Senator McCain’s campaign tactics: How childish can you be? I’m about to discount him just based on the fact that since we’ve hit the real presidential campaign and all he can do is tell us not to vote for Obama. Umm... k... hows about you start telling my WHY I should vote for YOU and layoff trying to discount Obama. I know neither candidate is perfect, and I can’t say that my views are reflected well in either one, but I lean more on the side of the guy who’s out to promote himself. Isn’t that what we’re voting for here? The way I see McCain at this point is as someone who can’t win on his own so he’s trying to make the other guy look bad. Is this really true? Not necessarily, but he’s not making a good argument as to why I should vote for him.
American kids diets: Why are we so insistent on killing the next generation? Seriously, do we have some kind of grudge against them that makes in necessary for us to let them do whatever they want for “happiness” even if it means their utter demise? There are 4.5 million obese kids/teenagers in America right now and that number is raising. Aren’t we just a fabulous nation! Yuck, makes me sick. Only in America (and now that our lovely bad influence is being inflicted, yes inflicted, on other Westernized nations) do kids have whole meals made separately for them because they “don’t like” what’s for dinner. You’re joking right? Not only do they get separate meals, but those meals consist of macaroni and cheese (so glad my kids don’t ask for this meal by name), Spaghetti O’s, Ramen, PB & J (that is if your kid “tolerates” the peanut butter... there’s probably no problem with the jelly, there’s usually a good amount of sugar in that to make it just right), lunchables, oh, and my favorite HOT DOGS, chips, sugar cereal, soda, and fruit snacks. I think a laser hit Earth right over America and erased our ability to use common sense. No kid ever liked anything that wasn’t repeatedly presented for their palate to figure out, and no kid is picky who’s learned how to eat right. Want to get rid of a picky kid? Stop rolling over and babying them over food. Oh, and if you’re having problems with your own weight take a gander at the foods you keep in your house and your portion sizes.... just for funsies! Maybe someday we’ll say goodbye to the processed foods and try to live a little longer. Enough said.
Public Schools: Shall we call as spade a spade? Don’t try and feed me the story about my child’s “academic education” because that just makes me laugh. Public schools try to help kids with their “social education” and that’s fine and dandy-like I’m sure for most. However, here’s my problem. There is an epidemic of dual-income household which for most, probably not all, people means that they’re not all that big a part of their kids education be it academic or social. So, these cute little kids have some really fun behaviors that they bring to the mix, and us in our infinite wisdom say, “hey wouldn’t it be a great idea to stick a bunch of 6 year-olds together so they can learn social skills from one another.” Yah, that’s special. I would love to have my kids learn from another kid, who also doesn’t know how to act. If I didn’t believe in foreordination I would swear that I was born in the wrong time frame. My mind itches for the days before WWII changed our schooling as a nation. It’s interesting, the “great minds” of our times were home-schooled through mentors, private teachers, and parents and did INCREDIBLE things. PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE FOR THE POOR, they weren’t meant for the masses. Now it’s just fine and dandy to hand our kids over no questions asked to someone who may not have a clue. Nice. You know, I don’t want the surgeon who barely passed working on me, but we’re more then happy to hand our kids development over to the kid who may have barely passed college. Yes, yes “but I supplement my kids at home.” Should I roll my eyes back in my head now or later? Why send your kids AWAY for 6 + hours a day in the first place? This is what stress looks like to me....
Somewhere between 6-8am: scramble to get kids ready, breakfast, all school items together.
8-3-ish: school... complete with scrambling to learn what’s on the government tests so that the school will get adequate funding, teachers dealing with discipline issues, the “ADD” kid acting up because he can’t sit still (Why did we learn about different learning styles if all we’re going to teach to is one type and leave the other ones hanging?).
3-8: After school activities.... sports, sports games, dance, homework, oh and let’s not forget “supplemental learning” (which is another way of admitting that the school isn’t sufficient), maybe dinner is in there somewhere.
9pm or maybe a little earlier if your extra-curricular schedule permits: bedtime
So, I am a self confessed control-freak, but in all the running around I just don’t see enough time to RELAX and enjoy time as a family each day. I’d rather have hours of just being together then sending them to a “babysitter” <-- how I think of public schools and including private schools who do nothing more then just turn kids out on a conveyor belt without allowing proper development of them using their own brains. Where have all the leaders gone? Where has the ability to think for ourselves and develop our own interests and LOVE learning gone. Why aren’t books our nations’ favorite thing to turn to then the t.v., computer, or virtual games? Our society is just a whole new definition of lazy.
Updating Things
9 hours ago
2 comments:
Okay, so I won't comment about your political stuff, mainly because I still can't figure out what either of the candidates actually stand for! It's going to be a tough vote to cast this year, but at least we know that whichever way we vote, it will be historic - either the first woman or the first black in office!
About the American diet: Just one quick comment that you can't always be too quick to judge by looking at a person. Most everything that I cook is from scratch. I don't do a whole lot of processed foods, and my kids actually prefer the good stuff. I don't eat massive portions, and I exercise regularly. Yet, I'm still significantly overweight - weight that I gained while on a necessary medication. It kind of hurts when I know that people are saying I'm at fault for my weight issues, so be careful when you go to judge others, because you rarely know the whole history!
As for public schools: I agree that they aren't the best solution for everyone. However, I would argue that homeschooling is not for everyone either. Of my 4 children, I have 2 that are so completely different from me, learning personality-wise, that I simply can't teach them. What makes perfect sense to me comes across as jibberish to them. In school, they have been blessed with some wonderful teachers who have been able to explain those difficult concepts in language my sweet children can understand. They have also come across some teachers who had the same issues I have with trying to teach them - and that's when they have been paired up with others in the class so that the kids can act as "interpreters" for each other, often explaining things in ways that the grown-ups just can't seem to master. Sometimes, learning from someone your own age, and having the opportunity to teach others in your peer group is better than any of the best college-educated teacher could manage!! So I won't be made to feel guilty for my selection of public school - nor will I ignore the drawbacks to overcrowded public schools. I think the key is to find what is right for each child, and it may not be the same for any two children, even within the same family!!
I'm glad you wrote. I certainly wasn't trying to make anyone feel guilty about their personal choices. I know very well that there are circumstances that need to be taken into consideration... I promise I'm not as heartless as I come off sometimes. Having been pregnant 3 times in 4 years I am hyper-sensitive about my weight, but that doesn't make it come off any faster. My body-type is prone to gaining weight, so I'm weird about everything in an attempt to stave of genetics. However, seeing as how my last baby is only 3 months I don't expect to be down to a weight/body style that I would like, regardless of what I eat it doesn't happen as fast as I'd like. So, I'm considered overweight until everything settles, and that's the best I can do.
Likewise, if someone is taking a medication to help with any kind of illness, especially one as life altering as yours, I have nothing but respect for you. All I'm referring to is people who do have a bad diet, and constantly moan about weight issues... that drives me nutty.
I'm the first to admit that we don't know what happens inside peoples homes/lives and so we shouldn't judge. I don't want to make people feel guilty for the things they do. Like with public schools, for certain parents and certain kids it's a blessing. Every person I've talked to or overheard in the last 2 weeks has been rejoicing over kids going back to school, and most of those kids are ecstatic to go back. Every family needs to do what they feel inspired to do for themselves. I had a pretty horrible public school experience and as such see things differently then a lot of people do. I feel like the academics can be inadequate, but that isn't always true. Similarly, some schools handle discipline differently then others, and a good amount of kids thrive on that kind of environment. Personally, like I noted, getting kids up and ready and out of the house and driven from place to place at certain times stresses me out just thinking about it. Additionally, our rate of moving thus far has been once (or more) every year and that doesn't take into consideration school years. I'm not going to retract that most schools are inadequate, but I will say that some are right for some families. You are an especially great example of a mom who's involved and carefully watching over her kids. I praise you and all others who are finely in tuned with their child's education. People who just rely on the schools and/or church to teach them everything they need to know scare me a little bit. I'm sure you'd agree that not everything they hear/get taught is appropriate or adheres to personal family standards.
I hope you'll forgive me that my statements sound one-sided. If more moms were like you and a few others I know the world would be a better place.
Post a Comment