Pregnant Running: Expectant Runners Share Stories and Advice
May 24, 2007
When I became pregnant I planned to run throughout my pregnancy. I was addicted to running, had a low-risk pregnancy, and knew women were training through all nine months. I was sure I could manage to go out and jog a few miles each day.
But after five months of pregnancy, my legs ached after running a half-mile and I had to introduce walking breaks. Then came the social pressure. By month seven I was tired of being asked, "You’re NOT still running, ARE YOU?" I had trouble getting motivated, since I was too slow to run with my usual crowd. By the last couple months my mileage was practically nonexistent.
What had I done wrong? If other women were maintaining their fitness through pregnancy, what did they know that I didn’t? Had pregnant running come more easily to them? Or had I just given up too soon? To find out, I sent out questionnaires to other running mothers.
Homeschooling ? Is It Worth It?
May 24, 2007
Suppose that you rearrange your life to homeschool your child and the experiment fails? You may feel that you’ve disrupted your life and wasted a year of your child’s time. Your child may even be kept back a grade by the local public school.
The answer to this concern is, can you risk not trying? Isn’t your child’s future worth the risk? If you see that your child is getting a bad education in public school, the worst thing to do is nothing. Then there is no chance of improvement. If you leave your children in public school, chances are good that their ability to read, self-esteem, and love of learning may be damaged, and they can waste twelve years of their lives. Look at the potential consequences to your child if you don’t try other education alternatives.
The real question is this: Is good enough, good enough for your child? Your child is unique and precious. He or she is born with a love of learning and a unique potential. Your child’s love of learning, self-confidence, and potential can be squashed in the rigid atmosphere of public schools. Is a third-rate public-school education good enough for your child. If you could give your child a rich, fun, rewarding education that will make your child’s mind and future blossom, isn’t that worth the risk of trying?
Homeschooling ? Can I Do It?
May 23, 2007
Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are afraid they don’t have the training or ability to be their children’s teacher. This is certainly understandable, because most parents never had any formal training to be a teacher. However, most parents don’t have to worry about this issue.
There is literally a supermarket of education resources available for parents to choose from to help them homeschool their children. These include low-cost Internet private schools that take most of the homeschooling burden off parents’ backs.
There are also hundreds of low-cost instruction books on how to teach your child reading, math, and many other subjects. These are available in most libraries and great book stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. There are also thousands of computer software programs that will help you teach your child reading, math, and many other subjects. Also, the Internet is a vast source of information both for you and your children. All these sources are geared towards average parents
Parents ? The No Child Left Behind Law Wont Do Much For Your Child
May 23, 2007
Past experience with federal education programs predicts that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act will also fail parents whose children are doing poorly in school. The federal government has spent over $120 billion on Title 1 programs for low-income students since 1965. Yet the literacy rates for these children today are appalling, and the achievement gap between low-income children and their peers has not closed.
If the U.S. Department of Education wants to give real choice to parents, they should not be tinkering with a failed government-controlled school system that, by its very nature, strangles free choice and competition.
Americans have been blessed with a system that gives them almost unlimited choices in their daily lives for almost four hundred years-it’s called the free market. If parents could pay for their kids’ education in a totally unregulated, fiercely competitive education free market, free from government controls, parents would have all the school choice in the world. This education free market would also give their kids a superb, low-cost education.
Yet too often, government officials with their bureaucratic mentality, distrust the free market, the same free market that brings them their cars, clothes, computers, electricity, and fresh food. The No Child Left Behind Act adds yet another layer of federal regulations to the already strangling layers of local and state government regulations on education.
25 Christmas Stocking Filler Ideas For Your Teenage Girl
May 23, 2007
25 Christmas Stocking Filler Ideas For Your Teenage Girl
by: Emily Goodwin
You may think that Christmas stocking fillers for teenage girls will be expensive but they don’t have to be.
Save the DVD’S and CD’S to go under the Christmas tree and use this list as a starting point for buying smaller treats and necessities for her stocking.
Remember that a lot of the items you would have to buy anyway (or get talked into buying!) so by adding them as small gifts at Christmas time you are keeping ahead of the game.
1. Candles and candle holders
2. Photo frames
3. Underwear and socks/ tights
4. Toiletries, hair accessories and cosmetics (nail varnish, makeup brushes, deodorant, face masks, bubble bath, lipstick and moisturiser)
5. Notebook/diary/journal
6. Magazines / books
7. Chocolate and sweets (Always a favourite!)
8. Handbag
9. Purse/wallet
10. Key ring
11. Ornaments / things for room such as a dream catcher, chimes, lamp etc
12. Clock - either a wall clock, alarm clock or new watch.
13. Jewellery (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings etc)
Surprise ? Public School Class Size Doesnt Matter Very Much
May 23, 2007
School authorities often complain that classes are too large. They claim that teachers can’t be expected to give their students the individual attention they need if there are too many students in the class. On the surface, this excuse seems to have some merit. Common sense tells us that in smaller classes, teachers can give more time and attention to each student.
However, many studies show that smaller class size does not guarantee that children get a better education. The pupil-to-teacher ratio in public schools in the mid-1960s was about 24 to 1. This ratio dropped to about 17 to 1 by the early 1990s, which means the average class size fell by 28 percent. Yet, during the same time period, SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) test scores fell from 954 to 896, a decline of 58 points or 6 percent. In other words, student academic achievement (as measured by SAT scores) dropped at the same time that class sizes got smaller.
Eric Hanushek, a University of Rochester economist, examined 277 published studies on the effects of teacher-pupil ratios and class-size averages on student achievement. He found that only 15 percent of these studies showed a positive improvement in achievement with smaller class size, 72 percent found no statistically significant effect, and 13 percent found a negative effect on achievement.
Information on Purchasing Babys Dresser
May 22, 2007
Babys dresser or baby chest of drawers make up the best part of the baby’s nursery furniture collection. They are simple and make the baby’s nursery look really cute. The nursery dressers made of wood should compliment the furniture in the room quite handsomely.
While purchasing baby dressers you need to take care of some basic things. They will definitely help you make the ideal choice:
1. See that the nursery dresser does not have loose pieces of furniture or toxic materials which your baby could chew.
2. Also, though they look decorative and beautiful the designer knobs and handles that go with the wood could be a problem for toddlers who might get themselves hurt. You just have to see that the furniture that you buy is of the right kind and not having any parts that could appear to harm the child.
3. Go for a baby dresser that does not have handles that protrude out. The dressers that have legs that appear to come away from the body of the dresser could at times trip the baby.
4. Go for a baby chest of drawers that could be made of plastic (non toxic ones) or any other safe material.
Taking Home Souvenirs, Not Junk
May 22, 2007
Gift shops are a kid magnet and often a trip highlight! Do you cringe at the sight inexpensive trinkets and novelty items that will be lost or broken in the span of hours? Plan your souvenir strategy early and help your child assemble a collection that is unique and will last for years to come, preserving the memories of your travels together.
First, come up with a theme. What type of souvenir is fairly common at most tourist locations and has the makings for a great collection? If you set your child on a treasure hunt for specific souvenirs with some sort of common ground, they will be able to tell a story or make an easily displayed collection.
We’ve collected embroidered patches from the places we’ve visited with our child and sewn them onto a backpack he takes along on trips, adapting the idea from old suitcases with stickers from exotic locations.
Here are some more ideas for starting your child’s souvenir collection:
Creating a Memorable Travel Journal Using A Stuffed Animal
May 22, 2007
You may remember The Red Couch Project, a book by artists Kevin Clarke and William Least Heat published in the 1980s documenting the travels of a red velvet couch across America.
This is a wonderful concept to adapt in creating a travel journal or scrapbook for your child, making a personalized photo history of his adventures and connecting him with the experiences for years to come.
The idea is to photograph your child’s toy with the landmarks, activities and special moments of your vacation. If your child is old enough, he can even be the one who takes the photo of his stuffed animal. After your trip, print the pictures and place them in a scrapbook organized by trip or by geography.
Here are a few tips for creating a picture travel journal using a stuffed animal:
Choose a new stuffed animal for this project, and buy at least two just in case! Don’t use your child’s most favorite stuffed animal to avoid heartache if the toy gets lost in your travels.
Have your child pick out a small stuffed toy that can easily be tucked into his backpack or suitcase.
Road Trip! Make It Fun For Your Toddler
May 22, 2007
If you had to spend 4 or 5 hours in a snug car seat with even snugger straps and nothing to do, you might not be a huge road trip fan either. Road trips are getting more fun for the younger set as portable and built-in DVD players become more and more common, but sometimes even watching videos gets old.
When it’s time to resort to good old fashioned road trip entertainment, we’ve got the time-tested, mother approved activities for you:
Trip Bag. At the beginning of the trip, surprise your kids with a Trip Bag, filled with goodies you’ve selected for them ahead of time, like activity books, small toys, books, snacks and more.
Music. Listening to CDs of your child’s favorite songs and singing along will help the time pass faster. Choose song collections with finger games and verses your child will know, like Itsy Bitsy Spider, BINGO and This Old Man.
Electric Reading Books. The popular learn-to-read "books" like My First LeapPad by LeapFrog or the Power Touch Learning System by Fisher Price will engage your child’s interest with words, stories and games featuring favorite characters, Thomas the Train, Strawberry Shortcake and Arthur.
