If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn what envy is.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
If children live with encouragement, they learn to be confident.
If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to find love in the world.
If children live with recognition, they learn to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn to be generous.
If children live with honesty and fairness, they learn what truth and justice are.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those around them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If children live with serenity, they learn to have peace of mind.
With what are your children living?
-Dorothy L. Nolte
Saturday, December 12, 2009
My Kindergartner Is a "Slow Poke"???
Recently I have was informed and appalled that my child was being called a "slowpoke" at school. Hmmm....the child is five,the child is male, and the child is a kindergartner. Apparently he is not finishing his assignments during classroom time. Is he displaying bad behavior by distracting other children, is he being inattentive, is he daydreaming?
NO! He is doing the best he can, but he is just a little slow at completing his work. Now, what is more upsetting is what I have found out what form of motivation "tactics" his teachers were using to get him going. He was not given snack during snack time unless he had completed his assignment, he was to stay in the cafeteria after lunchtime instead of going to recess, and he had to move his name to "yellow" or "red" ( yellow is the warning of "bad behavior" and red referring to "bad behavior" after the child has moved his name to yellow. Oh, and let's not forget that he is being told he will not be able to participate in the Christmas party unless his school work is completed. Absorb all of that and then, remember: 5 years old, male, kindergarten.
What has our education system come to when they are depriving children of food and much needed playtime during recess? And let's not forget about resulting into name calling! You know, it broke my heart when my 5 year old child broke down into tears one morning and told me he was a slow poke and would never be able to finish his work because of his teacher's and classmates' name calling. He feels like a complete failure and has low self esteem about himself. And this is a coming from a child who is a smart and bright child who had complete confidence in himself. Last year he loved school, and this year, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it! What is happening here?
I'll tell you what's happening. Kindergartners are now under intense pressure to meet inappropriate expectations, including academic standards, that until recently, were reserved for first or second grade. These expectations and the policies that result from them have greatly reduced and in some cases obliterated opportunities for imaginative child-initiated play in kindergarten. Research shows that children who engage in complex
forms of socio-dramatic play have greater language skills than non-players, better social skills, more empathy, more imagination, and more of the subtle capacity to know what others mean. They are less aggressive and show more self-control and higher levels of thinking (Alliance for Childhood, p. 7). Yet, the curriculum has been revamped and has had children behind desks with pencil and paper in hand for the past 15 years. What happened to play? What happened to learning and having fun? What happened to all of the "learning centers"? There's nothing but worksheets after worksheets after worksheets.
Yeah, he's a boy. A team of twelve neuroscientists found that the various regions of the brain develop in a different sequence and tempo in girls compared with boys, resulting that the pace of the girls’ development is two years ahead of the boys’ (Sax, 2007). For many boys, there is a huge difference of readiness to learn between the age of five and seven, just as there is a huge difference in readiness for a girl between three and five.
So, why the reprimanding and demeaning and degrading name calling if my slowpoke child is a perfectly NORMAL, five year old boy?
NO! He is doing the best he can, but he is just a little slow at completing his work. Now, what is more upsetting is what I have found out what form of motivation "tactics" his teachers were using to get him going. He was not given snack during snack time unless he had completed his assignment, he was to stay in the cafeteria after lunchtime instead of going to recess, and he had to move his name to "yellow" or "red" ( yellow is the warning of "bad behavior" and red referring to "bad behavior" after the child has moved his name to yellow. Oh, and let's not forget that he is being told he will not be able to participate in the Christmas party unless his school work is completed. Absorb all of that and then, remember: 5 years old, male, kindergarten.
What has our education system come to when they are depriving children of food and much needed playtime during recess? And let's not forget about resulting into name calling! You know, it broke my heart when my 5 year old child broke down into tears one morning and told me he was a slow poke and would never be able to finish his work because of his teacher's and classmates' name calling. He feels like a complete failure and has low self esteem about himself. And this is a coming from a child who is a smart and bright child who had complete confidence in himself. Last year he loved school, and this year, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it! What is happening here?
I'll tell you what's happening. Kindergartners are now under intense pressure to meet inappropriate expectations, including academic standards, that until recently, were reserved for first or second grade. These expectations and the policies that result from them have greatly reduced and in some cases obliterated opportunities for imaginative child-initiated play in kindergarten. Research shows that children who engage in complex
forms of socio-dramatic play have greater language skills than non-players, better social skills, more empathy, more imagination, and more of the subtle capacity to know what others mean. They are less aggressive and show more self-control and higher levels of thinking (Alliance for Childhood, p. 7). Yet, the curriculum has been revamped and has had children behind desks with pencil and paper in hand for the past 15 years. What happened to play? What happened to learning and having fun? What happened to all of the "learning centers"? There's nothing but worksheets after worksheets after worksheets.
Yeah, he's a boy. A team of twelve neuroscientists found that the various regions of the brain develop in a different sequence and tempo in girls compared with boys, resulting that the pace of the girls’ development is two years ahead of the boys’ (Sax, 2007). For many boys, there is a huge difference of readiness to learn between the age of five and seven, just as there is a huge difference in readiness for a girl between three and five.
So, why the reprimanding and demeaning and degrading name calling if my slowpoke child is a perfectly NORMAL, five year old boy?
Friday, December 11, 2009
All they need is love...
If I Had my Child to Raise Over Again -Diane Loomans
If I had my child to raise over again
I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.
If I had my child to raise over again
I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.
What kids are eating at school...Junk with a capital J
Holy cow! I went to my kids cafeteria this afternoon, and I couldn't believe what these kids were eating! Not from the cafeteria but the kids who bring lunch from home. Mcdonald's-coke, fries, nuggets, chocolate Ho-ho's, fruit roll-ups, Capri Suns, choclate pudding, chips and more chips, gummy snacks, processed cheese,cookies...need I say more? I mean, heck, I developed diabetes just watching these kids eat this stuff. It has been proven over and over again that all this junk affects children's behaviors and health. At first, parents were blaming the snack and soda vending machines at the schools. Okay, so those were taken out. But wait a minute, these kids are still eating junk. Hmmm... who are the parents going to blame now?!?!?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Do I have ADHD?
School is buckling down, and I can't concentrate between taking care of the household and family, studying, shuttling kids to soccer, CCD, or piano. I'm running on coffee, and I feel like my mind is going to explode. My husband is out of town, and I feel like I'm running around in circles. Do I have ADHD...
Friday, December 4, 2009
ADHD Medication -Related Deaths in Children
Leanne M. Bessner, age 15 was prescribed Concerta and was taking it for only 2 months. She committed suicide on 10/09/2005 by hanging herself.
10-Year-Old Shaina Louise Dunkle
Diagnosed with ADHD by her school psychologist. Shaina's Death was caused from the Desipramine used to treat ADHD.
11-Year-Old Stephanie HallStephanie's School teacher suggested that she be tested for ADD. Stephanie's Death was caused From the Ritalin used to treat ADHD.
Adrian David Wade was born on November 09, 1991 12-year-old committed suicide on October 23, 2004. He was on 60mgs of Strattera daily. He was on it less then 4 months. His dx's were ADHD.
14-Year-Old Matthew Smith
Diagnosed with ADHD by his school psychologist. Matthew's Death was caused From from the Ritalin used to control his behavior.
Kiddie Cocaine
Ritalin affects children the same way cocaine affects adults...
- drug addiction
- nervousness and insomnia
- loss of appetite
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness
- headaches
- changes in heart rate and blood pressure (usually elevation of both, but occasionally depression)
- skin rashes and itching
- abdominal pain
- weight loss
- digestive problems
- toxic psychosis
- psychotic episodes
- severe depression upon withdrawal
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