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Yup… I mess up words.

Sometimes on purpose, sometimes by happy accident. Some people think I’m
mean about it.

Like, sometimes, right in the middle of perfectly polite conversations,
we’ll be talking about Kindergarten classes and how much fun the kids are
having, and I’ll say something polite, yet call it KinderNapping. Obviously,
a misnomer.

You should see the looks. “Surely you don’t mean that,” will come one reply.

“What?” I obviously don’t know I have this social disease; this making fun
of things by calling them cute names. Well, it may be a disease… but it
keeps me sane. My personal sense of humor is important to me.

“What do you mean by KinderNapping? My child is in the best program in the
state (so they tell her) and he’s well on his way to being prepared for
school. Your lovely child over there… sharing toys in the sandbox… isn’t
she in Kindergarten?”

“Uh… no. We homeschool.”

“Oh! Well, you’re quite the parent. I certainly couldn’t do that. Johnny
over there…”

“The one beating things with that stick and screaming?”

“Yes, that’s him. He’s going to what you rudely call KinderNapping and he’s
doing quite well.”

“I’m sure he is. So…. how about this weather?!”

The fact is… for a majority of children who are institutionalized by age
three (or daycared and baby-sat from birth to three THEN PreWashed and
KinderNapped) this government school care is NOT working out.

Parents are suddenly finding strangers at their dinner tables (if they even
eat together) and wondering why they aren’t anything like the things they
gave birth to thirteen years ago. In too many cases, they’re not.

What has changed them? What caused this generation to be so… different
than the last generations? I happen to think INSTITUTIONAL SCHOOLING plays a
major part in this equation. (Equation is a math term used in some schools
that still teach Old New Math.)

I’m not the only one contending that the GIGO effect (Garbage In Garbage
Out) of mandatory lifetime government schooling is having a huge effect on
generations of American children.

But it’s hard to convince well meaning and status conscious parents that
something might be wrong with their assumptions about preschool and
kindergarten.

But I do my part by putting a wrench in the works. Preschool is nothing but
a process by which parents and their children are brainwashed into thinking
they are preparing their children early for education excellence. This, I
call PREWASHING. The only preparation going on in PreWashing is the getting
the little kiddles ready for more institutionalization. Follow arbitrary
rules, do what you’re told, color in the lines, punishment for the loud and
active. Twelve more years of this, so better get prepared!!

Kids pushed into Kindergarten, where they learn such brain building things
as… finger painting, playing with toys, getting along and sharing (I’ll
admit this is useful for only children, but kids with siblings are WAY past
this.) and of course, when and how to take a nap, so the teacher can take a
break from the half day (soon to be full day) madness that is a room full of
children with WAY TOO MUCH energy to be stuffed into a room learning
educational excellence. This is called KinderNapping.

Misnomers to you maybe… sanity phrases to me. In a world where parents
have forgotten that THEY are supposed to raise their own children, not the
government, little misnomers like this are sometimes the only weapon I have
with which to rhetorically smack people over the head. It’s fun to make
people think and it’s better than hitting them with a stick.

Hey I justs got this email from my friend and I am not sure how to respond:

“God give me strength. I was at a meeting when K brought home her  report card Thursday It was BAD, like 30% Bad. DH (step-Dad)told  her she apparently had too many distractions (said with sense, not anger) so she was asked to remove her TV/DVD/CD combo player from her room. She said no and told him she didnt have too since other people bought it for her. He again asked her to do as she was told. (I know
you know where this is going…) K yells, “You are not my father, you can’t tell me what to do.” DH then goes OFF, using less than appropriate language about how he has earned the right to parent her and is tired of her self centred attitude. She says she’s leaving and calls my ex-husband. DH tells her she needs to leave if she isn’t going to respect the way our family works. She is there now. Generally we are on a discuss first, act second rhythm. He is also the calm to my emotional way, hates cursing. For him to go off I know she must have been pretty nasty, but he doesn’t want to repeat some things. He is feeling pretty down about his behaviour. KIera on the otherhand is feeling pretty smug about it and doesn’t feel that need to apologise for being hurtful.

She calls last night and says she not ready to come home or ready to apologise and I told her she wasn’t welcome here until she is ready to be part of the family, and take responsibilty for her school work and ready to share a true apology that goes toward re-building a relationship with both DH & I. I told her I can’t have her here if her purpose it going to be playing both her Dad & step-Dad off against me. She said ok and that was it. This is where it stands. I thought I would be a mess if it ever came to this. But really, I’m happy…I think. I don’t like that it had to come to this but my Mommy gut is telling me perhaps seeing this follow through and not chasing ehr down will help her to realise it’s not ALL about her. I’d rather it happen now and have her come back on the right terms and in the right state of mind. We are also switching her to a uniformed school. I love a good uniform! Especially since she has been pushing the inappropriate attire…she tried to leave the house in a kilt & tank top in Thursdays ice storm. This is after numerous warnings. With a DD chest she shouldn’t wear tank tops even in summer unless they are well layered.

AAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What do I do”

Our boy sometimes calls me ‘silly‘ which I see as a type of name calling which needs to be dealt with.

I find it important to address why something is being said straight away. I’m more
worried about why my little boy feels the need to call anyone silly and what he’s learning about himself - I am sad he feels the need to demean anyone and I want to get to the bottom of where it’s come from!

Anyway, when my boy says this, I ask him to please do not call me silly because it makes me feel sad and that I love him very much and want to help if he could please tell me what is wrong in other words.

Strangely enough, he often responds with ‘sorry mum, I love you‘ or something like that. But if he persists, I’ll say it again - that I don’t really like it when he calls me silly, that I love him so much and could he please say what he needs in different words. Then if it’s going on, I’ll suggest we do something else, something he likes like read a book. Things always end up turning positive then.
I don’t send him away - I don’t think that would help at all. It feels like attention seeking behaviour sometimes, so I try to give my child some attention. I say it
makes me feel sad when he calls me a name, and I  love you a lot and i’d really appreciate it if he could use other words that don’t hurt my feelings and if hr doesn’t respond as I’d like then I’ll say ‘how about we talk about something else?’ or ‘how about we do something else now?’ I give the child some attention and do something he/she likes and the child  feels like I’m on his/her side.

I find reminding my son that I love him when things are negative often helps. The offer of unconditional love regardless of the situation seems to be reassuring to him. The only thing about this is that I only say it when I really mean and feel it because children see
through false expressions of love.

I have a few friends who mark Thanksgiving as a National Day of Mourning. Yet I also know plenty who observe Thanksgiving as a day of celebrating the harvest, honoring tradition and our ancestors - after the corn was all dried, pumpkins sliced and the wild plumbs brought in, it was a time for giving thanks. When the food was together for the hard winter months and when the work was all done they gathered. After World War I these fall harvest gatherings were held to honor those Native servicemen who came back.

I think it’s important that we teach our kids (all kids, not just Native kids) accurate history, of how the Pilgrims were starving and dying and the first Americans did what they could to help out. And tell them, not all at once, but a tiny bit each year as maturity permits, about the Indian holocaust and land being taken, and still being taken which is why some Native Nations observe a National Day of Mourning. BUT we don’t want to teach history in a way that makes our Native kids feel as though they must carry that burden when all they really want is to be an average kid and fit in.

Our Native community holds a Harvest Festival each November. It’s “our” Thanksgiving and its intertribal with both traditional Native foods and the popular Thanksgiving foods. We don’t so much teach culture, we just enjoy doing our cultural things together, with storytelling, drumming and singing, and Indian humor, it’s different each year but the main thing is we teach our kids the truth without being bitter. Even though we have a sad history (like lots and lots of races of people and cultures) we still find plenty to be thankful for. And most of the Native families we know will gather with their families and eat
Turkey and do the relative thing tomorrow, as well. But we see it all from a whole other standpoint

We recently discovered that High Fructose Corn Syrup makes my son Bed Wet. He’s 5 and was clearly unable to control it. He has been pottying well now for a couple years, but then we let him have a wider range of Halloween candy this year and he started wetting the bed each night and sometimes during the day. Sometimes reactions can be to a food or additive that the child has eaten before with no trouble. I hear people say that dairy can cause this issue too.

I think what I’d do about the wetting is be very matter of fact about it. Not punishing, not reprimanding, not shaming. No drama. Just say something like “Oh, I see you need a change.” and then help her deal with it. If it’s attention she’s wanting, you can address that need more directly.

If you determine that it’s not a physical problem, maybe you can ask your child she feels about it, and what you can do to help her? Offer some solutions (I’ll remind you every 1/2 hour or so and make sure we always have extra underwear and pants with us) ask her to come up with some of her own. Try and give your kid lots of control over this. You might want to start treating pullups as a tool that your kid can use when she/he needs to instead of a punishment for wetting her underwear as some nurses seems to suggest. Don’t shame  as this will eventually wear on her self esteem.

I was thinking today. Public schools are apparently consistently short of cash, and many extra curricular programs are. One of the main reasons someof us find ourselves getting opposition to homeschooling is “but think of all they’ll miss out on!” And we respond “yes, but just look at all the opportunities out there.”

The thing is, we have to pay for all these opportunities ourselves.

My public-schooled nieces and nephews are constantly bringing me flyers for things they’re selling for the various programs they’re in. I got to thinking, why can’t we do the same? Yes, we’ve got Cub Scout popcorn and Girl Scout Cookies around here. But we’re funding their educations, and the educations of at least two other kids through our taxes, all by ourselves.

So, why *can’t* we do this? I know a lot of us are strapped on cash.

A friend of mine, several years ago, told me about a fundraiser her kids did, selling live wreaths. Each year they made enough to pay for a good chunk of their curriculum; or provide them with excellent opportunities–horseback riding lessons, music lessons, etc. It’s actually too late this year for the wreath thing–you’d want to be selling them in
October and early November.

What do you all think? I think we’re just as legitimate a “school” as they are, so we can legitimately fundraise!

Ok some of you may have come across this problem when going on holiday and I thought it was best that I outline exactly what you need to do.

To be honest it’s really simple, remember that baby needs a passport and do take a copy of baby’s birth certificate with you.

You will also need a letter from Dad giving permission, the letter should go something like this…

I, Bob D. Smith do hereby grant permission to Sue D. Smith to take our son Joe D. Smith out of the United States during the month of November 2007 for a trip to Mazatlan, Mexico on vacation.

Bob D. Smith
123 Main Street
Anytown, USA 54321
(111) 222-3333 home
(111) 444-5555 work
(111) 666-7777 cell

Most banks have Notary’s working there, so you can just go there to have it made official. He will have to show ID to prove he is who he says he is to the Notary, and then sign it in front of them. Then the Notary will stamp and sign the document as official, and you are ready to go!

Oh, and of course you would put the letter into your own words and such. It can have more info, such as your DL or passport# to ensure that it is actually YOU traveling with the child, etc. Or it can be more narrow in scope such as, “to depart on Nov 12th, 2007 and return no later than December 1st, 2007″. You get the picture I am sure! That was just a super simple example.

Here are some suggestions for children’s magazines that will help your child learn to read and learn about the world through some fun, playful activities you can do together at home. While all of these magazines are available by subscription, most libraries carry them as well. You might consider buying one subscription for your family while a friend buys another for her family — then trade. (Do the activity pages in PENCIL - so they can be erased and used again.)Or ask relatives for subscriptions when they need gift ideas.

Ladybug Magazine — From the publishers of the award-winning “Cricket” literary magazine for children comes “Ladybug” a magazine for kids ages 2-6 with simple stories and fun activities. For subscription info visit: http://www.cricketmag.com .

Click Magazine – Also from the publishers of “Cricket” — Click is ascience and exploration magazine for children ages 3 to 7, designed to encourage a child’s natural curiosity about the world. With amazing photographs and beautiful illustrations, you can join Click the mouse and his inquisitive friends as they learn how bridges are built why ants dig tunnels, and how artists create paintings. http://www.cricketmag.com

Wild Animal Baby — The National Wildlife Federation produces a great magazine for kids ages 1 to 3(or 4). Stories, activities, features and fingerplays! http://www.nwf.org

Your Big Backyard — The National Wildife Federation’s magazine for children ages 3-7. Fun stories, interesting information about wildlife, and great activities to do at home. http://www.nwf.org

Turtle Magazine – Turtle Magazine for Preschool Kids (published bi-monthly by the Children’s Better Health Institute) features colorful and entertaining stories, poems, and rebuses, perfect for reading aloud. Hidden pictures, dot-to-dots, mazes, science experiments, and recipes. http://www.cbhi.org/magazines/turtle/

Humpty Dumpty - Also published by the Children’s Better Health Institute for ages 4-6. Contains stories, printables, games.

Zootles - Created for children 2-6 years old by the publishers of Zoobooks. It’s Zoobooks for little ones: pre-readers and beginning readers. Each issue includes a featured animal, number, and phoneme sound. Counting and sound recognition games are built in to the
content, along with read aloud stories, poems and more! This magazine is so much fun, youngsters won’t realize how much they are learning. http://www.zoobooks.com/store/Zootles-Subscription-P224C6.aspx

This blog has a fair few people who I like to call “homeschool haters” I’m sure you have met these people: “Hey just send your kids to school, weirdo!”…etc It’s ironic that its these people who often lack many of the skills that schools are meant give us. Well I fond a great way to deal with these people - just give them this page to read: The bitter homeschooling wishlist.

Hey Just got this email from a friend that I thought I should share with you guys.

Q: I am going to buy a bottle and see if my son will accept it. My other boys hated bottles, so far thisone won’t take one either. Anyway just wondering if there is a bottle
out there that baby accepted after trying numerous ones?

A:I  went back to work part-time when each of mine were 1½ to 2 months. My first had latch issues and had to use the Gerber NUK that has the hole at the roof of the mouth instead of at the tip, to prevent changing his sucking pattern. Many babies are okay with regular nipples, but when the hole is at the tip, they might pull their tongue back to block the hole when swallowing. Doing that same tongue movement on the breast will cause blisters.

With my second, it took 10 different nipples to find one she would use. None of the orthodontic, regular, or whatever seemed to work. She finally took the Evenflo Ultra, which I managed to lose after a few weeks, and then she would use the wide Avent bottles and nipples.

And then my third . . . she was a doll. She used the cheap standard nipples that are like 4 for $2.

Oh . . . I forgot to mention the best trick I’ve learned for getting a baby to take a bottle. Let baby nurse for a few minutes so he’s not starving. When he’s nice and relaxed, slip in a finger to break suction and stick the bottle in as quickly as possible. He might push it out. Nurse again for a minute and try to switch again. It might take several tries, but this has worked with a few other moms I know.

I also would stick a bottle into his mouth randomly when he was a half asleep or in a playful mood…he spit it out at first, but was never mad because I was careful NOT to do it when he was hungry or might be annoyed. It became a game and then when he figured out it worked for hunger too it was all smooth sailing.