technology vs play

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/heartbreaking-video-shows-how-technology-addiction-changing-childhood#A5l3Iff0GBL5GFlg.01

Over the years, I've thought about screen time a lot. I have two sons, they love technology.  I have a husband who works in the computer industry.  We have computers, tablets, cellphones, tvs, mp3 players.... but, we also have books, board games, puzzles, arts and craft items, and so much more.

When we go to the pediatrician one of the first things she asks me is how much screen time do the boys get on a regular basis.  My answer, less than most.  During the school year, they do not get technology during the school week, unless it is something they need for a project.  We then also limit it on the weekend.  Even during the summer we limit it.

As a teacher, we are pushed to have the kids use more and more technology during their learning.  For me this is a double edged sword.  I understand that there is so much we can do with technology, but isn't it more important for children to explore knowledge than to watch it?  Wouldn't it be better to have them watch a real caterpillar change into a butterfly than see it on the screen?  Isn't it better to use multilink cubes to learn to add than use a computer program?  Is it better to have an actual book to hold in their hands than watch a book read on the computer?  Don't get me wrong, I think there needs to be a balance.

Balance... that seems to be what is missing or skewed.  Why are people allowing their children to sit and use technology for hours on hours?  I am amazed every year by the number of children who have never played an actual board game.  The number of parents who say they can't find time to read, but then hear the child talking about playing this game or that game on their tablet.  My children read all the time. They read before bed, they read in the car, they read in their rooms.  They also play with toys, the play board games, they play sports, they play.

We don't know the effects that this increased screened time will have on children, on generations, on our future.  Think about what you loved doing as a child... is your child doing anything like this?  If not... why?

I hate time changes

Ok I know I complain about this twice a year every year, but still, I hate them. I swear I don't get why we still have them at all. Try explaining to the kids why they have to get up before their body says its time to get up and then have to hustle because you actually let them sleep in.

I was changing the clock in my car and Blake asked me what I was doing. I said I'm changing the clock because it is not 8:53am instead of 7:53am. He asked me "But why Mommy?" Good question buddy... it just is.

They don't want to go to bed when it's time, they don't want to get up when it's time... and guess what neither do I.

Oh well... it is what it is. Happy time change Monday. (o:

Seriously?

I was watching the news this morning to see the weather report. I caught a clip that I found disturbing. It was not graphic, it was not violent, it was not obscene and yet it still rubbed me the wrong way.

A 14 year old honor student was suspended from his middle school for hugging a friend. Yep you read that right. Don't believe me? Click here to read the ABC article on it.

Can you seriously believe that they have got so obsessed with good touch/ bad touch that they have made it against the rules to hug? Or hold hands? All I could think was I hope they don't have those rules in elementary school, because young children hug all the time. I used hugging as part of the process of making amends to a friend.

I can understand that they are trying to discourage "relationships" in middle school, but come on, isn't this a bit much? It says in the article that if they are caught kissing it is an out of school suspension. Do teachers really have time to police this stuff or want to, I can tell you the answer to that... NO!

So voice your thoughts. Is hugging bad enough for in school suspension? I think you know what I feel

Sleep!

It is 1:07am and I'm up. Why you ask? Well I'm up because it's my job. Or maybe its a conspiracy? Blake has not been sleeping well since Friday night. Ok well we found out that's because he has an ear infection oh and his cough that even the doctor said "that hurts just listening to it". The good news was his throat and his lungs were clear, so it is just reactive airway disease, in other words.... his body can't fight off the cold it has and is making the cough worse. So on meds he goes for the ear infection and the cough. Back on the nebulizer he went too.

Colby has decided the last two nights that he needs to start waking up again in the middle of the night to pee. Yes, this is a good thing in one way, especially since we went through a stint of him peeing the bed again. But the issue I have with it is that he doesn't want to go right back to sleep. This could have a lot to do with the fact that he is finally getting his last two year molar. So he is not a happy camper either.

So, I stand here at my computer after putting Colby back to bed 3 times. Hoping that he will sleep and Blake starts coughing again. So now I get to listen to see if it is worth giving him a breathing treatment which will help him sleep better, but will also wake him up in the process of giving it to him, or seeing if it will pass.

Ahhh the joys of "mommyhood", everyone tells you about the sleepless nights when they are itty bitty and have to eat and be changed at all hours. But, then you get this respite when they learn to sleep through the night. It is after that when they wake up for one reason or another that you hate the middle of the night. One night, yeah you can handle one night of not sleeping well, maybe two. But, someone has to give mom a break on night 5 right?

Oh well all is quiet again. I can only hear the sounds of a clock ticking, the air conditioner cycling and me typing. Guess I can try to get back to bed now and hope to sleep the rest of the night.

I hope everyone else had a full 8 hours of sleep and healthy children. If not, just know... you aren't alone.

Night all!

How dare you ask me?

There isn't much that gets me annoyed with people, but when you do... you do! Yesterday, the boys and I met up with another mom, lets call her M, and her son at the splash pad. We have met a few times at the playground, but this was the first real scheduled get together. We met at the playground near the Y, and she goes to the Y too so the boys have played with her son there.

When I got to the splash pad, all the tables were being used. One table had just one person sitting at it. It ended up being someone else I've seen before at the Y, lets call her P. She said I could sit at her table, so I did. The M joined us there too.

At first it was fine. P was sitting at the table cutting coupons so the conversation began circling around shopping and move saving and such. I was sort of involved in the conversation, but I'm not a huge coupon person so I didn't care if she went through all the ads and makes the store price match. So I sort of was on a whatever kind of mode.

M went over and was talking to another mom that was there, P then asked me what my husband did and I told her. She asked about my sons and all that typical mom question stuff. After she asked what I used to do she asked if I was bored yet. I've had this question before and I'm always say, nope I don't have time to be bored.

P asked M if her other son was small too. M said no her older son is tall and she has to remember his age, since he looks older and therefore people expect him to act older. I said that I deal with that with Blake, not because of his height, but because of how smart he is. P then said to me "He must get his intelligence from his dad" JAW DROP! Ummm maybe, but I'm as smart if not smarter than my husband. Now I'm not sure if she assumed that I'm not as smart as Richard because I was a teacher, because I am a stay at home mom or just cause I'm female or what, but stupid I am NOT!

P then said something about don't you feel like as a stay-a-home mom that you have to excel at something? M told her that she excelled at being a mother and taking care of her home. I was dumbfounded at this time.

But then P went on told us that we were wasting our eductions by being a stay-at-home mom.

Now let me tell you that P was a stay at home mom, and is on leave from her job right now. She has 3 kids 13, 12, and 8. She told me that she had the first two close in age because only then could she justify staying home. That people who stay at home while their kids are at school are just catering to their child and letting the child decide what is best for the parent.

I don't get it. First of all what the hell gives you the right to say any of this to two stay-at-home moms? What makes you think we want to be bashed? Do you think that we are going to change our opinions of staying home because you have an issue with it?

Whatever. Needless to say next time I would choose to NOT sit near her!

School lunches mandatory?

I have seen this floating around Facebook and felt it was a great topic to take on here on my blog! The Chicago Tribune posted an article Chicago school bans some lunches brought from home.

In the article it states "At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago's West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria."  My first reaction to this is that's not fair.  My sons are very picky and would not eat 90% of what they serve in a school cafeteria no matter how well balanced the lunches are getting.  I also looked at that statement and thought... ummm what about families who are vegetarian, vegan, kosher?  That is not a medical excuse, but can you say that they have to compromise their choices because the principal has decided to ban lunch from home?  I understand that the meals are monitored by the USDA, and are better than chips and soda, but aren't there better ways than a strict mandate?  Did they try to work with families to improve the food brought in from home?  Did they try to ban specific products, ummm there is no need for children to be bringing soda to school, but what's wrong with chips to go with your sandwich? 

"Any school that bans homemade lunches also puts more money in the pockets of the district's food provider, Chartwells-Thompson. The federal government pays the district for each free or reduced-price lunch taken, and the caterer receives a set fee from the district per lunch." This in itself says a lot! The fact that they even added this to the article says that it maybe a contributing factor.  Is it fair that a random rule make it so the only way your child can eat at school is by buying the mandated school lunch?  Can parents choose to not pay?  I wouldn't want to pay if I knew my sons were just throwing lunch away, and trust me they would.  At Blake's pre-school he has breakfast and lunch, if he does not like what is served, he won't eat.  You can't tell me that will change when he is older.  I don't understand how it is not being fought in a legal avenue.  How can you mandate that I pay:  "For many CPS parents, the idea of forbidding home-packed lunches would be unthinkable. If their children do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals, such a policy would require them to pay $2.25 a day for food they don't necessarily like."  First of all,  I can make a healthy lunch that my sons would eat for that money or LESS every day, and it wouldn't end up in the trash.  There are a lot of families who do not qualify for free and reduced lunch who would be challenged to play $2.25 a day per/x number of children to feed or not feed them school lunch.

"At Little Village, most students must take the meals served in the cafeteria or go hungry or both. During a recent visit to the school, dozens of students took the lunch but threw most of it in the garbage uneaten."  How is this healthy?  How is it better for students to go with no food than to go with what is brought in from home?  This is a school, do they not know all the research that discusses the impact of food on learning?  Do they not realize that children who are not eating are less likely to succeed in school?  That is why free breakfast and lunch programs are promoted.  They want children who may not have the means to have healthy meals at home to get get meals at school.  But, that doesn't really justify children who would eat lunch made a home to toss the paid school lunch away and eat nothing.

I've worked in school.  I know there is swapping of snacks and that the items I send from home might not be eaten by my child.  I know that they may swap things, but I also know that if I send in healthy items that they will eat and enjoy as well as a snack (chips, cookies, that kind of thing) then they will enjoy their lunch.  They will EAT.

Another avenue that popped into my mind while reading this article is what is this school doing to provide the activity time children need to burn of the calories consumed?  Yes, there is a lot of talk about school lunches being full of sodium and other preservatives.  Ok even if you clean up school lunches that will not eliminate the obesity issue in schools.  There is a huge reality that school are cutting back more and more on physical education and recess time in schools.  Schools are fixated on meeting benchmarks and passing tests that are mandated by lawmakers who don't always have a reality check on school life.  There is a push for time on task and away from other things which are considered "fluff".  But, anyone who has ever tried to lose weight can tell you the best and most effective way to to be active.  Would it not be better to teach children about the concepts of moderation and increase their activity time than to mandate what they can and can't have for lunch?

As a teacher, I would not be happy with this policy because I would know that more than half the students in my class would be starved from lunchtime on.  As a parent, I would see this as an infringement on my civil liberties and the ability to raise my children as I see fit.  I think there are ways to improve these issues without coming out with a blanket policy that punished the whole for the sins of a few.