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Budget your Family Fun, Rent Games
As a parent it is sometimes hard to not be able to always buy your child the next new thing that usually costs a lot of money. Sometimes it just isn’t feasible and you also probably can’t make sense of spending upwards of $50 or more on one video...
Dealing with family and friends regarding your special needs child
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Family Bonding Activities for Thanksgiving.
Permissino to reprint and change title. -------------- There are three main themes for Thanksgiving: gratitude, the harvest, and family. We can lose track of these things when we're busy preparing for company and big meals, and Christmas shopping,...
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At our workshops around the country, youth professionals continue to report seeing more and more children from deeply troubled homes. If you are not a mental health worker, your college training may not have prepared you for working with children...
Secondary School Learning
Not only does the internet provide research for everyday school work, students can also find useful material to help prepare them for college.
Some sites allow you to look up information for homework and provide help to complete special...
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TV's effects on your family: Lessons from the Easter Egg Hunt
It was the big Easter Egg Hunt. My friend Christy and I lined up with the other kids. We all gazed greedily at the field of goodies before us. "GO!" yelled the announcer. En masse we rushed forwards. For some reason, everyone veered to the left. I stopped. I glanced at the untouched feast to my right. I ran right, gleefully scooping the candy before the rest caught on. At the end, I had a bagful of candy. Christy, who had followed the herd, had one piece. I was eight at the time, but I never forgot that day or its lessons.
What did I do differently from the other kids that day? I simply stopped. I stopped, looked around, and analyzed the situation. And I left the herd. I saw quickly that it was to my advantage NOT to follow the herd that day.
Leaving the TV herd
In 2003 I left the herd again in a much bigger way. I got rid of my TV. I am one of those rare few that do not have a TV, by choice. And I am reaping the benefits of being TV-free.
The reason? In 2001, the kids and I were without TV for several months. Like I did when I was little, I stopped. This time I took notice of the changes in my children and myself during the time we did not have a TV. Then when we got it back, I took notice of the changes again. Based on my observations, I decided we were better off without a TV.
Stop and observe YOUR family
But it does not matter what TV does to me or my kids. It does not matter that numerous studies show TV's links to obesity, illiteracy, consumerism, etc. The real question is: How does TV affect you and your family? Find out by stopping and observing.
Zombie kids
Stop and observe how your body and mind react to TV. Look deeply into your kids zombie-like eyes as they watch TV. Compare that to the look in their eyes as they play outdoors. How do you and your spouse look when watching TV? Take pictures if
necessary.
Take note of how your children behave after they have spent the afternoon in front of the TV set. How do they behave after playing with their friends? How well do you behave after watching several hours of TV? Your spouse? You may need to get an outside opinion for accuracy.
Consumers 'R Us
How do your children behave at the store when confronted with the cool blue gizmo that has been advertised for months on TV commercials? Are they whining and begging and nagging incessantly for that gizmo? How much extra money do you spend chasing the latest fads and fashions, as shown on TV?
Feelin' Groovy
Observe how much you really remember of that educational program you just saw. How well do you remember the last book you read in comparison? Test yourself. Stop and consider how you feel after watching several hours of television. Do you feel alert, happy, and energetic? Or do you feel lethargic and depressed and ready to turn the TV back on? Keep a diary to get an accurate assessment.
Family Time?
Most importantly, monitor the number of hours you and your family spend in front of the TV per week. Is it 20?...30?...40? The average American spends 28 hours per week in front of a TV set. How much do you watch? Now ask yourself: Is this how you really want to spend your time? Is this how you want your kids to spend their time? By age eighteen the average American will have spent three full years in front of the TV? By age seventy the total is 11.67 years.
Stop and think if this is what you really want out of life. I did, and I got rid of my TV.
About the Author
Katherine Westphal is the founder of a daring new website TrashYourTV.com, that makes it fun and easy for people to get control of their TV set. Are you addicted to TV? Take our TV Addiction Quiz (http://www.trashyourtv.com/survey) and find out!
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| Family.org |
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| FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records |
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| Family - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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| Family Life Today |
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| Family Research Council: Wednesday, December 6, 2006 |
| Christian organization promoting the traditional family unit and the Judeo-Christian value system upon which it is built. Provides links, commentary, news, ... |
| www.frc.org |
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| Sesame Workshop - Home Page |
| The non-profit educational organization behind the show and related educational outreach. |
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| National Sex Offender Registry |
| Free national US search for registered sex offenders. Map registered sex offenders to see who lives in your area. |
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| FHI Family Health International |
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| National Family Caregivers Association |
| Caregiving advocacy organization with tips and statistics on caregiving in America. |
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