A Day Without TV

Yesterday I made the decision that we would go one whole day without TV.

You see the TV watching in our house has gotten out of control - as evidenced by the behavior of the little mister.

How did it get so out of control?

I'm a home educating mom, many people would automatically think that we don't even have a TV.

Others would think that I would at least be good at limiting what my child watches. That much is a lot closer to the truth, I'm a stickler for the preschool channels and educational DVDs.

What happened, then?

I've got one word for you: Pregnancy.

Actually another: Fatigue.

Ok, a couple more: Complete Exhuastion.

The first trimester was insane as far as the fatigue this time around. I was so tired, so sleepy I could barely get anything done. I was sleeping on the couch every chance that I got. I seriously lacked energy.

I was really glad to no be throwing up every day this time around. The fatigue was definitely a welcome change. Not that I didn't have fatigue last time, but it was not to this extreme.

So along came long hours of TV watching for my son. I justified it because I knew that it wouldn't last forever and that I didn't have the energy to keep up with him.

Then came the second trimester and the TV was a nice little comfort that everyone was used to so I didn't fight it too much and I didn't realize just how often the TV was on in our home.

He got used to watching it as soon as he woke up in the mornings. He got used to watching it until breakfast time. He got used to watching it before lunch while I made lunch. He got used to watching it after nap. He got used to watching it before, during and after dinner. Not to mention before bedtime.

Sigh.

Yuck.

Then came the summer time and my teenage stepdaughter was with us for the summer and she was watching shows that I definitely did not want my preschooler watching: iCarly, Spongebob, etc.

But it's extremely hard to keep a preschooler away from these shows when big sister and dad are sitting on the couch watching them and laughing.

Oy.

Though when I had the energy I would get him outside instead of watching TV.

When I was pregnant with him I prayed that he would love the outdoors more than the indoors and that was an answered prayer! He loves to get out and run, jump, build things, chase the dog, etc.

So back to yesterday's No TV Day.

It started out with a lot of protests. Little mister was NOT happy about having a day of no TV. He wanted this show and that show. He seemed to think that asking multiple times in a row would change the answer. (Hmmm, wonder where he got that from??? Daddy??)

But despite the early protests he ended up having a fun day and played with a lot of toys that have been ignored for a long time. Not only that but he was having fun and playing more intensely than ever before. A lot more imagination and verbal skills involved. He even stopped protesting.

His behavior and attitudes changed DRAMATICALLY with just one day too!

Wow, I can see my sweet little boy coming back!

Woo-hoo!

I think that once we start up school again next month we will be having a LOT more of these No TV Days.

At least until I have a newborn and fatigue again...

Photo Credit

PS: As I've been saying all week... I just moved this blog over here to blogspot this week and I could really use some followers. Hint, hint! :)

Socialization

If you home educate and you haven't run into someone questioning you on the socialization issue you must have just started yesterday! ;)

If you are interested in some great articles on the topic of socialization, I put together some very good ones here.

You will really enjoy these and maybe even learn a thing or two! Or at least learn some good responses to the constant questions from strangers, friends and relatives who have typical misunderstandings about home education.

I also read a great comeback today that I am definitely going to use someday when the question arises.

Someone in a group said that someone told her that her kids would do terrible in college if they didn't learn how to sit at desk by going to public school. Her response was this: If it takes you 6 hours a day for 12 years to teach your child to sit at a desk then you have much BIGGER problems!

How true is that??

Follow Fridays

I am joining some Friday Follow memes. :) It looks like a great way to discover new blogs and make some new friends! Feel free to join too, I'm sure they'd love to have you join!

Also, as I have been mentioning this week - I just moved my blog earlier this week and I would love to have new followers so please feel free to join my blog and follow!

Friday Favorite Links

Here are some of my favorite links for the week:
Free ebook: Blogging Basics

Lunch Revolution Blog Party

Hydrogenated Oils - The Silent Killer

FREEBIES: Leonardo & Egypt Lapbooks

Free Printables: Sight Words Level 1

Lunch Revolution

Join the Lunch Revolution Blog Party!! (See the button at the bottom of this post.)

I truly believe that school lunches need to have a revolution! I very much support the efforts of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, the blog Fed Up with Lunch, and also Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet.

I wrote a post not too long ago about those three in more detail, you can see it here.

Even though I am a home educator I know that most children in our nation attend public schools and I believe that every one of them deserves to eat healthy food at school.

The kids spend so much time at school and eat many meals at school, especially those of low income who also receive breakfast before school. It is appalling what is allowed to be served to these children, and unbelievable that pizza is even an option for breakfast.

It truly is an outrage that people who are trying to make a positive difference in school foods run into so much opposition from the schools and from the USDA food program.

Yes children should be offered choices - but they should be offered healthy choices!

Schools should be willing to make funding sacrifices for the sake of the children. It is well known that schools allow vending machines full of candy, pop, and flavored milk for the sole purpose of bringing in money for the schools. That is why schools fight tooth and nail to keep those vending machines in.

Money is more important than the health of the children.

Not only the health of the children but also the education. With all of those sugars that are offered to the kids that really affects the way that they are able to focus on schoolwork and learning.

Imagine a bunch of children jacked up on sugar from those vending machines trying to sit down and focus on learning the material that they are supposed to be learning. No wonder so many schools recommend putting kids on ADHD medication, kids hyped up on sugar will look like ADHD kids to those who are trying to teach them.

Many studies show how altering the diet can greatly help children with behavioral issues. If the schools would focus on feeding children healthy foods they would also see a lot of other issues resolve themselves.

Wouldn't it be great to have a lot of kids un-labeled and off medications? It truly would make a huge difference for the kids!!

Getting healthy foods in schools would be great on so many levels:

1. Driving down the alarming rise in childhood obesity
2. Once kids get over the sugar and fat addictions (which those foods truly do cause addictions) they will actually enjoy eating healthy foods!
3. Lowering the rising rate of diabetes in children
4. Lowering the rate of behavioral problems
5. Lowering the rate of children being medicated
6. Raising the standards of education as children will be able to focus better in school
7. Driving down the prices of healthy foods if more people are eating and demanding them
8. Many more, feel free to comment and add yours!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post, please feel free to join my blog (on the right) as I've just moved my blog and that's why I'm low on followers.

Also here are a couple of healthy recipes to give a try!

Black Bean and Guacamole Salad
12 whole tortilla chips
4 cups broken tortilla chips
3 cups chopped lettuce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups guacamole
1 tablespoon lime juice
chili powder or paprika

Arrange whole tortilla chips on outside edge of a large plate, point out. Spread broken chips on rest of plate. Layer lettuce, black beans, and guac over top. Drizzle on sour cream. Sprinkle with paprika or chili powder.

Vegetarian Crockpot Enchiladas

1-3/4 lbs. canned crushed tomatoes in tomato purée
14 ounces chunky style prepared salsa
6 ounces tomato paste
2 lbs. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb. corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1/4 lb. canned diced mild green chilies, drained
1-1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
5 corn tortillas
2 ounces olive slices, drained
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour about 1 cup of mixture into the bottom of an electric slow cooker on low heat. Spread evenly and top with 1-1/2 tortillas, cutting to fit pot. Spread 1/3 of remaining tomato mixture over top. Repeat layering process, ending with tomato mixture. Spread top evenly. Sprinkle with olives. Cover and cook about 5 hours. Serve hot. This recipe serves 5 people.

Top 10 Reasons That I Homeschool

I originally wrote up a top 10 list about a year ago but I wanted to update it to reflect our changing needs, desires, values, etc.

My list will continue to change over time, but here is the current top ten reasons in no particular order. I wrote this out before we were expecting number two so clearly this will need to be updated to reflect both of my children when the second arrives!

1. I love planning, being flexible, and being responsible for his curriculum based on his learning styles and needs.

2. Less "classroom" time, homeschoolers tend to cover more educational material in a shorter period of time than schools because of the one on one ratio and being able to focus on the child. No being held back or falling behind because of the 30 other children in the school classroom.

3. I love that I can protect his innocence better, I have seen what kids his age are exposed to and I don't like a lot of it. So many people think that little kids swearing and talking about sex is CUTE. Yes, that talk comes out of kindergartners - and younger!

4. I don't have to worry about the very real threat of bullies. I was a girl and I had a hard enough time with them because of my size (being so small) I know it would be harder for boys who are small.

5. There are a lot more opportunities for fun learning through plenty of field trips and other hands-on learning projects. These types of learning events tend to stick better than classic book and instruction learning because that is how we as people learn naturally, though experience and the five senses.

6. More time together, and more quality time at that. No rushed mornings trying to get to school on time, no rushed afternoons trying to squeeze everything in after school and around a bunch of sports.

7. Moral teachings: I am glad to be the one to teach him morals and values, which includes tolerance, kindness, and fairness. I don't want some stranger and certainly not the state teaching morals to my child!

8. Fun socialization: homeschooling groups, sports, clubs, etc. This is especially important since most schools are cutting back on Physical Education, Music and Art programs due to funding issues. 

Not trying to socialize when he should be learning, and not learning socialization through bullying and fashion wars. Spending time with people of all ages and learning how to socialize with many more age groups than just his own.

9. No "back to school rush" - no shopping like mad to get a new wardrobe in a week, no getting all the supplies on the class list at one time, etc. Buy as necessary, when everyone else is in school and the stores are not packed.

10. No state standardized tests!! I've seen what my stepdaughter has gone through, getting stress headaches and more. She says the school nurse says they are always swamped that time of year. 

Why all the stress? The schools and teachers get more pay if the kids score higher. Also the schools spend up to SIX MONTHS a year studying JUST to pass that test. Complete craziness. My boy will be studying to learn, not spit out information to benefit the school. It will be for his benefit - as it should be. My son is not a dollar sign.

Praise the Lord!

If you are new here from the Praise the Lord meme then I welcome you! I have just moved my blog here to this location a couple of days ago so if you'd like to follow me I would really appreciate it! In many ways I'm starting completely over. To learn more about me see the tabs above!

I'm very excited to join this meme! This is something that I personally need in my life, more praising the Lord. Sure, I recognize the really big things that he provides. That is easy enough.

But what I really do need is to get back to having the eyes that I did when I was younger, as a teen and young adult. I would wake up and the first words out my mouth would be, "Good Morning, God!" and I would be grateful for the day ahead that I'd been given.

I also used to see God in everything, everywhere.

I'm in my early 30s with a job, family, and other commitments. For years now I have looked back in amazement at the way that I used to look at life and at God. Pretty much just wishing that I could go back there.

But wishing doesn't make things happen. Action makes things happen...along with the grace of God of course. Most things in life are a joint venture between God and us. We have faith and take action and God responds. It's all over the Bible!

Now I will take the next 31 days to put forth action! I will have it on my mind to find things to praise the Lord about. One month of an action can really put a person to the test but it can also cause amazing growth and surprises!

I hope you will join me...