solely in my opinion of course and I always feel opinionated around my birthdays...
A little blurb I read in Better Homes and Gardens:
The average teenager spends practically every waking minute outside of school using a smartphone, computer, television, or other electronic device. So says the Kaiser Family Foundation , which found that children ages 8-18 used such devices for more than seven and a half hours a day. That's why we were so excited to hear about GetNoodles. This free new educational software program interrupts kids' Web surfing, texting, blogging, you name it, with pop-ups that ask grade-appropriate questions in subjects ranging from geometry to German. Kids have to answer correctly to get back to their computer activities.
They really find that exciting? What about just setting time limits? How about handing them a book to read? What about sending them outside or having them play a sport? I can think of a lot better ways to curb electronic time than giving them electronic quizzes.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A random 39
thoughts, facts, craziness, what-have-you....I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head lately and since I turned 39
1) I really really get frustrated when I realize I am acting like I am afraid to parent;I wish people in general would not be afraid to parent esp their teenagers
2) I'd really like an i-phone but if I become one of those people that can never put it down esp when around other people, I hope I have enough good sense to throw it away
3) One of the things I love about my husband is his rebelliousness toward any "need" for new technology such as fancy phones.
4) I've decided to just embrace my hair and not dye it....but I really really hope it isn't an ugly gray or might have to change my mind
5) I have lost my keys so many times lately that it just might be legal grounds for divorce
6) My newly 2 year old has already learned to ask me, "Why not?" when I tell him not to do something and it is kind of freaking me out.
7) My kids really stink at geography and since I am their teacher "shame on me!"
8) We will be studying lots of geography this year.
9) Excluding 3rd grade and parts of 6th grade(Mrs Steenbergen really scared me though I pretended she didn't), I loved school so it seems rather ironic that I homeschool my kids.
10) I really didn't like teaching school though.
11) I found it shocking when teaching school, that many of the other teachers were petty and vindictive.
12) If you are new teacher, and your principal gives you a new classroom with new desks and new whiteboards you might want to ask him/her to consider giving you the crummiest room in the school. The other teachers will not be happy otherwise.
13)Back to the positive...there is nothing like experiencing your child learning to read.
14) Excluding Creed, I can now say, "everyone grab a book and read for a while. It is wonderful!
15) I used to have a neighbor named Sue Ellen that used to say "Wonderful" all the time. I miss her.
16) I had another neighbor named Sue in the same neighborhood. She knew how to do all sorts of amazing things. SHe passed away couple of years ago; I miss her too.
17) This would be going a lot faster if my "a" key would quit sticking.
18) It drives Jon crazy how dirty my computer and screen can be.
19) I could live on chocolate alone. I wish that were a healthy diet.
20) I also still wish that there was a cherry coke zero flavored herbal tea.
21) I am loving iced red zinger iced tea these days.
22)Eating things with a lot of sugar makes my mouth sore and my throat to itch. It is very annoying.
23) The worst thing about chronic back/leg pain is not being able to play ball and stuff with my kids, but I remind myself it could be much worse and I am grateful they can all run and play.
24) I really want my kids to live a life of contentment so I need to be content myself.
25) At the pool one day this summer another mom asked me how many kids I had. She was shocked and her big question was, "Don't they want bunch of stuff?" Ummm...not really. So maybe we are getting somewhere with at least part of the contentment equation.
26) If I were giving advice to young mom's, it would be to stay home lot, let the home be the place both they and their kids are the most comfortable and content to be, be the happiest with your family and help you kids to be happiest with you and their siblings. In other words, let the home be the central community.
27) When our kids are being cranky and irritable, we usually realize we need to back off the media and/or slow down some.
28) A good breakfast really is an important start to a day. Both for mom and kids. This is the one basic/obvious item I have learned in the last couple of years.
29) Since homeschooling, I have realized that while I thought I had a really good education, it was rather limited in scope. I wish I'd read a lot more good books.
30) I didn't take typing in school because I was afraid I wouldn't make an "A." What a geek. Maybe I'd have finished this by midnight if I had.
31) I have a pretty amazing church family.
32) I can smell fish a mile away....and chocolate. But bring me chocolate, not fish.
33) I can't understand why anyone would want to wear shorts that barely cover their underwear or why mom's let their daughters out in shorts like that for that matter.
34) I never would have thought that I'd be 39 and be expecting child #7.
35) Back when I was younger, I thought it would be terrible to be 40 and pregnant. Now it doesn't seem quite the big deal. Although it is best to not think how old I'll be when baby is 20!
36) I really get annoyed when I sweep up enough crumbs under my table to feed a 3rd world country and clean out my fridge only to throw out food.
37) Parenting really does have to be purposeful. You have to know what your goals are and where you are headed and take steps to actually get there. I want to be even more purposeful this year.
38) When the kids are all in bed, I like to turn on the vent fan in the kitchen for white noise. It helps relax me. Maybe I just find the silence eerie.
39) I am actually surprised to find that I could keep on going for another 39. No wonder I need to invent that switch for turning off the brain at night!
1) I really really get frustrated when I realize I am acting like I am afraid to parent;I wish people in general would not be afraid to parent esp their teenagers
2) I'd really like an i-phone but if I become one of those people that can never put it down esp when around other people, I hope I have enough good sense to throw it away
3) One of the things I love about my husband is his rebelliousness toward any "need" for new technology such as fancy phones.
4) I've decided to just embrace my hair and not dye it....but I really really hope it isn't an ugly gray or might have to change my mind
5) I have lost my keys so many times lately that it just might be legal grounds for divorce
6) My newly 2 year old has already learned to ask me, "Why not?" when I tell him not to do something and it is kind of freaking me out.
7) My kids really stink at geography and since I am their teacher "shame on me!"
8) We will be studying lots of geography this year.
9) Excluding 3rd grade and parts of 6th grade(Mrs Steenbergen really scared me though I pretended she didn't), I loved school so it seems rather ironic that I homeschool my kids.
10) I really didn't like teaching school though.
11) I found it shocking when teaching school, that many of the other teachers were petty and vindictive.
12) If you are new teacher, and your principal gives you a new classroom with new desks and new whiteboards you might want to ask him/her to consider giving you the crummiest room in the school. The other teachers will not be happy otherwise.
13)Back to the positive...there is nothing like experiencing your child learning to read.
14) Excluding Creed, I can now say, "everyone grab a book and read for a while. It is wonderful!
15) I used to have a neighbor named Sue Ellen that used to say "Wonderful" all the time. I miss her.
16) I had another neighbor named Sue in the same neighborhood. She knew how to do all sorts of amazing things. SHe passed away couple of years ago; I miss her too.
17) This would be going a lot faster if my "a" key would quit sticking.
18) It drives Jon crazy how dirty my computer and screen can be.
19) I could live on chocolate alone. I wish that were a healthy diet.
20) I also still wish that there was a cherry coke zero flavored herbal tea.
21) I am loving iced red zinger iced tea these days.
22)Eating things with a lot of sugar makes my mouth sore and my throat to itch. It is very annoying.
23) The worst thing about chronic back/leg pain is not being able to play ball and stuff with my kids, but I remind myself it could be much worse and I am grateful they can all run and play.
24) I really want my kids to live a life of contentment so I need to be content myself.
25) At the pool one day this summer another mom asked me how many kids I had. She was shocked and her big question was, "Don't they want bunch of stuff?" Ummm...not really. So maybe we are getting somewhere with at least part of the contentment equation.
26) If I were giving advice to young mom's, it would be to stay home lot, let the home be the place both they and their kids are the most comfortable and content to be, be the happiest with your family and help you kids to be happiest with you and their siblings. In other words, let the home be the central community.
27) When our kids are being cranky and irritable, we usually realize we need to back off the media and/or slow down some.
28) A good breakfast really is an important start to a day. Both for mom and kids. This is the one basic/obvious item I have learned in the last couple of years.
29) Since homeschooling, I have realized that while I thought I had a really good education, it was rather limited in scope. I wish I'd read a lot more good books.
30) I didn't take typing in school because I was afraid I wouldn't make an "A." What a geek. Maybe I'd have finished this by midnight if I had.
31) I have a pretty amazing church family.
32) I can smell fish a mile away....and chocolate. But bring me chocolate, not fish.
33) I can't understand why anyone would want to wear shorts that barely cover their underwear or why mom's let their daughters out in shorts like that for that matter.
34) I never would have thought that I'd be 39 and be expecting child #7.
35) Back when I was younger, I thought it would be terrible to be 40 and pregnant. Now it doesn't seem quite the big deal. Although it is best to not think how old I'll be when baby is 20!
36) I really get annoyed when I sweep up enough crumbs under my table to feed a 3rd world country and clean out my fridge only to throw out food.
37) Parenting really does have to be purposeful. You have to know what your goals are and where you are headed and take steps to actually get there. I want to be even more purposeful this year.
38) When the kids are all in bed, I like to turn on the vent fan in the kitchen for white noise. It helps relax me. Maybe I just find the silence eerie.
39) I am actually surprised to find that I could keep on going for another 39. No wonder I need to invent that switch for turning off the brain at night!
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