Peek a Boo
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Posts posted by Peek a Boo
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How do you all involve your children into politics? My thinking is that I want to impart my values to my children and I pray they will be politically active.
I mean, I want them to be able to think for themselves and make their own choices of what to believe. ;)
I think the best first step is to organize a voter registration drive outside a store. kids can help make signs, hand out applications, and learn what races are coming up [National/ State/ Local]. For example:
my 16yo can make phone calls and set up a time/date for the event, send in announcements to the paper advertising the event, research upcoming elections, and make bulletins encouraging people to vote, when and where to vote, and who's running.
My 13yo can help research and make the bulletins, fold them, help make signs, and help organize the materials [tape, paperweights, snacks, table, chairs, etc]
My 9yo can help fold bulletins, practice learning who is running, and hand out bulletins to people ["Hi! would you like some information on our upcoming election?"]
My 7yo likes handing out bulletins and can learn the phrase above too. She's kinda shy so she probably won't get past telling what race is coming up...
My 5yo is a lot more outgoing and might even learn the names of some candidates.
Even small children can wear pins/buttons or a shirt that says 'Vote' or 'Elect so and so to this office'. Kids are MAGNETS when it comes to getting people's attention.
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We make doorknob hangers and go door to door. Most little kids LOVE being the one to ring the bell/ knock on the door, and hand the info out. I try to let them say the opening lines and then step in to answer questions. My older kids do more research on the issues/candidates and can often answer questions. Even my 5yo likes putting up campaign signs: we had about twenty campaign signs in our front yard scattered all over like wildflowers when Mr. Boo got his city council signs in, lol.
parades: usually for awareness. the more people the better- even short young people. :)
Meetings:
all my kids have attended meetings. even a toddler can be kept busy and learn how to behave/ where to sit in a meeting. The older kids grab an agenda and follow along. My 16yo knows how to fill out a form to request to speak for citizen comments and watches the city website for upcoming meetings/ events.
Internet: even small children can learn how to start researching candidates. every few days check certain sites [city/ party/ state/etc] and let them help you navigate. Some sites have printable flyers that the kids can help print and post.
Writing letters: it doesn't have to be something deep and profound. Even writing to talk about a park or playground is still important.
Meeting candidates: My kids all recognize our city officials and some of our county/state officials. Our city officials know my kids by sight, and they know my oldest by name. ;) Make trading cards for them if nothing else, lol. It's important that they realize the mayor is just another guy, and that our City Councilmen have likes, dislikes, and personalities too.
Attend events: volunteer to help set up and hand out info. Simply by working w/ like minded people they start realizing the importance and rewards of service.
Discussion boards: this can be tricky...not all political discussions are age-appropriate, but my oldest can track down political discussion boards and search for topics of interest, and see what is of interest to others. He's exercising discernment on when to abandon a topic, lol.
anywho, that's some things we do. Next year will be our city's elections for council/ mayor. I may end up filing if we have someone running unopposed. Our running joke is that any campaign signs we get will only have our last name on them so ds can inherit them when he's 18, lol.
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make labels [for household items: copying things like forks, plates, cups, pots, bowls, window, door, bathroom, etc onto post its and having them place on appropriate item. can do in foreign language too.]
wash windows
scrub walls
scrub floors [i often give my 3 younger guys 3 soapy washrags and an eye patch and send them in to 'swab the deck' w/ many Arrrs! and "me mateys" lol...]
sort coins [from change jar]
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One of the great things about educating at home is that we have the ability to educate the whole person and not just limit ourselves to tradtional academic subjects. Physical education helps round out education and contribues to a healthy student.
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ayup. high school is about correct preparation for *life* -- including physical and social skills. All the academic knowledge in the world won't serve you well if you are constantly distracted by poor health or can't communicate it effectively to those around you.
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I have over 10,000 books, so I gave up on listing them. If I am buying new, I check to see if I have it, as most books are where they belong. (usually :glare:) If I am at a yard sale or a used sale, I just get it if I'm not sure and then I put duplicates on Paperbackswap or I resell them.
i quit counting at about 7K several years ago, but the librarian in me still wants to organize and categorize, lol....
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aw.... I was gonna say
Mommy X + Daddy X = Brownie. :)
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My DD rides horses and spends 20+ hours per week at the stable. As she also learns about horse care, observes chiropractor, veterinarian and dentist work on horses and will do some theoretical work, I am leaning towards adding enough academic components to make it an elective in Equine Studies.
In the summers, she gets rock climbing instruction and climbs and hikes- that alone would be more than enough hours for at least half a credit each year.
I'll think about it some more... somehow, giving credit for simply a normal active life style and the stuff we basically do for fun still seems odd to me...
do a google search for 4-H horse project workbook: there are some awesome academic opportunities out there that you can either print [for free!] and file or she can take on as a 4-H project [The Horse Quiz Bowl is a good one]. 4-H offers a lot of scholarships too.
There's also the merit badge stuff i linked above-- print out the worksheets and use them as academics!
and don't kid yourself-- the "normal active lifestyle" ain't all that normal......or active......
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Once I bought a bunch of garden trowels and tied a pretty note to the end with nice ribbon that said something like "Thanks for digging in and helping" or something like that. I think I got them at the $1 store and added seed packets to some. :)
my FAVE volunteer gift [and I usually don't like volunteer gifts-- i'm volunteering to RELIEVE the burden, lol!] was Gorilla Glue... "cuz volunteers are the glue that holds everyone together." kinda pricey tho.
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-candy, but packaged nicely. I do stamping, so I would probably put a couple of Dove chocolates (or similar) in a little cellophane bag and close it with a pretty stamped paper over the top.
-homemade cookies--similar to above.
-nice pen to use for the judging that they can then keep. Buy a large quantity at Office Max.
maybe cheaper than cellophane bags.... our library offers a diecut machine that has a couple dies of foldable boxes. you could cut a bunch of those and stamp/hand write a thankyou on them. better yet-- let THE KIDS write the thank you! I think the candy is a great idea. :D
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we don't do too much organized sports, but we organize a weekly PE class following the President's Physical Fitness challenge exercises/run as well as basic warmups/ stretches; they also do a LOT of hiking. Their merit badges in Scouts work towards a credit too [anyone can use the free worksheets at meritbadge.org as a guideline if you wanted too-- lots of physical activities to choose from.
and everything we do in Scouts counts towards a 4-H Healthy Lifestyles project. :)
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Uh-oh, I've just jinxed myself, haven't I?
{{i was thinking that as I typed out 'legal liability' above.....}}
;)
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mine will get 4 full credits of PE cuz they've earned them . ;)
Extra Curricular activities will show things like Scouting High Adventure Camps and 4-H stuff.
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My oldest took it in 10th and 11th grades. She had a decent score, but it wasn't anywhere near National Merit level.
that was my oldest. it was mostly cheap practice for the SAT.
he just took the SAT a second time yesterday as a junior. His math is his weakness, but he'll keep working on that. Seeing his scores is the best motivator for him to get his act together on math. ;)
My 2d will be a freshman next year. Definitely a STEM track, but not too confident when it comes to testing/ new situations so he'll take the PSAT 3 times. The first will be a wash, the second will be our baseline, and the third will get him into MIT. :D lol....
Not sure about my younger 3 yet. Will definitely plan for at least twice.
I don't test on school subjects, but if they want to go to college [and my older two are looking pretty solidly that way] they need the scores, whether I want them or not. ;)
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I taught my 2nd grade religious ed class the books of the NT and the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw your post was:
Titus Philemon
and you know what? It is a little strange, but I like it :D
lol...but MY first thought of a middle name was
and
Titus and Philemon. :)
so I'd probably pick Titus Andrew or Titus Alexander. a lot would depend on how many syllables in the last name. Like scrappyhappymama, I tend to be picky about that kinda thing....
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... state issued IDs. So far that has been accepted everywhere they need one. ACT testing, applying for a job, whatever.
This is my vote too. besides, I detest having to tell businesses that the 'homeschool ID cards' they keep seeing are basically worthless as real IDs...of either actual identification or proof of homeschooling.
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Pros:
They are the world's oldest security system. even a small yappy dog has a heightened sense of smell and hearing and can alert you to dangers/ unexpected situations faster.
Therapeutic comfort -- petting an animal does wonders for the psyche
Training can be fun - doing things WITH a dog/pet like tricks and obstacle courses can be rewarding
DogScouts.org. Pricey, but what a COOL idea!!
4-H Dog Project/ Dog Merit Badges for Scouting. Make it an educational, academic endeavor. Develop a 4-H speech and win at State for scholarships, whether you do anything career wise w/ dogs or not.
fairly easy to take along to parks n such - they naturally enjoy being with you-- their pack.
Kids tend to like taking responsibility for them. reminders needed, yeah, but still... ;)
Cons:
They bite. even small dogs. If you have a dog w/ a bad temperament or not trained well that bites a person even one time, it can be a huge legal liability.
They tend to roam. If your dog gets out and onto other people's yards, they can cost you money, legal liability in property damage, or be shot [dead or severely injured]
Vet bills. Between a well-check, tests, vaccinations, microchipping, and preventive maintenance [flea/heartworm] you can spend several hundred dollars a year on even a low-budget vet bill.
Another mouth to feed. we use basic Dog Chow, but many prefer a Raw diet-- setting up food for another critter needs to be a habit.
Can't take a dog everywhere: extra hotel fees, some places they aren't allowed period. Either need to have them able to be out in a yard at home, come home to let them out if they are inside, get a friend to dog sit/ visit, or board them [$$].
You probably don't speak Dog-- gotta learn a new language. :-) Learn dog body language and pack behavior so you and your family are leaders of the pack. Will probably upset the typical American ideas of owning a dog.
Registration: many cities require a registration fee. check if it is yearly and if there's a difference for intact animals.
There tend to be a lot more cons than pros, but the pros outweigh the cons in my book. ;) The biggest pro is the security feature-- even if they don't DO anything usually, you might be surprised how even a lovable friendly couch potato will spring into action at REAL danger.
The biggest con is the legal liability. Once your dog leaves your property, you are at the mercy of the world. Be prepared and know the laws....and your dog.
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I had no idea there were restrictions. Guess I better check my account.
yeah... I haven't used it, but my thousands of books would cost me. ;)
I *really* like the idea of using an iphone... gotta get me one of those now that Verizon is on the ball.... hope they get a scanner app, lol!
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I just embrace the duplicate copies. :-)
or use them as gifts [cuz we only buy GREAT titles 4 times, right?!].
yeah, I know... that can get expensive, lol.
have you checked out Library Thing?
there are lots of neat library catalog software programs that you can invest in [or are FREE!] that you can use w/ a laptop. Or leave a kid at home and call to check on titles. ;)
some keep your titles online--you can check them from anywhere [phone!].
good luck!
eta: a barcode scanner at radio shack is Very Helpful.. if you get a cuecat, google about neutering the cuecat. ;)
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I responded?
I don't think it makes a difference which does it. I do agree with the checks and balances of just law, but once the verdict comes in? No, I don't think it makes a difference.
yabbut, my question was for those who DO think it makes a difference. ;)
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A single individual killing a criminal may or may not be levelheaded and appropriate, but for such a big decision (determining guilt and punishment), there need to be checks and balances to ensure irreversible mistakes aren't made (or are at least minimized.)
I understand the checks and balances against mistakes, but my question was about why killing a 100% guilty person is evil if done by an individual vs ok if done by the gvt. If the person is 100% guilty, why would it matter? I saw Spy Car make the distinction, and was kinda hoping more than one person could weigh in on that, but maybe not....?
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I'm assuming that people thought there was no doubt at all in any of the cases where innocent men were wrongly sentenced to death. If there WAS doubt then why were they sentenced to death?
because they were trying to assemble a larger picture from many pieces of evidence.
I'd have to say there are degrees of 100% certainty. ;)
eta: which is why it's "beyond a reasonable doubt" not 'absolutely certain.'
Having a video of the murder is quite different from depending on a victim's testimony and other evidence gathered.
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I think mutilations and torture are immoral. I feel the same way about bigotry and hate-mongering. Happy?
that's not what he was asking.
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Matthew 10:34-37. Yes, the NT is about the things you listed. It is also about justice, holiness and righteousness. It is about destruction and deserved punishment (Revelation).
yeah but.....Revelation is about God meting it out perfectly, not supporting us doing it personally. ;)
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Trying to answer your question below: The reason we need to collectively determine guilt and punishment is to build trust in our community. When an individual takes the law into his own hands he is robbing his community of the responsibility of determining guilt and punishment and undermining trust. Now, currently we don't seem to have a lot of trust in our system (i.e. community), so the question is really legitimate. If individuals could trust the system to do the right thing they wouldn't feel the need to act individually. Vigilantism is an expression of distrust in the community, sometimes it's rational, sometimes - not so much.
and here's the weird part..... most communities [when asked as individuals] tend to support a vigilante form of justice over NO justice/failed justice/ corruption, which seems to negate a 'need' to build trust in the community via collectively determining guilt/punishment....
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That's why.
but if the man being killed was the trauma, then that would be another reason to be against ANY death penalty, but my question was about one type of killing vs another..... In the story quoted, 'her words' would have killed him regardless WHO [gvt/individual] carried out the punishment of death....
P.E. credit
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
I can understand and agree with the fact that these are things that should simply be parented. But something that many colleges are finding out is that if a kid can't keep up physically with the stressful demands of college work, the academics will suffer.
The transcript is simply a way to impart to the institution what the student knows: otherwise we wouldn't even bother listing those extra curriculars or volunteer opportunities. But just listing those doesn't always show that a topic was truly researched at a suitable depth.
I took plenty of math in high school, and none of that 'stuck' either, lol. Even when i made great grades. But that doesn't mean the course wasn't helpful or that colleges would expect me to leave it off.
But honestly? if you know your student has mastered a lifestyle skill, just search some course descriptions and award the credit. We don't have to keep track of hours if our student can essentially 'CLEP out' of a subject that we know they understand well.