Museum of World Treasures

Yesterday we visited Museum of World Treasures in Wichita, KS. I had never been there, although my daughter went with my mother about four years ago and had a great time. My daughter and I went with one tour group, and my son went with another tour group with children a bit older. I really enjoyed the visit, but my daughter did not. At all.

The museum is FULL of artifacts. From dinosaurs to mummies to war memorabilia...I don't think anyone would leave disappointed. Leave that to my daughter! I had a great time, and could have stayed longer, reading the plaques on the wall and seeing all the things you can certainly catch a glimpse of online, but this was RIGHT THERE...in front of you...bringing history alive! And therein lies the problem.

My daughter is ten years old. Even at home, she turns away from any negative images on tv, or something that might give her nightmares. I commend her for being so intuitive to realize that what she is exposed to can have an impact on her, and then self-regulating that. I did not expect the museum, however, to have such a negative impact on her. The tour began with the dinosaurs, which she felt a little icky and probably scary, the way they have them set up and the size of the T-Rex. Next came the mummies, which apparently started the thoughts in her head, and it got worse as the tour progressed. She was feeling "sick," had a headache, "not well." When we were in the simulated "bunker" she told me how she disliked it also when she was six. She did enjoy getting to hold some of the artifacts, but we were in a room set off away from the main part of the museum and it looked like a meeting room with big round tables. I didn't get to stay in the museum as long as I wanted. The tour was 1 1/2 hours, but we still had time to look around ourselves. She was ready to get the heck outta there!

I remember when I was younger, and I was just like her. When I was 22, I saw Forrest Gump in the movie theater and had to leave during the war scene! There are actually a lot of kids like this, but we tend to ignore it or write it off. These kids are VERY intelligent and VERY intuitive. That said, I had to tell my daughter why it is important for us to learn history. Too many Americans bury their head in the sand and ignore what's going on. Many have no clue what really happened in our past because they either were never taught, or they have forgotten because they don't care/don't want to know. I explained how we can't see history repeating itself if we didn't learn the history to begin with, and that is why it's important to have the knowledge. She accepted this. But I'm pretty certain she will be learning her history from books from now on, as being around artifacts was overwhelming to her and made her too sick to learn the information.

One thing that I always look for in museums is whether they provide a creationist perspective or evolutionist perspective. We were on a tour with our Christian homeschool co-op. So the tour guides did a great job, especially considering that the dinosaur information was definitely not from a young earth perspective. If you are a diehard young earth creationist, you will still enjoy the museum. The plaques for the dinosaurs were the only part I noticed with "millions of years" and there was another reference that was a little bit off referencing 10,000 years, but I'm not going to be too picky about that. If you are studying presidents, there is a great exhibit with general facts for each president. We also got to see the Declaration of Independence (not the real one, but a really old copy!) They also have a great section on World War I and II. I admit this part was a little overwhelming for me as well, but from a creationist perspective, these parts are not affected, and will definitely bring alive history for your students studying the US or wars.

One of my favorite parts is the piece of the Berlin wall. I was able to share with my daughter how her grandmother grew up in East Germany and snuck over to West Germany on "vacation." She never returned. Well, not until the wall came down, and then she returned to find everything virtually identical to the way it was decades before. I think everyone can find their own little piece of history at World Treasures. Just keep in mind, it might be too much for some. But it won't stop me from returning on my own!

Here is a picture of a great map I took that you might find useful. I love how they combined current and past place names.

Single Parents Dating

Yesterday, I found a horrible clog in my vacuum cleaner that had practically stopped the suction completely. As I vacuumed, I convinced myself it was all in my head. I mean, it WAS sucking my hand in when I covered the tube, but just didn't seem to pick much of anything up. I had already washed out the canister and filter, and had cleaned out the part of the hose I could easily see and get to. I just couldn't imagine there would be anymore clogs in the hose, so I kept convincing myself it was all in my head. Finally, I undid the hose and found the problem. As I was cleaning it out, I thought, "So THAT'S why the house is so dusty even though I've been vacuuming regularly." I couldn't figure out why dust was everywhere, which is unusual. (Thanks to our guinea pig that throws hay out everywhere, the vacuum is more prone to clogging. Lesson noted.)

I also thought about how funny it was that the vacuum was barely sucking, but I tried to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. Once I got it working, I realized the HUGE difference and wondered how in the world I didn't realize it was so bad. And then it hit me.

Incremental changes go unnoticed. The clog didn't just appear all of a sudden. It slowly got worse and worse, going unnoticed, until it practically didn't work at all.

I relate this to another lesson I learned recently. I just ended a long term relationship. It lasted close to two years, starting when my son was 9. I did not notice along the way, incremental changes in my son. He did not verbalize anything, did not complain, did not dislike my boyfriend, and I figured his change in behavior was puberty. Maybe it was, but he is still in puberty, and he has changed completely...for the better. And as soon as I ended the relationship, my son was back. It wasn't a gradual change, it was immediate. And so it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was able to look back and pinpoint the incremental changes. But while in the thick of it, did not notice that my dating affected my son. Of course, my daughter verbalized every thought she ever had, so I knew exactly how she felt. My son was quieter, but even when asked, couldn't verbalize why he was angry/emotional/upset. I realized that if *just* dating can affect children this way, how horrible it must be for children who watch their parents in abusive relationships!

I no longer feel single parents should date. Not in front of their kids. Kids need their parents, not some other dude. That is ironic because the first thing parents tend to do after divorce is replace the ex. Men look for a mother figure for their kids, and women look for household income for their kids. (Generally... check out stepparenting forums if you don't believe me!) I just like the companionship, but didn't realize how it would affect my kids. It is not their fault that their parents' marriage did not work out, and dealing with divorce is probably enough trauma for their childhood. I only have about 8 more years left being their Mommy and that time will zoom by in a flash. I want to make the most of it.

So. Incremental changes go unnoticed. Check out your own kids and see if there have been changes that you have been too busy (or selfish?) to notice. We think kids will tell us everything, and sometimes what they tell us isn't verbal. Make sure you are "listening!"

Video Games for Future Engineers

Most parents probably think of video games as mindless activity, but if you pay close attention, you can see that kids are doing a lot of thinking in them. If your kid spends a lot of time playing Runescape online, you might wonder what he is learning, but I can attest to my child knowing things simply because of the fact that he played it a lot. And they were educational things, NOT the "other" things you worry about! If you think you might have a future engineer in your family, here is a list of 8 Video Games to Get Your Kid Into Engineering. I apologize in advance for the webpage and how this article is set up. Just click on each small image to see another game...and ignore the ads. Hopefully it will be worth it and you will find a new game for your child!

Algebra Teaching Tool

A great teaching tool for teaching algebraic concepts is called Hands-On Equations. I was trained in using this system in 1994 when I taught 6th grade math. Years later, I purchased my own system to help my stepdaughter who struggled with algebra. Then I used it for my son a couple of years ago when he was 9. We were just working on some math today and a word problem came up that was best solved using an algebraic equation. My son got a worried look on his face, and I decided to re-write the equation using the Hands-On Equations "pawns." He got it immediately. I suggest this system to ALL parents, whether they are homeschooling or not. You can start it as young as 3rd grade, and there is no upper age limit, so if you struggled with algebra yourself, it might help you re-learn (or learn) it. You can learn more about the system at the Hands-On Equations website. I was able to use just the Learning System for $34.95, but I did have previous training in it. You may or may not need to purchase more in order to really understand how to use the system. I would say that the worse you are in math, the more you may need to purchase. But, if you are determined, you should be able to use just the system I purchased. (The more broke we are, the more determined we must become!)
Also, if you do get the system and then have questions, they will answer them for you, and I will, too!

Video Game Battles with Tweens

My 11.5 year old got a GameStop gift card for Christmas, so of course he asked me for two days, "When can we go to GameStop?" He had his heart set on the new Assassin's Creed game for his PS3. So we went this afternoon, and of course the first thing I asked was if it was possible to turn off the gore/language/nudity. He did not know. Well...turns out, you can't. So we stepped out of line to discuss.

Let me rephrase that...we stepped out of line so I could let him down gently. I know he was crushed. But he knows where I stand. I am mostly concerned about the f-bombs that the sales associate said were dropped constantly in the game, and this is an issue right now because he is at that age where he needs to control the things that his mouth wants to say out loud. It's not like he never hears the word, but hearing it over and over, combined with the other negative attributes of the game...it's just too much for his age. I know he was really upset, but he did not argue. His eyes turned red and a little watery. I felt so bad, but knew I was doing the right thing.

A sales associate tried to help us find something else to spend the $50, and I almost gave up when my son said, "There's only one other thing I want..." I followed him to another section of the store where he showed me this large box. "But it's $75 and I only have $50." I reminded him of the check he got from his grandmother, and he lit up.

The box he was holding looked more his speed. It had these cute little figures in them and the box was brightly colored, more age appropriate, and even better...an "E" 10+ rating. This means it's appropriate for ages ten and up. PERFECT! I'd never seen the Skylanders Giants before, and the sales associate pointed to all the figures on the wall nearby. Holy cow! I guess on the bright side, he will always know what he wants for birthdays and Christmases if he keeps playing these games...

As we checked out, when we got in the car, and again when we walked in the house, I told my son how proud of him I was. Not only did he pick out what looks like a great game for him, he didn't try to talk me out of my decision. This was a huge turning point for us. For the past month, his behavior has been exceptional, and this was just the icing on the cake. Have we crossed a bridge to adulthood? I don't know...maybe.

Anyway, the set is super cool. One of the figures sits on the light up "Portal of Power" which lights up the figure, which you can bring to life in the video game. We have the PS3 version, but it's available in numerous other platforms. It is available at a better price at Amazon. Learn more about it by clicking the image below. If you have a son who is in that "stage" maybe he will enjoy this as well!

Teaching Metric Conversions

This is a great way to teach metric conversions to your child. Study the board first, then I'll explain.

First, the mnemonic device...King Henry Doesn't [usually] Drink Chocolate Milk. You can use the same one, or have your child make up one s/he remembers. Each of these stands for a prefix as you can see in red. The [unit] can be gram, meter, or liter, depending on the conversion they are asked to solve.

You can see one problem in green, and how it is solved on the chart. We want to know how many kg is 200g? So we go to our chart and start at "g," because it is our base unit. We need to end up at kg, because that is what we are converting to. We jump from one prefix to the next, until we arrive at the unit we need (kg in this case). We jumped 3 to the left. Therefore, we will move our decimal 3 places to the left. As you can see in the drawing, we end up with .200 kg or .2 kg.

In the blue, we want to convert 3m to mm. Again, we start at our base unit, m, and jump until we end up at mm (3 times). We jumped to the right, so our decimal will move 3 places to the right.

Kids will ask...What is hecto? What is deka? What is deci? The truth is, they don't need to know these. Tell them what each prefix stands for, but realize that they will NEVER be asked to convert to these, because we simply don't use them. They are really just place holders. If they leave them out of the chart, they won't jump enough...so while they need to know they exist, they will never use these prefixes. This chart will help them "see" why they are moving the decimal and they will learn pretty quickly how many jumps it is to go all the way from kilo to milli (6) or vice versa (still 6!)

If you have struggled with metric conversions and have some anxiety about teaching them to your child, sit down and make this chart for yourself and then work some problems out. Use this as a TOOL to go along with your child's textbook, which will go more in depth with how the metric system is based on tens, etc. You know your child better than anyone, but I suggest using this chart ONLY with one unit at first, probably meters. Have your child understand how it works first, and THEN say, "Hey, guess what...it works for grams and liters, too!" Trying all three in the beginning is probably too much if you are working with a 3rd or 4th grader. Older kids are less rigid and can assimilate easier with different units.

If you have any questions, please ask!

Here is another great conversion tool!

Teaching Conversions to the Right Brained Child

Right brained children work better when they can see things in pictures. When converting from one unit of measure to another, this image will help ALL children remember, but especially right-brained children who might not remember it otherwise.

This image "says" that 1 gallon = 4 qts. 1 qt = 2 pts. 1 pt. = 2 cups, etc. Quick...how many pints in a gallon? How many cups in a gallon? How many cups in 4 gallons? All can be solved quickly by using this picture. Kids might have 2-3 days of unit conversions before moving on to something else. If they draw this 2-3 times, they will remember it on their own, and eventually, will be able to see it in their heads.

On a test, such as a state assessment, they cannot bring this in with them, but they can jot it down real quick when a conversion problem pops up. Now if you remember, there might be 2-3 of these on the whole test. Why bother to teach them this for just a couple of answers? Well, I've needed this info in real life...so it IS one of those things that is helpful to just know.

Why "Stranger Danger" Doesn't Work

If you have told your child, "Don't talk to strangers," have you wondered how your child actually hears this? When we say it, we have exceptions, that as adults, we can qualify. Our children cannot. So when we go places, and...talk to strangers, it sends our kids a mixed message.

For example, how often have you gone to the park, zoo, grocery store, mall, etc. and struck up a conversation with a complete stranger? If you are like me, this probably happens often. So if you are a "stranger danger" parent, your child has probably asked who the person you are speaking to is, because she assumes you know him. And when she finds out you don't, she is left wondering about your "stranger danger" instructions.

When we tell our children not to talk to strangers, we are telling them that strangers are bad, when in fact, the majority of people who come across their paths are not bad at all. As a matter of fact, many of them are other parents. I saw a story where a lost boy scout would not respond to men calling out his name because they were strangers, and he was taught not to talk to them. Kids are literal...we need to remember that.

There IS an alternative to stranger danger. But first, I need to address something else. There are two basic types of parents. There are those who give their children some freedom to roam, and those who hover over every single move. Of course we can go to either extreme and find parents who are too lenient, as well as parents who are way too protective and never let their children leave the house. But for simplicity's sake, I'm talking about parents who are "out and about" with their kids. There is a danger to allowing kids too much freedom too early. We need to provide freedom in baby steps, and allow kids to earn more freedom as they show they are treating their freedom respectively. But there is also a danger in hovering over children and never letting them out of our sight. Let me illustrate.

My daughter walks to her friend's house. It is about 4 houses down, across the street. For a while, I watch her, or, she can walk with her friend. For the most part, the kids in our neighborhood use the buddy system. As she earns more freedom, she is allowed to walk to her friend's unaccompanied and unwatched, but she will text me when she arrives, to let me know that her friend is there and that she can play. Now, there is no doubt that from our house to her friend's house, she has a certain level of anxiety. She knows the danger; she knows she is out there alone and can be approached by a car with people set out to do her harm. Her instinct is alerted and she is on guard to run the second those hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

On the other hand, you have the parent that will walk her child, hand in hand, to the neighbor's house. Every. Single. Time. Seems safe, right? I mean, isn't that what parents are supposed to do? Protect their child? When we don't let our child out of our sight, we are telling him that we don't trust him. You can play the, "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust the crazy people out there..." but that is YOUR anxiety. What are you going to do to prevent someone from entering your child's room at night and taking him out of his bed?! The fact is, stranger abductions are rare. And when you don't let your child out of your sight, you not only don't allow him to foster his own level of intuition, you teach him he doesn't need it because Mommy is with him and will take care of him. And what happens in that rare instance when you are not with him? He is in more danger than you can imagine, because he has learned not to be alert, not to be leery of strangers (because you talk to them yourself), and he is at greater risk than the child who has learned to trust her intuition when something just doesn't feel right.

One afternoon, my daughter was in the driveway drawing with chalk. She saw a "strange man" walking on the sidewalk, so she promptly came into the house and closed the garage door until he passed. So I trust her instinct. She has also proven that she is alert. Even though she was looking down and drawing, she knew the man was approaching.

My son and I met one of his Sunday School teachers at the same time. I got a weird feeling about him. Later, to my surprise, my son confirmed to me that he had the same feeling. He is the one who brought it up, and I couldn't believe that both of us had the same gut feeling.

We need to trust our own gut instincts and foster that in our children. The truth of the matter is, as we allow our teens more freedom, they MUST be able to make quick, gut decisions about people that they meet every day. And if we don't teach them when they are young, it is really hard to learn later on. Start with your kids today, and teach them to be independent and to listen to their gut instincts!

Excellent History Curriculum for Christian Families

After trying to teach history to my children using a secular history book, I am SO happy that I have finally found a curriculum for history that I love. As a mom with a teaching degree, I realize the benefit of utilizing different learning modalities for children who learn better in a specific way. The author of this curriculum, Diana Waring, addresses this in her notes to the parent. Also, many varied activities are suggested for all varieties of children who might have different strengths or areas which they love. There are lots of examples you can look at and more information if you go to HISTORY REVEALED, by Diana Waring.

My favorite thing about this curriculum is that it is history from the creationists' perspective. If you believe the earth is billions of years old, this is not the curriculum for you. That said, I suggest you read The Lie by Ken Ham.

3 Tips to Teach Your Child How to Read

By: ChildrenLearningReading.com

Learning to read at a young age is important for the development of children. It helps them develop a better understanding of their surroundings, allows them to gather information from printed materials, and provides them with a wonderful source of entertainment when they read stories and rhymes. Children develop at different rates, and some children will develop reading skills quicker than other children; however, what's important is that as the parent, you are keenly aware of your child's maturity and reading level to provide him with appropriate books and activities to help him improve.

As a parent, you are the most important teacher for your children. You will introduce them to books and reading. Here are some tips to help you teach your child to read.

Teach Your Child How to Read Tip #1

Teach your child alphabet letters and sounds at the same time. Studies have shown that children learn best when they are taught the letter names and letter sounds at the same time. In one study, 58 preschool children were randomly assigned to receive instructions in letter names and sounds, letter sound only, or numbers (control group). The results of this study are consistent with past research results in that it found children receiving letter name and sound instruction were most likely to learn the sounds of letters whose names included cues to their sounds. [1]

When teaching your child the letter sounds, have her slowly trace the letter, while saying the sound of the letter at the same time. For example, if you were teaching your child the letter "A", you would say:

"The letter A makes the /A/ (ah) sound."

Then have your child say the /A/ sound while tracing the letter with his or her index finger.

Teaching a Child How to Read Tip #2

When teaching your child to read, always emphasize with her that the proper reading order should be from left to right, and top to bottom. To adults, this may seem so basic that anyone should know it. However, our children are not born with the knowledge that printed text should be read from left to right and top to bottom, and this is why you'll sometimes see children reading from right to left instead - because they were never explicitly taught to read from left to right. When teaching your child how to read, always emphasize this point with her.

Teach Your Child How to Read Tip #3

Teach final consonant blends first. Teaching words such "at" and "and" can lead your child directly to learning words that rhyme with these. For example, for "at", you can have:

Lat
Pat
Mat
Cat
Sat
Bat
Spat
Chat

For "and", you can have these rhyming words:

Sand
Band
Land
Hand
Stand
Bland
Brand
Grand
and so on...

You can start teaching blends once your child has learned the sounds of some consonants and short vowel sounds. You don't need to wait until your child has mastered the sounds of all the letters before teaching blends. 

Learning to read is a long process, but it doesn't have to be a difficult process. Broken down into intuitive and logical steps, a child as young as two years old can learn to read, and older children can accomplish even more.

>>Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading

Notes:

1. J Exp Child Psychol. 2010 Apr;105(4):324-44. Epub 2010 Jan 25.
Learning letter names and sounds: effects of instruction, letter type, and phonological processing skill. 

Piasta SB, Wagner RK.
Preschool Language and Literacy Lab, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Georgia Aquarium Review

Recently I traveled back home to Atlanta, where we made our first visit to the Georgia Aquarium. If you are planning a visit to the aquarium, I highly suggest purchasing your tickets online and printing them at home. This prevents you from standing in line once you get there. The line wasn't long when we arrived at 10 am, but there were tapes up where a line would go, and as the day went on, it got more crowded, so I bet those lines were pretty long. We went after school was back in, so I think it's probably more crowded in the summer and weekends as well.

My children and I loved the aquarium. We had just gotten back from visiting Clearwater and St. Petersburg beaches in Florida, so they were excited to see all the fish, dolphins, penguins, etc. Even the frogs were cool! The 3D show with Deepo was great. Only 15 minutes long, but a great little cartoon about taking care of our oceans. Our favorite part, however, was the Dolphin Tales show. Currently, it is included in your entrance fee, but that may change. I'm really glad it was included, because I may have balked at it if it was an additional fee. It is like the old Sea World dolphin show on steroids. It is only about 30 minutes long, but it's amazing. You will see a story being told, singing, dolphin tricks, light and sound affects... it is a MUST SEE! One thing that I wish I'd known about before we went to the aquarium is that you can buy a book about the aquarium that has pictures of everything I had just tried to take pictures of! The book was on sale for $14.99 and I think the regular price was $19.99. I found it after we exited the Dolphin Tales show and I'm pretty sure it's in the other gift shops as well. It's a great souvenir, especially if you don't have a good camera to take your own pictures and/or don't feel like taking a lot of pictures.

One of the things that I paid close attention to was how much evolutionary information was provided. I did not read every piece of info on every creature displayed, but I did not see any at all. The aquarium is more devoted to caring for the animals rather than relaying the history of the animals. So if you are a Christian family concerned about evolution being jammed down your throats, you don't have to be when it comes to the Georgia Aquarium. You will learn a lot about various sea life, and even get to touch some, too.

Overall, the Georgia Aquarium is a hit. We spent six hours there and except for a lunch break and waiting for shows to start, we spent the entire time in exhibits. It was time well spent!

Christians with Non-Christian Friends

My son just turned eleven and I'm beginning to see a need for limiting his exposure to non-Christian friends. Now don't get me wrong, there are some very moral non-Christians out there, and I realize that, but they are few and far between. When I was my son's age, I was not a Christian, and was not being raised in a Christian home. *I* might have been THAT CHILD to some of my friends' parents.

But now that I'm a parent, I see the conflict. Our next door neighbor has a thirteen year old grandson that stays with her during the summer. There have been little issues all along, and yesterday may have been the final blow. My son saved up for a PS3, and purchased it for his birthday in April. (I'm not a fan of video games, but it has been a great disciplining tool!) Yesterday as I was heading out for a "Girls' Day" with my daughter, he informed me that he and the neighbor were going to GameStop to get a game he had been saving up for.

It wasn't until later that evening, after he went out the door with his PS3 to the neighbor's house, that I saw the case for the game he purchased...and it was NOT age appropriate. The game was for 17 and above, and he is obviously no where near that. Long story short, we went back to the store. I'm still not sure how coerced he was into buying the game, but I know he knows enough to know that I would NOT let him buy that game if I were with him.

We had a talk in the car. Well, *I* had a talk, *he* had a listen. I explained to him that I knew that Boy13 is not appropriate for him; I knew that he was fake in front of me and is very different when he isn't being phony for adults. I explained to him that *we* are accountable to God and have the Holy Spirit directing our choices, but that people who don't know God feel they can do whatever they want. And I told him that if he was not strong enough to NOT follow this boy's example, I would have to limit their contact.

Godincidentally, I pulled out a DVD that I'd had for months but hadn't watched yet. It is called Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World. 

If you are struggling with these types of issues, I suggest you purchase and watch this DVD. It is a lecture by Ken Ham, and he does not disappoint. It is older, and you will giggle at the hair styles of the audience members, not to mention Ken Ham's beard, but once you get used to that, the message is clear. The DVD is appropriate for ages 12 and up. Yep, this one I *will* let my 11 year-old watch!

Don Eddy Basketball Camp

In April, I wrote about my son's basketball history. In June, he attended the Don Eddy Basketball Camp, and I have to say, I watched him turn into a completely different player. The camp is great at teaching ball handling drills. It is an offensive camp, but it's amazing what they learn about defense as well. One of the least favorite things my son experienced at the camp was probably the one thing that pushed him the most as a player.

He was partnered with two other players for the week for their "3 on 3" games. One was a pretty lazy big kid who preferred to attempt 3-pointers (and made very little). The other was a small girl, who looked to be about 8, whose skills were lacking, who was also a ball hog. She had to be, because she knew once she gave the ball up, she would probably not be getting it back! Big Lazy also had an attitude and often made Little Girl cry. (She was pretty irritating, but give her a break!) My son, The Defender, was the only one who realized the other team would score if they didn't play defense, and I think it was only because I was watching and pointed it out.

The week started out pretty ugly during "3 on 3." I think he dreaded that portion of camp. Big Lazy and Little Girl just didn't seem to help The Defender out much. Not that he did everything right, either, but I saw him learning as the week went on. I saw him playing pretty aggressive basketball, because he realized HE was the one who "got it" and HE had to step up and perform. I WAS AMAZED. Seriously, I was almost to the point of tears. Okay, maybe I DID tear up a little...

The Defender gained the knowledge, the skills, the how-tos, and wanted to play on the winning team. But that was not to be. So instead of sulking and giving up, he used what he learned and realized HE could make it a winning team. They did win some games, even games against some of the better teams. When we left on the last day, he did confirm how he despised his "3 on 3" team. I laughed. "You have noooooo idea what being on that team did for you," I told him. "Because of that team and because you practiced what they taught you, I guarantee you that you improved more than anyone else here at the camp. By a lot. Sometimes God has a plan for you that isn't very fun, but it gets you to where you want to go." I think he gets it. I hope so.

If you have the opportunity to attend a Don Eddy Camp, DO IT. Just do it...

Behavior Problems in Schools

Yesterday my son attended day 1 of a week long basketball camp.  I arrived about an hour early so I could observe the instruction and my son's participation. I pleasantly learned something, and secretly wished I could stay ALL day and watch. But I also noticed a problem. There was this kid...this ONE kid who was out of control. Of course, he had to be in MY son's group, right? He was knocking the ball out of other boys' hands when they were doing shooting drills. He was grabbing the ball away from others when it was not his turn. He was pushing others out of their spots to take the spot he wanted. I watched him for about twenty minutes and came really close to getting up myself and telling him to behave.

The scene is this: A gym full of 60-80 kids ages 8-18. They were broken up into 6 groups. There were only enough basketballs for about one to every two players. So there was some wait and share time, but everyone got a turn. The problem was, he did not know how to patiently wait for his turn. He either made it his turn, or bugged the others he was waiting on. This is a Christian basketball camp. I think if it were not, he would have gotten knocked out by someone on day one...

I asked my son if the boy had gotten in trouble at all during the day. "Ooooh yeah, " he said.

"A lot?" I asked.

"Yes."

On the drive home, I thought about school. I thought about those same boys on the basketball court dealing with a kid like that at school. Because every classroom has a kid, if not kids, like him. I imagined these boys EVERY SINGLE DAY having to deal with a kid like that. He never shuts up. Asks off the wall questions just to throw the teacher off. Pokes the kid next to him. Always playing pranks. Throwing things at kids. Not paying attention. Getting his (or her!) group in trouble. Could you imagine that? Do you remember that kid in your class?

Imagine all the time (YOUR CHILD'S TIME!) that gets lost at school because of this kid. Even worse, imagine your child's frustration. Like that co-worker you try to avoid...at least you have a choice! You are probably going through the steps in your mind right now of the discipline procedure that should be in place for this child. You probably have already had him thrown out of school in your mind.

Now what if it was YOUR child? Hmmmm

I know why I prefer homeschooling my children. But my daughter's reason for WANTING to be homeschooled is completely different from mine. I am 100% sure that her #1 reason would be exactly the above. I wonder how many other children would choose the same if given the choice.

Is your child dealing with a troublemaker at school?

Children Leaving the Church

Did you know that attending Sunday School is actually a risk factor for children leaving the church? And did you know that while most parents think their children leave the church in high school or college, they are actually checked out by middle school and only attend because you make them (or that's where their friends are)?

Would it surprise you to know that this information has been out since 2009, and likely very little to nothing has been changed by your pastor or at your church? Church is like a business: if they told you what they were doing wasn't working, you would stop giving them your money. So instead of addressing it, they continue to sell you a bill of goods. They continue to cash their paychecks, while our kids, our future, are left to fend for themselves, with secular educated Sunday School teachers leading them astray.

In Ken Ham's book Already Gone, you can learn more about this.

If you don't know who Ken Ham is, I feel that your child is even at greater risk of abandoning his Christian beliefs. Ken Ham has put back into our faith the importance of believing the one, true story of creation- instead of believing the evolution taught in schools, and yes, even in Sunday Schools. If you don't understand WHY the importance of teaching creation is so vital to understanding the rest of the Bible, you don't know Ken Ham. It is clearly his passion, and your child's faith (and consequently your grandchildren's faith) are obviously very important to him.

How important is it to you?

Does your child attend public school? (Or even Christian school?)
Does your child attend Sunday School? Do you know what he is learning in there, and what he is being told about the creation story?
Do you know the biblical story of creation? Do you teach it to your child?
Are you weak in apologetics? Is your child?

If your child does not have the correct information (from YOU) about the biblical story of creation, he will believe whatever else he is taught, that goes in direct opposition to what the Bible says is true. How can he believe the rest of the Bible, then?

Get educated. Get the book. Already Gone.