I find it amusing that my husband and I are referred to as European and/or Hippies by our friends who are less liberal then us. I admit we are fairly liberal and more crunchy then a goodly number of our friends in many aspects. But does that make us hippies? I'll lay it all out and let you decide!!
We birth our children at home, with no interventions (and almost with no midwife due to the speed of labor). I breastfeed exclusively until 8 or 9 months before offereing solids, skip infant cereal altogether and go straight to relatively bland table food (nothing jarred). I breastfeed in public without the aide of a blanket or cover. I also get into heated debates with people (online and in real life) who would try to tell me what I am doing is immoral or wrong. My children have all breastfed their toys (including my son) and I ENCOURAGE it!! I dabble in cloth diapers with a very on and off attitude. I did Elimination Communication (infant pottying) with 2 of my children; 1 of whom was fully out of diapers by 18 months. All my kids are pottied by the age of 2 because I don't agree with the "wait till they're ready; after age 3" mentality. My youngest child is not Vaccinated, but the older 3 are.
We don't ofen eat prepackaged foods or frozen convenience foods. We do eat a lot of whole grains and raw veggies. My kids even enjoy snacking on veggies. I have never bought koolaid for the purpose of consuming it (but do use it to make an awesome smelling playdough!), my kids don't get anything but water or milk to drink until after the age of 2...and then fruit juice is a rare and special treat! Pop is unheard of except with the grand parents!
We don't have cable television (except during the Olympics right now!!) but we do watch a lot of movies. With the kids (all under 8 remember) we have watched everything from disney classics to Transformers, Superman, and now the newset Star Trek. There were some who thought that that might be a little violent and maturely themed for young kids. But our kids LOVED it, and I have not noticed an increase in violence in our household.
I have noticed an increase in attitude and contention in our house though. I cna pinpoint that to our children starting public school. (Oh yeah, we are homeschoolers trying out the public school system. To which I am really NOT loving it.)
HOWEVER....We do have lots of toys that are made of plastic and require batteries. My kids play video games. I use sunblock and bugspray. I regularly shave my legs and pits. I spank my kids when necessary, and insist they sleep in their own beds in their own rooms. I wear them when needed, but not ALL the time. I encourage independance at an early age.
So that's us; what do you think? Do we deserve our hippy/European title?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
"Do as I say, not as I do"
A long time ago, when I was in elementary school, (haha) I remember every year taking the time to write out Valentines. It was a long arduous process, picking just the right card for each individual. I didn't want Kris thinking I liked him if the sentiment was too mushy, and didn't want Stacy thinking I liked Kelly more if hers wasn't as sentimental. It took the better part of an evening, not just to pick them and write them, but to mentally go over our seats in class to make sure I hadn't forgotten anyone. And of course, I would always be sure to include a couple of blank ones just incase I did forget someone. I remember distinctly thinking how awful it would feel to be the only one to not receive a full complement of Valentine Cards, and while it rarely if ever happened in my rememberance, it was still a terrible fear.
Fast Foward 20 years and the teachers are now smart enough to send class lists home. I think this serves 2 purposes. A) no longer are there just Amanda's, Kelly's and Jason's in class, but Mykenzie, Mackenzie and Makensie, Dylan, Dillon, and Dalon. With so many spelling variations it's best to not get them wrong. and B) This way nobody gets forgotten. Infact the note sent home on the other side of the list specifically states "If your child wishes to bring Valentine Card's, pleases make sure to include all 27 students". I appreciate the sentiment of the second reason, but can't help feeling like we have done kids a diservice to warrant this need for a list.
Having had 2 children in the school system now for almost 6 months I have determined that kids today aren't just cruel, they are down right rude and nasty. They have absolutely no filter from brain to mouth, saying exactly what they want when they want, consequences be damned. And from my observances...they go out puposely looking to cause a scene. I wouldn't put it past them to leave someone off on purpose, just to be hurtful.
Sadly, this fault can only be layed at the feet of their parents. Children learn by example, not by sermon. So while we tell our children to speak kindly, we aren't showing them how. I know for a fact many of the people I went to school with swear in front of their children, speak with crude words and name call their friends within earshot of their kids. It's not being done maliciously, but our kids can't tell the difference, and they take what they have heard and try it out with their friends. It's terribly disturbing to listen to a group of 8 year old girls telling each other they suck and to shut up.
We grew up when sarcasm was reaching it's pinnacle, we were the rulers of sarcasm, and it has carried over, spilling forth into all aspects of our lives. These children have yet to master it, and don't understand that while the words are cruel and harsh, the delivery and the meaning behind them are not. So they hear the words, understanding only the linear value of them, and deliver these harsh words with a sneer and a snarl, waiting for the scene that is inevitable.
I have witnessed this behavior first hand in my own home, when school friends have come to play. I admit to sitting my girls down, and threatening them, that if they ever behaved in someone elses house the way their friends behaved in mine, or spoke to a grown up with as much disrespect as I was spoken to, that I would confine them to our house for the remainder of their school careers.
So while I am grateful that the list is there and I don't have to figure out how to spell Rheanna correctly, I am saddened that it needs to be said "Please include all 27 children." Somewhere along the lines we have failed our children. I urge you all to think about how you speak in front of your children..."do as I say, not as I do" has never proven to be an effective teaching method.
Fast Foward 20 years and the teachers are now smart enough to send class lists home. I think this serves 2 purposes. A) no longer are there just Amanda's, Kelly's and Jason's in class, but Mykenzie, Mackenzie and Makensie, Dylan, Dillon, and Dalon. With so many spelling variations it's best to not get them wrong. and B) This way nobody gets forgotten. Infact the note sent home on the other side of the list specifically states "If your child wishes to bring Valentine Card's, pleases make sure to include all 27 students". I appreciate the sentiment of the second reason, but can't help feeling like we have done kids a diservice to warrant this need for a list.
Having had 2 children in the school system now for almost 6 months I have determined that kids today aren't just cruel, they are down right rude and nasty. They have absolutely no filter from brain to mouth, saying exactly what they want when they want, consequences be damned. And from my observances...they go out puposely looking to cause a scene. I wouldn't put it past them to leave someone off on purpose, just to be hurtful.
Sadly, this fault can only be layed at the feet of their parents. Children learn by example, not by sermon. So while we tell our children to speak kindly, we aren't showing them how. I know for a fact many of the people I went to school with swear in front of their children, speak with crude words and name call their friends within earshot of their kids. It's not being done maliciously, but our kids can't tell the difference, and they take what they have heard and try it out with their friends. It's terribly disturbing to listen to a group of 8 year old girls telling each other they suck and to shut up.
We grew up when sarcasm was reaching it's pinnacle, we were the rulers of sarcasm, and it has carried over, spilling forth into all aspects of our lives. These children have yet to master it, and don't understand that while the words are cruel and harsh, the delivery and the meaning behind them are not. So they hear the words, understanding only the linear value of them, and deliver these harsh words with a sneer and a snarl, waiting for the scene that is inevitable.
I have witnessed this behavior first hand in my own home, when school friends have come to play. I admit to sitting my girls down, and threatening them, that if they ever behaved in someone elses house the way their friends behaved in mine, or spoke to a grown up with as much disrespect as I was spoken to, that I would confine them to our house for the remainder of their school careers.
So while I am grateful that the list is there and I don't have to figure out how to spell Rheanna correctly, I am saddened that it needs to be said "Please include all 27 children." Somewhere along the lines we have failed our children. I urge you all to think about how you speak in front of your children..."do as I say, not as I do" has never proven to be an effective teaching method.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Welcome to a New Year
I had a wonderful Christmas season. Full of good food, family and friends. I guess that is why I haven't posted in so long. The beast within has been kept quiet and content. But the magic of Christmas seems to be ebbing and alas, the beast is restless.
It's been so long that my thoughts are being pulled by a dozen different issues, but the one on the fore front of my mind is mental math. Mental Math is "new math", it is the math they are teaching in elementary schools now. Essentially it is teaching a variety of different methods to regroup numbers to solve math problems. So instead of teaching children
358
+271
_____
629 *carry the one*
the equation now looks like this
358 + 271=
300 + 200= 500
50 + 70= 120
8 + 1=9
500 + 120= 620 + 9= 629
now I ask you...which one is easier to do?
So I *get* that the idea behind this is so that the kids develop an understanding of how numbers work together, how they correlate, how they function alone and separately. And that eventually they will be able to do this easily, and quickly, and in their heads. But it strikes me as backwards. Developing and understanding of numbers comes from practice and use of numbers, it doesn't strike me as something that can necessarily be taught. It's a light bulb that gets switched on, a "duh" moment if you will. I actually remember that happening to me sometime around grade 4. I was doing these equations as taught to me, thinking I got it...getting the right answers, and then one day it just hit me BAM...69+41 is exactly the same as 70+40....but this one is just easier to add....Presto, the light turned on and I all of a sudden started making connections. Nobody could force the connections earlier on me...it was like speaking a different language to me.
I see the same thing happening with my daughter...I see what she is being taught at school, and she is struggling with this method. She looks at me like a 2 headed beast when I try and explain these number relations. And YET...when given the cups with 10 beans each...and shown how to add them, and carry over a group of 10 (or 100 if such is the case) she understands. I am not delusional enough to think she understands exactly why she is doing it, but I also know that she too will get that light bulb moment and go "OH, I SEE". I just don't see why we are trying to force the light bulb moment.
*Stepping into politically incorrect, sensitive areas now...follow at own risk. Please remember that I am not trying to spare feelings, and neither will I apologize for my views.*
This once again feeds my theory that schools are now catering to the lowest common denominator. Math, with regrouping is difficult to understand by those with learning delays, and instead of taking them out of the classroom and teaching them these alternate methods; they are teaching these alternative methods as the norm, so as not to be exclusionary.
While I am on the subject of not being exclusionary, let’s talk about chewing gum...which is something that is a BIG issue in my daughter’s grade 3 class right now.
She came home before Christmas with a permission slip to allow gum chewing in their classroom. The note said something about learning alternate ways to help concentrate and learn, and how gum chewing is a way that they are exploring. There was also a brief mention of a study done, showing kids who chewed gum while doing math scored 2% better than their counterparts. (For the record I looked up the study, and it was funded by the Wrigley’s Science Institute...so I am not exactly sure how accurate and non-biased those results are.)
Well, this note and its reason for gum chewing intrigued me and I asked my oldest daughter what this was all about. The conversation we had would have almost been comical...if I hadn't gotten the slight impression that my daughter was brainwashed. Well okay, not brainwashed, but she was spewing verbatim the things her teacher said, with no thought to how it actually applied to her.
Here is roughly the conversation we had.
Me: Can you explain to me how chewing gum is supposed to help you learn?
Her: Well, if I am having trouble concentrating, I can chew the gum and it will help me stay on task.
M: By concentrating on chewing gum instead?
H: No.
M: So how is gum supposed to help you stay on task?
H: Well, because my mouth will be busy chewing. I won't be talking of topic. and *building in enthusiasm* If I feel the need to yell, my mouth will be full of gum and I won't have to..I can just chew gum. *finishing off quite pleased with herself.*
M: Do you have a problem with randomly yelling out in class? Are you sidetracked and easily taken off topic? Should I be speaking to Ms. W about this?
H: *flustered and slightly indignant* NO. Not me...but other people do.
M: Oh, I see. So this is a tool that is used for those boys in your class who have a hard time concentrating. I could see how gum might help some of them. And I guess some other kids thought it wasn't fair that these boys got to chew gum and they didn't? So Ms. W decided to extend the opportunity to everyone?
H:*now looking slightly uncomfortable* I guess.
M: Then my answer is No. If chewing gum is not actually going to benefit you in any way I won't sign the form and supply you with sugar free gum. I don't want you to create a habit and all of a sudden become dependent on gum for learning.
It really frustrated me that this gum chewing thing was extended to the whole class. And it bugs me for a couple of reasons. First, if this is an actual tool for learning behaviours, then they are diminishing its value by extending it to the whole class. Second, and this one I am having a hard time putting into words... but what is so wrong with telling kids NO? "No, John gets to chew gum because it helps him. You don't need that kind of help. But both ways are still okay."
Well, I know what's wrong with that...but that is a whole other rant for another day.
It's been so long that my thoughts are being pulled by a dozen different issues, but the one on the fore front of my mind is mental math. Mental Math is "new math", it is the math they are teaching in elementary schools now. Essentially it is teaching a variety of different methods to regroup numbers to solve math problems. So instead of teaching children
358
+271
_____
629 *carry the one*
the equation now looks like this
358 + 271=
300 + 200= 500
50 + 70= 120
8 + 1=9
500 + 120= 620 + 9= 629
now I ask you...which one is easier to do?
So I *get* that the idea behind this is so that the kids develop an understanding of how numbers work together, how they correlate, how they function alone and separately. And that eventually they will be able to do this easily, and quickly, and in their heads. But it strikes me as backwards. Developing and understanding of numbers comes from practice and use of numbers, it doesn't strike me as something that can necessarily be taught. It's a light bulb that gets switched on, a "duh" moment if you will. I actually remember that happening to me sometime around grade 4. I was doing these equations as taught to me, thinking I got it...getting the right answers, and then one day it just hit me BAM...69+41 is exactly the same as 70+40....but this one is just easier to add....Presto, the light turned on and I all of a sudden started making connections. Nobody could force the connections earlier on me...it was like speaking a different language to me.
I see the same thing happening with my daughter...I see what she is being taught at school, and she is struggling with this method. She looks at me like a 2 headed beast when I try and explain these number relations. And YET...when given the cups with 10 beans each...and shown how to add them, and carry over a group of 10 (or 100 if such is the case) she understands. I am not delusional enough to think she understands exactly why she is doing it, but I also know that she too will get that light bulb moment and go "OH, I SEE". I just don't see why we are trying to force the light bulb moment.
*Stepping into politically incorrect, sensitive areas now...follow at own risk. Please remember that I am not trying to spare feelings, and neither will I apologize for my views.*
This once again feeds my theory that schools are now catering to the lowest common denominator. Math, with regrouping is difficult to understand by those with learning delays, and instead of taking them out of the classroom and teaching them these alternate methods; they are teaching these alternative methods as the norm, so as not to be exclusionary.
While I am on the subject of not being exclusionary, let’s talk about chewing gum...which is something that is a BIG issue in my daughter’s grade 3 class right now.
She came home before Christmas with a permission slip to allow gum chewing in their classroom. The note said something about learning alternate ways to help concentrate and learn, and how gum chewing is a way that they are exploring. There was also a brief mention of a study done, showing kids who chewed gum while doing math scored 2% better than their counterparts. (For the record I looked up the study, and it was funded by the Wrigley’s Science Institute...so I am not exactly sure how accurate and non-biased those results are.)
Well, this note and its reason for gum chewing intrigued me and I asked my oldest daughter what this was all about. The conversation we had would have almost been comical...if I hadn't gotten the slight impression that my daughter was brainwashed. Well okay, not brainwashed, but she was spewing verbatim the things her teacher said, with no thought to how it actually applied to her.
Here is roughly the conversation we had.
Me: Can you explain to me how chewing gum is supposed to help you learn?
Her: Well, if I am having trouble concentrating, I can chew the gum and it will help me stay on task.
M: By concentrating on chewing gum instead?
H: No.
M: So how is gum supposed to help you stay on task?
H: Well, because my mouth will be busy chewing. I won't be talking of topic. and *building in enthusiasm* If I feel the need to yell, my mouth will be full of gum and I won't have to..I can just chew gum. *finishing off quite pleased with herself.*
M: Do you have a problem with randomly yelling out in class? Are you sidetracked and easily taken off topic? Should I be speaking to Ms. W about this?
H: *flustered and slightly indignant* NO. Not me...but other people do.
M: Oh, I see. So this is a tool that is used for those boys in your class who have a hard time concentrating. I could see how gum might help some of them. And I guess some other kids thought it wasn't fair that these boys got to chew gum and they didn't? So Ms. W decided to extend the opportunity to everyone?
H:*now looking slightly uncomfortable* I guess.
M: Then my answer is No. If chewing gum is not actually going to benefit you in any way I won't sign the form and supply you with sugar free gum. I don't want you to create a habit and all of a sudden become dependent on gum for learning.
It really frustrated me that this gum chewing thing was extended to the whole class. And it bugs me for a couple of reasons. First, if this is an actual tool for learning behaviours, then they are diminishing its value by extending it to the whole class. Second, and this one I am having a hard time putting into words... but what is so wrong with telling kids NO? "No, John gets to chew gum because it helps him. You don't need that kind of help. But both ways are still okay."
Well, I know what's wrong with that...but that is a whole other rant for another day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)