Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
First Aid
On Thursday night I was downstairs at church waiting for my turn to do the music and teach the Bible story at Master Club. One of the other teachers was talking about first aid and what you should do when a person isn't breathing. One of the little boys, probably about 5th grade, said it was "mouth-to-mouth participation." He said it several times and the teacher could not think of the right word. So while I was being very amused, I told her the word "resuscitation." Now my word was correct, but it wasn't nearly as interesting a term as the little boy's was. "Mouth-to-mouth participation" is probably not done during first aid, but it may be done at other times.
Monday, July 28, 2008
How Entertainment Can Influence Thoughts and Actions by Focus on the Family
This is part of an article from Focus on the Family about the influence of the media on people and especially on young people and adults.
"It's just entertainment. It doesn't affect me." That common viewpoint — especially among young people — is naive at best. While it almost goes without saying that few people will allow something they see or hear in media to turn them into killers or rapists, for better or worse, it's clear that media does have the power to influence our thoughts, actions and behaviors. Consider a few examples:
The Harry Potter series has cast a spell worldwide. In Britain, a broom maker reported a spike in sales, explaining, "Children have seen them in the film and ask their parents to buy them one." The Hexenschule, a European school of witchcraft, credits J.K. Rowling's boy wizard with increased enrollment. Elsewhere, American schools have adapted the high-flying game Quiddich for use in gym class, and a young woman in Spain burned her house halfway to the ground while attempting to brew a potion like her Hogwarts heroes.
In June 2006, the Journal of Adolescent Health reported that teens who absorbed sexually explicit entertainment the most frequently were up to 2.2 times more likely to have had sexual intercourse by ages 14 to 16 than those who had been exposed the least. medialifemagazine.com, 3/22/06; Journal of Adolescent Health, 3/06; Reuters, 4/3/06]
In December 2003, the legal defense team of Lee Boyd Malvo (the 18-year-old convicted as one of the Washington-area snipers) argued that violent media was used to desensitize the teen to killing. Lawyers showed the jury clips from movies and video games that were allegedly used to "brainwash" Malvo. They included a scene from The Matrix wherein characters Neo and Trinity gun down policemen. Dewey Cornell, a clinical psychologist, testified, "Exposure to entertainment violence desensitizes people to violence, makes it seem more acceptable. These people have more violent thoughts and actions." This phenomenon occurs in millions who feast on violent fare, even if they don't take that desensitization to murderous extremes.
During the Jack Nicholson film About Schmidt, audiences were shown the photo of a 6-year-old Tanzanian boy cared for by Childreach, an actual nonprofit organization. Donations to Childreach soared. The humanitarian group, which recruits U.S. sponsors for children in developing countries, had been receiving three sponsorships per day on its Web site. When the film went nationwide, that figure rose to 80.
How do you spike popular interest in battered, broken, bloody corpses? Make them the centerpiece of a TV show. Since the 2000 debut of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," colleges and universities have noticed a large increase in the number of students taking forensics classes. And some insiders are fingering CSI as the inspiration. A representative from Manhattan’s Pace University credits the CBS series as a “major force” in its decision to add new undergraduate and grad-school degree programs in the field. And The American Academy of Forensic Sciences says that 25 people per week are calling regarding forensic careers, a five-fold increase. [EW.com, 8/14/02]
A study funded by the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has found that the more cigarette marketing teens see in retail stores, the more likely they are to pick up the habit. Sandy Slater, who led the study, dogmatically commented, "Restricting these marketing practices would reduce youth smoking." Researchers evaluated the effect of point-of-purchase advertising on a nationally representative sample of 26,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders from 1999 to 2003. [AP, 5/8/07 c&e]
The scene in Mission: Impossible 2 of Tom Cruise’s mountaintop experience involving instructions received via his sunglasses caused Oakley sunglass sales to soar to $100 million in the quarter following the movie’s release — up 39 percent from the same quarter the previous year. Not a bad return on a $100,000 product placement investment! (Robert Smithouser. Movie Nights, Tyndale House, 2002)
In 1988, a Dallas morning deejay asked his listeners to send him $20, without giving them a reason. Within a week, the radio station had received over $240,000. (Stan Campbell and Randy Southern. Mind Over Media, Tyndale House, 2001)
"All too many people read novels or see films and think they're experiencing reality. ... According to the Barna Group, 24% of those who read The Da Vinci Code said it 'aided their spiritual growth and understanding.' In other words, one in four of its readers believe the book's thesis (as opposed to its story line) is true." —columnist Don Feder, referring to how Dan Brown's controversial book has influenced some readers [grasstopsusa.com, 5/16/06]
A brief candy cameo in E.T. — The Extraterrestrial immediately sent sales of Reese’s Pieces into orbit. Sales increased 65 percent after the film’s release. (Robert Smithouser. Movie Nights, Tyndale House, 2002)
Wham-o, Inc. is convinced that movies can have a powerful influence on children. That's why it sued the makers of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star for irresponsibly depicting its Slip 'N Slide toy in the movie. A character throws himself onto a dry Slip 'N Slide, leaving his chest covered in welts. Later he greases it, causing him to slide uncontrollably into a fence. A Wham-O spokesman expressed concern that children might copy that "reckless" behavior and severely injure themselves.
My own note: We should be very concerned about what our young people (and we adults) are exposed to. I think that the Internet, email and other kinds of technology also have great influence in lives. I think if I were raising my children today, I would be so very careful of the Internet. I probably wouldn't let them go to other people's houses unless I knew for certain there was very controlled access to the Internet and that the parents in the home supervised the use and that they had the same concerns we did.
"It's just entertainment. It doesn't affect me." That common viewpoint — especially among young people — is naive at best. While it almost goes without saying that few people will allow something they see or hear in media to turn them into killers or rapists, for better or worse, it's clear that media does have the power to influence our thoughts, actions and behaviors. Consider a few examples:
The Harry Potter series has cast a spell worldwide. In Britain, a broom maker reported a spike in sales, explaining, "Children have seen them in the film and ask their parents to buy them one." The Hexenschule, a European school of witchcraft, credits J.K. Rowling's boy wizard with increased enrollment. Elsewhere, American schools have adapted the high-flying game Quiddich for use in gym class, and a young woman in Spain burned her house halfway to the ground while attempting to brew a potion like her Hogwarts heroes.
In June 2006, the Journal of Adolescent Health reported that teens who absorbed sexually explicit entertainment the most frequently were up to 2.2 times more likely to have had sexual intercourse by ages 14 to 16 than those who had been exposed the least. medialifemagazine.com, 3/22/06; Journal of Adolescent Health, 3/06; Reuters, 4/3/06]
In December 2003, the legal defense team of Lee Boyd Malvo (the 18-year-old convicted as one of the Washington-area snipers) argued that violent media was used to desensitize the teen to killing. Lawyers showed the jury clips from movies and video games that were allegedly used to "brainwash" Malvo. They included a scene from The Matrix wherein characters Neo and Trinity gun down policemen. Dewey Cornell, a clinical psychologist, testified, "Exposure to entertainment violence desensitizes people to violence, makes it seem more acceptable. These people have more violent thoughts and actions." This phenomenon occurs in millions who feast on violent fare, even if they don't take that desensitization to murderous extremes.
During the Jack Nicholson film About Schmidt, audiences were shown the photo of a 6-year-old Tanzanian boy cared for by Childreach, an actual nonprofit organization. Donations to Childreach soared. The humanitarian group, which recruits U.S. sponsors for children in developing countries, had been receiving three sponsorships per day on its Web site. When the film went nationwide, that figure rose to 80.
How do you spike popular interest in battered, broken, bloody corpses? Make them the centerpiece of a TV show. Since the 2000 debut of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," colleges and universities have noticed a large increase in the number of students taking forensics classes. And some insiders are fingering CSI as the inspiration. A representative from Manhattan’s Pace University credits the CBS series as a “major force” in its decision to add new undergraduate and grad-school degree programs in the field. And The American Academy of Forensic Sciences says that 25 people per week are calling regarding forensic careers, a five-fold increase. [EW.com, 8/14/02]
A study funded by the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has found that the more cigarette marketing teens see in retail stores, the more likely they are to pick up the habit. Sandy Slater, who led the study, dogmatically commented, "Restricting these marketing practices would reduce youth smoking." Researchers evaluated the effect of point-of-purchase advertising on a nationally representative sample of 26,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders from 1999 to 2003. [AP, 5/8/07 c&e]
The scene in Mission: Impossible 2 of Tom Cruise’s mountaintop experience involving instructions received via his sunglasses caused Oakley sunglass sales to soar to $100 million in the quarter following the movie’s release — up 39 percent from the same quarter the previous year. Not a bad return on a $100,000 product placement investment! (Robert Smithouser. Movie Nights, Tyndale House, 2002)
In 1988, a Dallas morning deejay asked his listeners to send him $20, without giving them a reason. Within a week, the radio station had received over $240,000. (Stan Campbell and Randy Southern. Mind Over Media, Tyndale House, 2001)
"All too many people read novels or see films and think they're experiencing reality. ... According to the Barna Group, 24% of those who read The Da Vinci Code said it 'aided their spiritual growth and understanding.' In other words, one in four of its readers believe the book's thesis (as opposed to its story line) is true." —columnist Don Feder, referring to how Dan Brown's controversial book has influenced some readers [grasstopsusa.com, 5/16/06]
A brief candy cameo in E.T. — The Extraterrestrial immediately sent sales of Reese’s Pieces into orbit. Sales increased 65 percent after the film’s release. (Robert Smithouser. Movie Nights, Tyndale House, 2002)
Wham-o, Inc. is convinced that movies can have a powerful influence on children. That's why it sued the makers of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star for irresponsibly depicting its Slip 'N Slide toy in the movie. A character throws himself onto a dry Slip 'N Slide, leaving his chest covered in welts. Later he greases it, causing him to slide uncontrollably into a fence. A Wham-O spokesman expressed concern that children might copy that "reckless" behavior and severely injure themselves.
My own note: We should be very concerned about what our young people (and we adults) are exposed to. I think that the Internet, email and other kinds of technology also have great influence in lives. I think if I were raising my children today, I would be so very careful of the Internet. I probably wouldn't let them go to other people's houses unless I knew for certain there was very controlled access to the Internet and that the parents in the home supervised the use and that they had the same concerns we did.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Training Up a Child
The Bible says to train up a child in the way he should go. The problem with doing this is that no matter how parents train up a child, we never get it quite right.
I mean that even if parents were always in the Lord's will, obeying God's directives, praying constantly, teaching correctly, and nourishing each tiny child in the right way, the child at some point would question the parents' actions in raising them. I am not wanting to be critical of the child. I think every child has to come to his own conclusions about how he was raised: whether he was taught the truth, whether he was taught correctly and whether parents had the right motives and knowledge. The main truth of a parent's life is that it ain't easy raising children.
I wasn't even close to being a perfect parent. I didn't conscientiously or consistently work at teaching my kids God's Word. I did fairly consistently teach God's precepts. My husband and I had our children in Christian schools all their lives where they learned of God and His Word, and we had them in church two to three times a week where the Word of God was taught regularly. And we taught them at home.
I wasn't always a good example to my children. I should have read the Scripture and prayed more myself and with them. I wish I had taught them God's precepts line upon line more diligently. I wish my Christian walk and inner life had been more consistent.
I understand that grown children must make their own decisions concerning their beliefs, their understanding of God's Word, their understanding of God and willingness to obey Him, and their relationship with Christ and His church. I hope that for all of us, the truths of God's Word and the leading of His Spirit in our lives will be the guiding factors for all of our lives.
How we train our children when they are young, in every aspect of their lives, is a living testament to our love for them and for their future. Would I do many things different if I could? Definitely. Would I change everything? Not at all.
And, in spite of everything, may the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ truely be with us all.
p.s. I am not totally satisfied with this post. I didn't write it to be critical of any of my 10 or 15 children. These are just some of my thoughts.
I mean that even if parents were always in the Lord's will, obeying God's directives, praying constantly, teaching correctly, and nourishing each tiny child in the right way, the child at some point would question the parents' actions in raising them. I am not wanting to be critical of the child. I think every child has to come to his own conclusions about how he was raised: whether he was taught the truth, whether he was taught correctly and whether parents had the right motives and knowledge. The main truth of a parent's life is that it ain't easy raising children.
I wasn't even close to being a perfect parent. I didn't conscientiously or consistently work at teaching my kids God's Word. I did fairly consistently teach God's precepts. My husband and I had our children in Christian schools all their lives where they learned of God and His Word, and we had them in church two to three times a week where the Word of God was taught regularly. And we taught them at home.
I wasn't always a good example to my children. I should have read the Scripture and prayed more myself and with them. I wish I had taught them God's precepts line upon line more diligently. I wish my Christian walk and inner life had been more consistent.
I understand that grown children must make their own decisions concerning their beliefs, their understanding of God's Word, their understanding of God and willingness to obey Him, and their relationship with Christ and His church. I hope that for all of us, the truths of God's Word and the leading of His Spirit in our lives will be the guiding factors for all of our lives.
How we train our children when they are young, in every aspect of their lives, is a living testament to our love for them and for their future. Would I do many things different if I could? Definitely. Would I change everything? Not at all.
And, in spite of everything, may the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ truely be with us all.
p.s. I am not totally satisfied with this post. I didn't write it to be critical of any of my 10 or 15 children. These are just some of my thoughts.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
All My Children
My daughter is a blessing to me. Since I lost my mother and my sister who were my best friends for my whole life, Jen has worked at taking care of me. She is concerned about what I am concerned about. She prays for my prayer requests. She sends great gifts for birthday, Mother's Day, and Christmas. She gives me advise and tries to get me to do things that she thinks would be good for me.
When Jen came home at Christmas, she paid to take us to the Denver Art Museum where we saw historical and famous paintings including one by Renoir. She was willing to rest when I wanted to and stay as long as I wanted to. She was very thoughtful and fun to be with.
Often in the past when Jen came home for a visit, by the third or fourth day we were starting to get on each other's nerves. Now we can go to the fourth or fifth day! (;> We have good times and I really appreciate her. She works at getting along and enjoying our time together. I wish I could see her more often, but she spends a lot of money to come home and visit, more money than I want her to.
My son is also a blessing to me. Currently he is living with me and my husband while he is working and going to school for landscaping. Often in the evenings he sits down and talks with me. He talks about his classes and what he is learning or what projects he is working on. Just like old times, he has wanted his dad or me to help with a project or two, which is enjoyable for us.
Aaron does housecleaning every week for me. He usually cleans the bathroom, sweeps the kitchen, or vacuums the living room. He also carries in groceries and helps put them away. He also lets me borrow his computer from time to time. My husband and I have a computer, but Gary uses is a lot of the time.
Aaron has always been and still is a nice person. I enjoy spending time with him. He feels like he spends more time with his parents than the average person his age, but he seems to tolerate it reasonably well. I know I'll miss him when he moves out after his schooling is completed.
When Jen came home at Christmas, she paid to take us to the Denver Art Museum where we saw historical and famous paintings including one by Renoir. She was willing to rest when I wanted to and stay as long as I wanted to. She was very thoughtful and fun to be with.
Often in the past when Jen came home for a visit, by the third or fourth day we were starting to get on each other's nerves. Now we can go to the fourth or fifth day! (;> We have good times and I really appreciate her. She works at getting along and enjoying our time together. I wish I could see her more often, but she spends a lot of money to come home and visit, more money than I want her to.
My son is also a blessing to me. Currently he is living with me and my husband while he is working and going to school for landscaping. Often in the evenings he sits down and talks with me. He talks about his classes and what he is learning or what projects he is working on. Just like old times, he has wanted his dad or me to help with a project or two, which is enjoyable for us.
Aaron does housecleaning every week for me. He usually cleans the bathroom, sweeps the kitchen, or vacuums the living room. He also carries in groceries and helps put them away. He also lets me borrow his computer from time to time. My husband and I have a computer, but Gary uses is a lot of the time.
Aaron has always been and still is a nice person. I enjoy spending time with him. He feels like he spends more time with his parents than the average person his age, but he seems to tolerate it reasonably well. I know I'll miss him when he moves out after his schooling is completed.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Needing Attention
I know a little girl who is about 10 or 12 yoa. She is very good at memorizing Scripture and getting all the answers and projects right in our church's midweek Bible class. She volunteers to do many things. She has a fun personality and a lot of enthusiasm. The problem is she gets into trouble a lot.
At school she's been in trouble several times lately for various things. At church regularly she is being reprimanded or made to come sit by her parents. She sometimes takes other people's things.
Some of the adults in her life have talked to her about doing right, about applying the memorized verses to her life. So far, apparently these talks haven't had effect.
I'm not around the little girl very much, but I have a possible explanation for her behavior. I think she gets a lot of attention for being bad. I don't hear people praise her for doing right very often, and that may be because doesn't do right a lot of the time. However, I believe that a child who craves attention will get it one way or the other. If negative attention is all they can get, then that's what they will try for. After a while this becomes a habit, and the child may not even think about whether to do right or wrong. I believe that if the adults and especially the parents would turn around and praise the girl for the good things she does, and praise her on a regular basis, she may start to change some of her behavior. Praise for doing right can go a long way.
I know one little boy who had acted up and out all day. He had gotten in trouble over and over until his mother was ready to "get" him. The mother decided to change her own behavior and started to praise him for small, not-so-important things that he did. That's all it took. He turned around and was a wonderful child for the rest of that day.
I know the little girl I've been talking about probably has several problems that are causing her misbehavior, but I believe giving her attention for the good she does instead of the bad may cause some change.
At school she's been in trouble several times lately for various things. At church regularly she is being reprimanded or made to come sit by her parents. She sometimes takes other people's things.
Some of the adults in her life have talked to her about doing right, about applying the memorized verses to her life. So far, apparently these talks haven't had effect.
I'm not around the little girl very much, but I have a possible explanation for her behavior. I think she gets a lot of attention for being bad. I don't hear people praise her for doing right very often, and that may be because doesn't do right a lot of the time. However, I believe that a child who craves attention will get it one way or the other. If negative attention is all they can get, then that's what they will try for. After a while this becomes a habit, and the child may not even think about whether to do right or wrong. I believe that if the adults and especially the parents would turn around and praise the girl for the good things she does, and praise her on a regular basis, she may start to change some of her behavior. Praise for doing right can go a long way.
I know one little boy who had acted up and out all day. He had gotten in trouble over and over until his mother was ready to "get" him. The mother decided to change her own behavior and started to praise him for small, not-so-important things that he did. That's all it took. He turned around and was a wonderful child for the rest of that day.
I know the little girl I've been talking about probably has several problems that are causing her misbehavior, but I believe giving her attention for the good she does instead of the bad may cause some change.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Odd People
I've thought of many things I could write on my first blog entry--something amazing, funny, uplilfting and memorable. While I could write one blog to cover all those possibilities, I wouldn't want to set up expections for future blogs that might put pressure on me and destroy my very healthy confidence. Therefore, I will only write about how much I like odd people.
Odd people are what make the world an interesting place. As a teacher I've always found that odd children keep the classroom from becoming too mundane (as if it ever could be). I like the little girl who some days came to class and called herself a different name and acted like a different, smarter person. I like the student who wanted everything to be really neat and organized, and as she stood by my desk started stacking my many poky stacks so they were neat and lined up. She then stopped herself as she realized this was the teacher's desk. I like the boy who believed the bones dug up in his backyard were really dinosaur bones, and I wasn't able to change his mind. I like the piano student who often repeats my every direction to illustrate she has heard and understands.
Under this group of "odd people' actually falls everyone I've ever known very well. Deep down we are all odd. If we don't let people get to know us and we don't get to know them, we will never experience the "oddness" and we will miss a blessing in life.
If you are odd, I want to get to know you. Can you reveal the truth? Tell me some odd things about yourself. Queen
Odd people are what make the world an interesting place. As a teacher I've always found that odd children keep the classroom from becoming too mundane (as if it ever could be). I like the little girl who some days came to class and called herself a different name and acted like a different, smarter person. I like the student who wanted everything to be really neat and organized, and as she stood by my desk started stacking my many poky stacks so they were neat and lined up. She then stopped herself as she realized this was the teacher's desk. I like the boy who believed the bones dug up in his backyard were really dinosaur bones, and I wasn't able to change his mind. I like the piano student who often repeats my every direction to illustrate she has heard and understands.
Under this group of "odd people' actually falls everyone I've ever known very well. Deep down we are all odd. If we don't let people get to know us and we don't get to know them, we will never experience the "oddness" and we will miss a blessing in life.
If you are odd, I want to get to know you. Can you reveal the truth? Tell me some odd things about yourself. Queen
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