children

Play and Homeschooling – What fun!

Play and Homeschooling – What fun!

The Importance of Play

I’ve read recently a number of books on home schooling, education and also some references on exercise.  With these and other references, there is a definite stress on the subject of ‘Play’.  And the importance of just having fun in what you are doing

I just finished reading The 5 Hour School Week by Aleena Amuchastegui.  A pretty good sales pitch on home schooling.  Already sold on the subject long since, I’ve been availing myself of some more recent texts on the subject. Including a more recent one by John Taylor Gatto.

And there is some interesting information has come to light recently regarding the dangers? of exercising in a less than light mood.  Well, not ‘dangers’ exactly but … Apparently the stress of exercising while ‘serious’ is not nearly as effective as when one is treating like it play.

I’ve often used exercise to lift myself out of some rather serious moments in my life.  That said, I DO find ‘play’ is a much better way to do study, exercise or just do life.

In the book, 5 Hour School Week, the author shows how her children changed so much being home schooled.  All the stresses weighing the family down seemed to lift, just fly away.  It was still work but the children were learning because they wanted to not because they had to

These children will never need Ritalin or any mood altering drugs.  I don’t know what the stats are on home schooled kids vs. industrial schooled kids regarding drugs like Ritalin but I’d put money on the fact that it is pretty rare with home schoolers. 

One, they don’t have the stresses and two, they don’t have a staff trained to watch for certain indications that, in their minds would warrant the prescribing of a mood altering drug. 

I’m a huge proponent of home schooling.  I have two sons that were mostly home schooled.  All the arguments against these two men, just don’t stand up to the results. And this goes by far for the majority of home schooled kids. 

Social Skills or Relationships

They generally have better social skills than most industrial educated kids.  Lots of reasons, one being that they generally have social intercourse with more different age groups.  I noticed that my youngest was more than comfortable at a very young age keeping up a conversation with an adult.  And fine with kids his own age. 

Parents Qualifications

There is no shortage of websites, blogs, and groups that help parents with a curriculum.  If you want to go that route.  Younger children, it is more like, ‘what do you want to learn today?’

The basic math skills, grammar, reading and writing come pretty easily.  Beyond that, there is so much now online…!

If you read through other articles, posts and pages on this website, you will see that I’m more than a little against drugs.  They have their place.  Most people aren’t going to get a tooth pulled without some freezing.  I’d rather be knocked out to have my appendix removed. 

Giving a child a drug like Ritalin because he or she can’t sit still, when they really should not be sitting still, well, that’s just a crime.  Children can learn very quickly if you let them.  Very quickly.

Reading

Stressing about when a child is reading is pretty silly.  Generally, they will read when they are ready and want to.  As one of the authors above stated, one child will read at four years old and the other at 7, 8 or 9.  At 14 or 15 years old, you will not be able to tell which learned at what age.

It is not a competition. 

If homeschooling is something that you have thought about, don’t discount it out of hand.  Do some reading.  The four books that I recommend here are very good.  And there are some great websites and blogs out there.  Do your homework before you decide. 

Don’t read all the negative stuff. 

If you were looking to get your car fixed, you would look for a successful mechanic.  Check out some successful homeschoolers.

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto

The 5 Hour School Week by Aleena Amuchastegui

how children learn by john holt

Posted by Marty in Blog, 1 comment
Peter Breggin quote

Peter Breggin quote

“If you assume that every child is sensitive, vulnerable, readily injured and easily broken, then you will never be far from the truth. If you assume that all children are motivated by pride and justice, you will be able to communicate with them. If you assume that all children should be treated as sacred trusts who deserve your full measure of devotion, you will be on the right path. If you seek to find the vulnerable, precious child in yourself and in all other adults at all times in your dealings with yourself and others, you will have achieved enlightenment. You will become a gift to the children in your life to whatever degree that you remain enlightened in your dealings with them.”
from Reclaiming Our Children by Peter Breggin, M.D. (p. 110)

Posted by greymouser in Quotes
5 Causes for Depression

5 Causes for Depression

As much as the medical industry would like you to think otherwise, there is not physical/biological test for depression. Most tests are done by doctors or psychiatrists that ask a series of questions. They are trying to determine if one has clinical depression.

Definition of Clinical Depression:

Clinical depression is the more severe form of depression, also known as major depression or major depressive disorder. It isn't the same as depression caused by a loss, such as the death of a loved one, or a medical condition, such as a thyroid disorder.”

The issue here is that this is all subjective.  It is all in the opinion of the doctor or psychiatrist.  The huge majority of psychiatrists will not do physical tests as they are not actually looking for the CAUSE of depression.  They are looking to summate symptoms.

Most doctors have the know how to actually ascertain the cause but don’t willingly take the time.

From an article by Fred Ovsiew in the Psychiatric Times:

“Psychiatric patients commonly suffer from general medical conditions; often these conditions affect or even produce the mental disorder. In formulating the psychopathologic condition and identifying its cause, why would one want to forgo tools that generations of physicians have found useful in the diagnostic endeavor?”

  1. Sugar and Depression

Sugar has been long known as a big contributor to depression.  It spikes then crashes your insulin levels.  Watch children race around at the end of a birthday party when they have had the cake, then crash violently later.  Have a bunch of sugar for lunch and try and stay awake and alert in the middle of the afternoon.  The website PsychCentral.com has a good article on that here: Depression and Sugar 

2. Allergies and Depression

It  has been known for years that allergies are linked to depression.  Any number of books and articles connecting the two.  Besides affecting sleep and general function there are other chemical reactions that also affect one at a biological level.  Allergies have been connected to numerous other mental disorders as well.  Great article here on WebMD.com : Depression and Allergies

3. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and Depression

MSG is rampant.  Is has many names and that is the subject of someone else’s article.  There is a lot of evidence how it can affect ones mood.  MSG should absolutely NOT be given to growing children or teens.  This is a very scientific article on the subject but if you can wade through the technical gobbledygook you will see the dangers.  Even adults can have mild to severe reactions to Monosodium glutamate.  This food ingredient is almost impossible to stay away from if you are eating packaged goods. It is there to enhance the flavour and most packaged goods have the flavors pretty much processed out of them.  Also, most restaurant foods, particularly fast foods will contain MSG.  Again, the warning about the technical jargon: Depression

4.  Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and Depression

High Fructose Corn Syrup has replaced sugar in a lot of instances or is often used in conjunction with sugar in non-diet soft drinks.  Both diet and non-diet soft drinks have been consistently linked to obesity but here is a study that directly correlates fructose to depression.   If you do the research, you will find that High Fructose Corn Syrup is actually worse for you than sugar.  It spikes the insulin levels in ones body even worse than sugar.  So, this can cause depression in both a direct and indirect manner.  Directly by the insulin ‘crash’ and indirectly by the numerous side and other effects of obesity and other health problems.  So, if you don’t want your children or teens getting depressed or overweight then don’t give them soda or packaged breakfast cereals.

5. TV, Radio, Newspaper News and Depression

Some years ago, a friend was at a clients house and found her to be terribly depressed.  On questioning her, he found that she started and finished every day watching the News on television and would also read the newspaper and listen to the news on the radio throughout the day.  He challenged her to stop all this for a period  of six to eight weeks.  She agreed.  In only eight days she called him and said that her outlook on life had completely changed.  She was happy and didn’t get down or depressed easily at all.  She was more than a little amazed at how simple this was.  This was slightly before the advent of Facebook.  I challenge anyone that is having trouble and is also reading on Facebook or online or anywhere how absolutely horrible the world is, to STOP!  Take a few weeks - don’t worry, the world won’t end - and completely get rid of the ‘News’ in your life.

6. Television and Depression

There is a direct proven link between watching television and depression.  TV is hypnotic.  It is also putting one at effect instead of getting a person DOING something.  (No, watching TV is not ‘doing something.)  The obvious effects are its contribution to obesity but many people will be surprised to find television’s relationship to Depression.  One may think that watching the boob tube is a way of distracting oneself from troubles or ‘taking a break’.  If you are going to do that, though, keep it to a minimum.  Which is pretty much impossible for most people.  This site: rodalewellness.com cites several research surveys done by scientists that show without a doubt that watching too much television can increase and actually cause depression. Watching TV

So, you have a choice. You can just take a pill from your doctor and mask some symptoms or you solve it yourself.  In our next article, I will list out the prescription(pharmaceutical) drugs that actually cause depression.

Posted by greymouser in Depression
Above the law: Psychiatrist Ron Rubin: “I’m confused. I don’t get it”

Above the law: Psychiatrist Ron Rubin: “I’m confused. I don’t get it”

These people need to be disciplined by their own but I don't see that ever happening.  The pharmaceutical industry has the desire for money and control.  Keeping psychiatrists out 'there' upsetting various Publics and making a mess of things feeds their coffers.  So, when I hear of psychiatrists being detained for illegal behavior lessening native based terrorism, well, that is all good for the western world.

http://www.psychsearch.net/category/bizarre-psych-news/

Posted by greymouser in Psychiatrists, Terrorism

Parents Rights

Many parents do not know their rights when it comes to their children being recommended psychiatric drugs.  The medical industry being part of Big Pharma has a lot of muscle to throw around and because most people are not well informed as to their rights when it comes to this area they can be convinced to do something that is not always in the best interests of their child.  The video at the end of the article linked below has a few requests that any parent is legally allowed to make.  Very sensible requests that could not logically be denied.  Even if you are one that does not believe that most of these drugs prescribed by doctors at the behest of Big Pharma will be harmful to your child, one should minimally follow through with the requests laid out in this video!  Who knows, maybe your child has an allergy or a brain tumor and an anti-depressant is being prescribed without a proper diagnosis.

Check out the video at this page: Is your Child Mentally Ill?

Posted by greymouser in Big Pharma