, it really makes them feel good. They have learned that the more work they put into something, the more they will get out of it. They have learned not to fear new things, and not to be embarrassed if they don't get something the first time. They are more confident kids, and they know their strengths and weaknesses.
I felt led to write on this topic because I have seen kids who have not been involved in activities outside of what they do in school. There is such a vast difference in these kids, and it is really sad. It is almost as if their personalities have not been allowed to flourish and their self esteem is just waiting for something to bring it to existence. Often parents use money as an excuse. Especially in today's world, with so many divorces and dual-home families, finances are tight. I have found a way around this by taking advantage of programs at the YMCA, where children will NOT be turned away. You can apply for financial assistance, which is provided on an as-needed basis. Some things are outrageously expensive, such as my daughter's competitive dance at the YMCA. But sports, which are non-competitive, are affordable and enjoyable (most of the time...sometimes there are crazy parents that are out for blood). Money should never be a reason to exclude your kids from trying different activities. If you imagine their futures, I believe you will see what a positive impact it will have on them, by providing things that you can't do effectively at home. To me, it is a worthwhile investment, even if it means that I will have to go without things myself. I still remember to this day some of the amazing catches I made in games, and the goals I reached in races and the praise I received from coaches and parents. It is one thing when our parents tell us how great we are, it is TOTALLY another to get that praise or encouragement from outside the family. Let your kids be praised; let them be encouraged, and let them spread their wings, while you watch and enjoy. Sit back, and let them thank you. Because they will!

Nintendo 3DS Causes Headaches

While in GameStop shopping for multiple children, I was able to try out the new Nintendo 3DS game on display. Within three seconds of looking at the image, my eyes felt like they were crossing, and my head hurt. I couldn't imagine playing with it for any extended amount of time, and I imagine it can't be good for kids who will. Even if they don't get an immediate headache, I wonder if it can cause other problems, or even migraines after playing it for a while. A few days after thinking about this, I did what any normal parent would do...I Googled it to see if I was the only one. I was not! There are numerous complaints about the 3DS causing headaches, dizziness, and even nausea. They say it only affects "some" people. If you are thinking about getting one for your child, have him try it out in the store. Also, you can change the 3D effect to 2D with a slider on the console. But heads up...if your child is having frequent headaches and you have recently purchased a 3DS...you are welcome...I have just put two and two together!

How to Keep a Healthy Child in Fall and Winter

It's almost like clockwork. If you pay attention, parents start complaining about sick children the week following Halloween. It isn't because it's colder. It isn't because they went out half-dressed when it was 40 degrees. It IS because of CANDY. Logically, we know that candy is really bad for children. Sugar wreaks havoc on our immune systems (and FEEDS cancer!) but we give our kids a pass on Halloween where they go crazy for a couple of days, taking in most of their calories in sweets. My son, whom I thought was old enough to handle the responsibility at age 10 of not gorging himself on the candy, went crazy this year, and sure enough, he was sick within a day or two. So I heightened my vigilance, and made sure we all stepped up our vitamin usage, which usually keeps us healthy throughout the year.

If you were honest with yourself, you would probably have to admit that your child takes in too much junk. Whether it's cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream, pop, hot dogs, white bread, etc... I bet there is a lot more of these going in rather than fruits and vegetables. Kids also don't get enough protein. If you are feeding your child fat-free products, he may not be getting enough fat! Thankfully, we can work on changing dietary habits while providing them with vitamins and minerals that keep them healthy.

Best of all, we can do this without spending a fortune! How does $.37 per day sound? Learn more!

Treating Eczema

I don't think I've ever blogged about eczema, which is kind of weird. But neither of my kids suffered from it, so I guess I had no reason to think about it. An older child I know does suffer from it, however and I'm writing this because I think I have figured something out. I'm certain that doctors give parents way too much credit. The doctor of this child told her mom that the child should only take short, warm (not hot) showers. That advice is accurate. But the mom makes the child shower daily...which I think is CrAzY. And if the doctor had known this, he may have told her not to. Then I saw the lotion that the child was being slathered in and really grew concerned. It was some Vaseline lotion with a really strong scent. While it smelled good, thankfully I knew that it wasn't good for her eczema. I promptly got a bottle of unscented all natural baby lotion from my stock and handed it over. While lotion doesn't necessarily treat eczema, it does treat the dry skin that is more prone to eczema breakouts. And fragrances and other miscellaneous ingredients are too harsh for children's skin, especially those with eczema.
While what a child uses on her skin is an important factor in controlling eczema flare ups, equally as important is treating the condition internally. Omega-3 oils have worked wonderfully for this, in children as well as adults. You have many options, from flaxseed oil (or whole or ground flaxseed) to fish oil and krill oil. There are others, and each has it's pro and con, but that is something each parent needs to investigate because there are allergy concerns, texture/taste concerns, etc. and every kid is different. I personally use ground flax seeds and can say that they don't have a bad flavor. I would describe them as "nutty." The key is to figure out which one will be taken or consumed the most consistently, because if the kid won't take it, it's not worth it.
Take a trip to your local health food store and check out your various options, or check out the natural foods aisle at your grocer. Flax seeds should be widely available there if you are interested in trying them. Hopefully these suggestions will benefit you and your child in some way. Too bad doctors don't know these things! ;)

Herman Cain Misquotes the Constitution

     My son is currently learning about the founding of our country in history class. I can say this because I homeschool him and know exactly what he is reading everyday in his history book, Build Our Nation. I point this out because if your child is in public school, there is a chance that s/he is not learning history on a daily basis, if at all. I've heard numerous complaints (and have seen some evidence myself) of the lack of teaching of this very important subject to our youth. Much of the focus in public school is put on reading and math, even to the neglect of teaching writing skills! This is no accident, as the schools ARE run by the government, and I'm sorry to say, the government has NO incentive to educate our children on history. The dumber we are, the better.
     Yesterday we read about the Declaration of Independence, and how it lead to the Revolutionary War. We learned about treason, and I thought about how that word is thrown around so much these days in regards to our political "leaders."We learned what a Patriot was, and we discussed what a Patriot would do in today's times. We also learned about Liberty, and how even in the days of fighting for our Liberty, our founding fathers neglected to see the Liberty for ALL, including women and people of color. After our lesson, we discussed the lack of history teaching in schools. I pointed out to my son that many of his friends are not learning what he is learning, and our country will suffer for it. I was able to tie in how lack of education can make you look ignorant in the future, similar to how many of the GOP candidates look ignorant when they "quote" the Constitution, but have no idea what they are talking about.
     Case in point, Herman Cain in a speech about how everyone should re-read the Constitution, actually quoted the Declaration of Independence, giving credit to the Constitution. It's not as though these speeches are given on the fly...these things are planned. So Cain and anyone else involved in this speech did not catch the gaffe. Yikes. I have to mention also, that Cain did not realize that China had nuclear weapons...since 1964...and this happened during his lifetime!
     When we do not know history, we cannot look back. It is not that history won't repeat itself, but it's that we will better know how to handle it when it does. Or we will know better how to navigate our decisions in life or politics, should any of our children grow up to become leaders of our country. (And by the way, SOME of them will, because they have no choice!)
     So do your kids a favor, and put some maps up in your house. Get a globe and place it in a visible area. I can't tell you how many times we have had to pull our globe down for discussions outside of school time. Talk about the leaders of countries, where countries are located, economics, and even about human infallibility and its role in mistakes our leaders have made. Your kids should know definitions of capitalism, fascism, socialism, communism, and how to recognize them. They should know the history of different religions. They should know the history of our military. They should even know about the history of our existence, still debated today.
     When our children grow up, they will either understand the world, or they will not. Hopefully they won't grow up and make a fool of themselves in a televised speech, but would you prefer they make a fool of themselves in a public conversation amongst peers or co-workers? Remember, too, that when you get older, it is YOUR child's peers that will make decisions for you. And if nothing I've said matters, THAT should matter to you most!