Have you ever heard of a runner who is training for 50 miles that was fearful of running?
This is me.
The pictures are proof that I can run.
Yes, you heard me correct. I have a mental block, I guess, completely afraid to run.
The reason? For a few years now, it has been my goal to run the Mt. Hood 50 miler. I am now signed up for it, the run is scheduled for July 30th, 2011 and it will be my 2nd 50.
A few weeks ago, I pulled my hamstring, 3 days later, it went out again on a walk, well I jogged slowly for about 30 seconds. I pulled out of a difficult race coming up, the McDonald Forest 50K. It is a good decision, I know. But, according to the 50 mile training schedule, training started yesterday, Monday. It only starts out at 2. I walked it. I kept hearing in my head, try to run, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Too afraid.
I came home, complained a little on Facebook, this led to a doctor replying and a friend telling me to go on chat. Well they both helped me through it. I knew that I had to conquer this silly fear or it was going to kill me.
At first I kept walking back and forth in front of my house, pacing. I would limp around or whatever you want to call it, it wasn't running, it was strange. I wondered how many of my neighbors were watching. I then decided to go change so that I could look like a runner, at least. I started off real slowly, I mean really slowly, completely freaked out.
But then I saw 2 pennies. And I remembered an email and movie that I read and saw. The email said that when you find a penny, it means an angel is thinking of you and the movie said pennies are only good luck when they are heads up. They were heads up. I picked them up.
While I only went .78 on Monday, I did go 2 today and yes I was nervous, but not freaked out.
Hey, I'm training for 50 miles. Aren't I making progress?
Beat with hand mixer and cook just like you would a pancake, put waxed paper between them.
Filling
3 c fresh, sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
8 oz cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
10-12 dessert crepes
1. Combine strawberries and sugar. Set aside.
2. Beat cottage cheese in a blender or with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add sour cream and powdered sugar and stir well.
3. Use about 2/3 of fruit and creamy mixture to fill crepes. Fold crepes over.
4. Top with remaining fruit and creamy mixture, or top with fruit and powdered sugar.
If you haven't read the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker, I strongly encouraged to pick up a copy and read it, front to back, it will change your life. I'm glad that I did. Check with the library, that is where I got my copy.
This is what it's about:
Each hour, 75 women are raped in the United States, and every few seconds, a woman is beaten. Each day, 400 Americans suffer shooting injuries, and another 1,100 face criminals armed with guns. Author Gavin de Becker says victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives. A leading expert on predicting violent behavior, de Becker believes we can all learn to recognize these signals of the "universal code of violence," and use them as tools to help us survive. The book teaches how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommends strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. The case studies are gripping and suspenseful, and include tactics for dealing with similar situations.
People don't just "snap" and become violent, says de Becker, whose clients include federal government agencies, celebrities, police departments, and shelters for battered women. "There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Learning to predict violence is the cornerstone to preventing it. De Becker is a master of the psychology of violence, and his advice may save your life. --Joan Price
When I lived in Oregon, I had a couple of encounters with a man as I jogged. He would normally just wave at me. But one morning, he was following me and was waiting for me to run by his car. I not only got the help of some sign holders, I called the police. The man did not have any prior records. This incident spooked me and none of my runs were ever the same. I learned to avoid the area that I saw him out. I also carried pepper spray, was always on the watch for him and I took a self defense class. Most counties have self defense classes that are free and I encourage you to look for one and take one. Below is a link for the one that I took in Washington County.
I would also encourage you to pick up the book The Gift of Fear.
Taken from the book, there are 7 survival signals that you need to know to be protected from violence. They are:
1.Forced teaming
Sometimes someone will say and do things to make you feel "We're in the same boat." Or, “We’re on the same team.” The purpose is to establish rapport and to put you at ease. Team spirit can be an excellent motivator. Sport teams, political parties, community service organizations, and neighborhoods all work best when people feel a sense of belonging with each other. It is important to notice when someone with whom you have not chosen to be connected with talks as if you are together. Be careful when people try to connect by identifying you with them as an “us” and to separate you from others who are “them”. Remember what your relationship with this person truly is and is not.
2.Charm and niceness
People sometimes project warmth, kindness, sympathy, and humor as a way to get others to open up to them. People like this can very enjoyable, but they also might be harmful. When someone is very funny, kind and sweet, think to yourself, "This person is trying to charm me. Is being with this person what I want? Am I being charmed into accepting things that are not okay with me? Am I in a safe place if things go wrong?" Even if someone is great to be with, notice if that person's behavior seems to change. People who were betrayed by their friends might say, "I could not believe that she/he would do this to me because we have had such good times together." Many women who were attacked say afterwards, "But he was so nice to me at first!”
3.Too many details
When people want to persuade you, they sometimes give a lot more information than necessary. This can be because they really care about what they are saying, but it can also be because they are trying to distract you or confuse you into believing their story. It can be hard for honest people to remember that sometimes other people will make up convincing details to get you to trust them and that lots of details does not mean that someone is being truthful. Instead of getting too involved in what someone is saying, stay focused on your actual situation. Ask yourself questions like, "How well do I know this person? Is this person’s behavior suddenly different in an uncomfortable way? Is he or she respecting my wishes?"
4.Typecasting
Understandably, most people don't like to be labeled as being uncaring, unkind, thoughtless, selfish, paranoid, unfair, misusing their power, or ignorant. Someone might deliberately use negative labels to get you to react in the opposite direction. Watch out for comments like, “You don’t care, do you?” Or, “You aren’t one of those women who think all men are bad, are you?” Or, “You probably think you are too good for someone like me.” Or, “Someone who comes from a family as well off as yours could not possibly understand what it’s like to be poor.’ Or, “This an unfair restriction on my freedom.” Or, “Telling me to stop is abusive.” Or, "You aren't being a good friend." Or, “You screwed up before and you probably will again.” Trying to prove someone wrong by changing your behavior is another way of letting what someone else says have power over you. Instead, make a conscious choice about how you are going to act depending on what the specific behavior being labeled is and what is actually going on.
5.Loan sharking
A loan shark lends one amount and then collects much, much more than was loaned. People sometimes try to build relationships by giving gifts. People sometimes are kind and want to help. There is nothing wrong with this if what they want to do is something you want and if there is no pressure for you to give more than you wish in return. If someone else approaches you and tries to do you a favor, you are not obligated to accept it nor are you obligated to give a favor back. Be aware that this could be a tactic to get close to you. When someone you don’t know says, "Here, let me help you,” and tries to do something you did not ask for or don’t really need, the safest response is to walk away and say firmly, "No thanks!"
6.The unsolicited promise
Promises are important. If you are the kind of person who keeps commitments yourself, you are likely to be reassured when someone makes a promise. However, before you trust your emotional or physical safety to someone’s promise, make sure that this person has a track record of keeping promises. Watch out for comments like, “I promise I will never let you down.” Or, “I promise I will never lie to you.” Or, “I promise I’ll leave just as soon as we get there.” Or, “I haven’t been drinking, I promise.” Or. “I’ll drive carefully, I promise.” Or, "I'll pay you back, I promise." Remember that what someone has done over time is a far better indicator of what someone will do than any kind of promise.
7.Discounting the word “no”
As successful fundraisers, negotiators, and salespeople all understand, “No” can sometimes mean “Not yet.” Asking for more information, listening to concerns, or offering other choices can lead to a good outcome for all concerned so it is important not to let “No” mean more than it actually does. As wise parents know, a child’s “No” should always be respected as a feeling but not always accepted as a choice. At the same time, intrusive or dangerous people will test the boundaries of potential victims by not listening to their “No.” If you are shy or uncertain in saying “No,” even people with good intentions might not hear you and might keep pushing your boundaries. If something is not okay with you or is potentially unsafe, it is important to be strong and clear and to have your actions match your words. "I really do not want to!” Or, “This is really not okay with me.” Or, “Go away! I don't want your help!" If you need help, if possible, pick someone out yourself and tell that person firmly and loudly that you need help instead of waiting for someone not of your choosing to offer.
Now while, I may feel like I have replaced stalkers for bears and cougars having moved, but I am guarded and always on the look out.
We are not blind
We know the truth
Still we don't stand
Still we don't choose.
We'd rather stay
So comfortable
Stuck in our world under controle.
We may not pull, the trigger but we, stand by and watch and pretend not to see.
Silence is worse, then evil done what in the world have we become?
Can't you see that...
[Chorus]
This is war,
So pick your side.
It's time to move, not time to hide.
Don't let lies, make up your mind.
Cause you will see,
We're Running Out of Time.
Tomorrow they'll come,
And one day we'll see,
The choices we make, made history.
For it's to late,
When will you stand and chose our words while you still can,
Can't you see that...
[Chorus]
This is war,
So pick your side.
It's time to move, not time to hide.
Don't let lies, make up your mind.
Cause you will see,
We're Running Out of Time.
Running Out of Time.
Running Out of Time.
Can't you see that...
[Chorus]
This is war,
So pick your side.
It's time to move, not time to hide.
Don't let lies, make up your mind.
Cause you will see,
We're Running Out of Time.
Kayla loves to play soccer. She looks forward to it all year long and she is good at it. So, every year I sign her up. Normally her dad coached, but one year he was not able. So Kayla got a new coach, a husband and wife. Unfortunately, they were coaches that did not have any experience coaching at all.
I remember the first practice. It was a beautiful and very hot August evening. All the girls were very excited to be out on the field. I noticed that the coaches were having them warm up for about 20 minutes, which I thought was odd. As I was watching the team warm up, with the sweat dripping down my back, one of the girls screams and is jumping around, then another girl, then another. They were all screaming and jumping around and they were crying. They were getting stung by a swarm of bees!! The field was completely full of them! I ran out to the field along with the other parents to help get the girls off the field. In the end, all but one of those 6 players got stung by bees and most of them, more than once.
After that traumatizing event, most of the girls were nervous about returning to practice even though the team was assigned a new field.
At each practice, I would normally sit by the woman coach and we'd chat and she would always admit to me that they did not know what they were doing. I was always really annoyed by her for saying this and I would start to offer advice and it was advice that she would take and seemed grateful for. I tried to tell her that the girls really didn't need to stretch for 20 minutes and why, that the girls really didn't need a water break every 5 minutes and they really shouldn't disrupt the whole practice and take everyone on a 10 minute bathroom break.
The two coaches were also getting advice from the other players’ parents. We were a losing team and it showed on the girls faces. They were very upset. They simply were not being coached, not learning anything and not having any fun.
It wasn't until the coaches decided that for their own benefit, not the team, they wanted to have only one practice a week that I stepped up and really said something. I begged them to keep the extra practice, that if they really were unwilling that one of us will coach it.
This really upset them.
That night, the two coaches sent an email out to the team and league announcing that they were no longer going to coach the team, that they didn't realize what they were getting themselves into. They thought the parents on the team were rude and they were pulling their girls also.
This left the team with only four players, who wanted to play, but had no coach. The league almost dismantled the team. But the girls really wanted to play. One of the girls had even paid for her soccer registration herself, one had just fought off the Swine Flu. They were all upset, disappointed and couldn't understand what was going on.
I, my husband and the other player’s families fought to keep the team alive and it was a battle. The league agreed to keep the team together but said that at least one parent needed to coach. My husband and another dad agreed to coach. But, with only 4 girls on the team it was challenging. At that age, you needed 4 players on the team. I did manage to find a 5th player to add to the team. This 5th player was not able to get on a team at the start of the season, so her family was thrilled to have her play. With 5 players, the girls got a lot of playing time. They were all happy to play, but at the end of the game, they were very tired. If one was sick, that left the team with 4 players and you couldn’t substitute, they had to play the whole game. The very first game, before the 5th player was added, 2 of the girls were ill, so we had 2 players. I showed up early to the game and recruited other players from the other teams and these players were excited to help out. It meant more playing time.
Now I have always had a don't quit attitude and I know that when you quit, it not only hurts you, but if you are on a team, everyone around you. I taught this value to my girls and they lived by it, they weren't quitters.
So when these coaches decided to quit on the team and pull their 2 daughters off of the team, lying to them by saying the season was over. It was difficult for me to communicate with my daughter that quitting really is wrong, when she just witnessed grownups do it, people she looked up to.
I'll tell you what, even though the team never won a game, they were the hardest working team in the whole league. They started out not having much knowledge of the game, got stung by bees and they lost their coaches. In the end they ended the season as winners. They never complained and always had a positive attitude. I am proud of all of them.
I've only been injured a few times since I've been running marathons and above in 2005.
I remember my 2 most painful were when I got stress fractures. The first I got after my 2nd Portland Marathon and it was because I ran too fast, I think. I was out for a good 6 weeks. The 2nd stress fracture was when I was trying to train for my first 50K and I had begun to do those back to back long runs. That was the most painful. I remember I would try to go for a walk and my leg would hurt so bad that I wanted to scream or hold on to something.
Other than that, minimal injuries.
I pulled my left hamstring about 2 years ago, trying to train for a 50K. That was a stupid decision to train for the race, a last minute decision. I don't much remember what happened after I pulled it. I know I rested and I really can't remember what I ended up doing.
Well I've gone and done it again.
I am currently training for the McDonald Forest 50K, scheduled for May 14th. I've moved to a small coastal town. The town is next to the Redwood Forest. The town also has a lot of dogs that are allowed to run lose. I've been nervous about running with my dog around town as he got attacked one day, so I've been taking him to the forest which has been scary because of the threat of cougars and bears, but it has been good for me because it is a trail and the trail has some really good hills. I wanted to run with him, it was comforting.
I really believe that I overdid it. I ran a hard 16 miles this past Friday. It was on the trail and then it went up a side trail and then I realized my daughter was at home sick and waiting for me. My husband had picked her up from school sick. I didn't know the school had called me because I didn't have a cell phone signal. So I sped it up to get back to her. Tough run.
The next day I was scheduled to run in an actual 9.3 mi race, haven't been in a 9 mi race since the Shamrock run in Portland, OR in 2005. Well yes of course I ran faster than I should have, I was strong on the hills and was going to make a good entrance. That is until I pulled my hamstring at mi 8 and it was too painful to run, so I walked back and at least 10 people ran ahead of me.
Today, I tried to go out with my dog. In a matter of 2:43 min or .15 mi, I injured it again. I had walked most of that .15,maybe slowly jogged for 30 seconds. And I mean it, it was slow, my dog was still walking.
So now I am faced with a bummer attitude, what am I going to do, besides rest. Do I need to give up the McDonald Forest 50K?
I get very emotionally attached to all my races and when I have to give them up, it's painful, it hurts.
Having moved away from my home in Oregon to California 2 months ago, I've been very emotional, running has been everything to me. I jokingly listed it as the top 3 reasons for living. You know 1.God, 2. Kids, 3. running, 4. Fringe and Law and order SVU?
I am a housewife, I don't have a career, wish I did, have been going through these huge emotional rides about moving away from the only home I've ever known, away from my family and friends.
But I can run and I believe it is a gift from above. Running really is everything.
I know I'll be able to run again.
Life is full of challenges, ups and down and I think it really is how we look at things that determines are happiness.
This is just a temporary set back and perhaps God is trying to show me something, trying to teach me something. I do wish he would find another way.
So I am driving my girls to school, as I do every morning. When all of a sudden this spider is hanging in front of my face. I of course did not handle it well. I weaved a little on the road, grabbed the ice scraper and tried hitting at him, but it fell to the floor.Now to any ordinary person, this wouldn't be that bad, especially since the spider was little, but not to an arachnophobic. I have no idea where that spider ended up, could be on me as far as I know.
I always had a feeling that the smaller runs, meaning anything under a marathon were going to be the death of me.
I signed up for the Redwood Wild River Run 15K (9.32 mi) and ran it yesterday. I think I did more out of wanting to be social considering that I am the new runner girl in town.
When I got there I did meet a few people and gave Ultra Marathon runner Ralph Hirt a big hug. The guy is amazing, he's 73 and still runs 100's. I also met a few other locals and met up with a facebook friend of mine that lives in Medford, John Lotts.
While John got in the front, I went towards the middle of the big line.
The race was being held in the Redwoods on a large trail that is always used by cars.
The race got started and I was doing really good, especially up the hills. I noticed that there were a lot of little kids running the race, even the 15K. It was very impressive. Well, it wasn't until mile 8 that my wonderful speed and running came to a halt. I now know that I pulled my hamstring, again. So at mile 8, I started walking back to the finish line, 10 or so runners past me up. But I held my head high, especially when people gave me the "pitty" look and said "good job, keep it up!" I did manage to run in, the last .25 mi.
I finished at 1:32, with an overall speed of 9.52. Not bad.
I do however think that I am going to be avoiding any distance under a marathon for quite awhile.
Oh and I totally missed a spot on my back with the Body Glide. Ouch. I screamed in the shower.
The other afternoon I was talking to someone on Facebook and he said to me that I should run a 100 miles this year. All afternoon I was on cloud 9 with excitement over it.
I've always been the kind of runner who likes to take baby steps. I don't take any of my races lightly. I think about which ones that I want to do first and once I decide to do a race, I get very emotionally attached to the race. And I train well, rarely missing a day of training unless injured. I train on a similar terrain to the race. I also am very careful with the food that I put into my body, especially the few weeks leading up to a race. I put my whole heart into it. I also love to make contact with the other runners that are going to share in the experience. Now occasionally I have to back out of a race, normally due to an injury. Yet in February, it was due to a road looking like an ice skating rink. When this happens, I get depressed for a few days.
As most of my readers and friends know, I've run 6 marathon, 7 50 K's and 1 50 miler. Each run was exciting, a test of how far I can go and what I am capable of achieving. They are all wonderful experiences and I learn something new about myself each time. I grow.
Just as running my first 50 came at a time when I was truly ready. I mean at first the idea to run it was simply unable to enter my mind. It seemed crazy. But when the time came to sign up for it, everything felt right and I poured my whole heart, soul and energy into training for it. Come race day, I had 2 hours of sleep the night before, but my attitude was one of "I'm going to finish this or I'm going to die trying!" I was determined. People often ask me how I did it and I tell them how determination played the biggest part. I wanted to finish the race.
Now I am faced with a new challenge. I want to go further. I want to complete a 100. I feel as if the the opportunity is within my grasp and I'm reaching, yet I just can't quite reach it. But it's there, I can see it and I'm mentally ready. But, I'm waiting. Waiting for the right moment and the right race. It is within my reach.
I have been looking at a few options for my first 100 and one does seem right, but it will have to wait till 2012. I want to train correctly for it. I want to do it right.
So in the mean time, for this year, I will run a 50K in May, marathon in June and my 2nd 50, a trail run at the end of July. After that, I will re-evaluate my new goal of running my first 100 and it will be good.
"Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined."- Henry David Thoreau
My daughters have an IPOD that they purchased with their own money. They also have a Nintendo Ds, Wii, and a cell phone. They watch shows like the Simpsons and they have seen episodes of Two and a Half Men. They listen to Britney Spears, Kesha and the Black Eyed Peas. I’ve told them to not listen to certain songs, but I could not tell you if they really are not listening to them. They are allowed to play on the computer, unsupervised and sometimes for hours because my husband and I forgot what time they got on. After they get off the computer, they want to play on the wii or their DS. Yes, my kids are completely losing their imaginations, constantly staring at screen, forgetting how to play make believe and they are not interacting with each other. It’s rare that they ever even go outside to ride bikes, play with the other neighbor kids or go to the beach. My kids also hear their mom and dad arguing, but they never hear the apologies or us working through our problems. One of my daughters is “bullied.” She in turn bullies her sister. Occasionally they are punished, but that punishment is often not followed through. They’ve seen their mom sad and they’ve seen me throw fits in public. They are told repeatedly that they are too slow and told to go away. When the two of them argue, they are told to just quit, never learning how to solve their differences.
This is my household. I am not proud of it at all. I am in fact very embarrassed. Do I think I am a bad parent? No. Could I be better? Yes. I know that in America, this is how the majority of households are. Some households worst, some better.
I believe that children in today’s world view so much violence and hate, either on TV, through video games or in their own home in one form or another. I believe the stresses that adults have are hurting our children. I believe this is why children are bullying more than ever and why they are ultimately very sad.
Cartoons on TV are extremely violent. I mean how many times has Stewie from The Family Guy killed his mother and the family dog? Luckily my own two girls don’t even watch cartoons on Saturday morning; they simply are not interested in the cartoons that are offered to them. I used to love getting up on Saturday mornings as a child and watch cartoons, my kids don’t even care. The problem isn’t just with cartoons either, there is way too many violent and sexually explicit TV programs on. Because of this, www.parentstv.org was created. I wonder how many people reading my blog right now have never even heard of www.parentstv.org. “The PTC aims to provide parents with the tools they need to make informed television viewing decisions. We do this by monitoring primetime television shows on broadcast TV and reviewing many PG and G rated movies. We log all content that could be considered questionable by parents and we give them traffic light ratings according to the amount of sex, violence, and profanity incorporated into the series or film.”http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/takeaction/welcome.asp
It's a tool to inform parents about what is on TV and essentially is used to control what their children are viewing. But that website doesn’t help much if parents are not going to it or using it. The site certainly is not affecting what is being made and aired on TV. If it did, than why is there still so much garbage on TV? Remember when the word Bitch was considered foul language? I now hear it on day time TV.
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
FAMILY LIFE
Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99
Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49
II CHILDREN
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation
with their children: 3.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73
Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
II VIOLENCE Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000Percentage of Americans who believe TV violence helps precipitate real life mayhem: 79
More and more kids are playing violent video games. Video games are so violent, they have to have ratings. Kids playing these violent games are committing acts of murder, torture, rapes, theft and they are doing it without ever leaving their home, simply by staring at a screen. These video games are teaching and making some kids more aggressive in my opinion. The good news is that this year the Supreme Court will decide if selling these mature rated games should be penalized by law. In California, if a mature game is sold to a child, the penalty is a $1,000 fine. However, most parents don’t even check the ratings when they purchase the games for their children or they don’t have a say in what their kids are buying. Their kids are just buying them without asking for their parent’s permission. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42025498
Kids are stressed out in their own homes. Parents are more and more stressed and they are arguing, often either in front of their children or loud enough that the kids can hear. Kids hear cussing, door slamming and are watching their parents hit each other. And they never see their parents make up, resolving their differences, working things out. They are learning by the example that they see in front of them. Kids are being left at home by themselves for hours and hours. Kids are bored. But kids thrive on attention, attention that they are not getting from an adult figure, but from other sources.
Kids are stressed out by school. Kids have so much homework. When we lived in Oregon, my 4th grader would come home with 1-2 hours of homework per night and she would cry about it. I could never understand why she had so much. Was it her fault? Was she not getting it done in class? Yes that was part of the reason. She used to tell me that she was constantly distracted by the other kids! There were 33 kids in one room, with only one teacher! Her 3rd grade teacher even suggested she had ADHD! I think that if I had to get work done in a small room with 33 kids, I’d be distracted as well. But that is how classrooms are. There are too many kids in one room with not enough quality attention. In addition, kids are stressed out by the bullies at school. As kids are getting older, the bullying is getting worse. Either kids are dealing with gossip, whispering, name calling, violence or cyber bullying. For more information on bullying, please visit the article that I wrote http://heavenlystrength.blogspot.com/2011/03/bullies.html
Kids are also essentially taking over our homes and it’s the parents fault. Kids in general are allowed to tell us what they want to eat, what time they want to go to bed, they take over the TV, choose our weekend activities, they are driven all over the place because of all their countless social activities, they are being taught that it isn't alright to just be bored. Some parent’s joke that their kids are "birth control" and it's not funny.
Here is a clip from the hit show, The Middle:
Does this look like your house?
As adults, we need to realize that kids are sad. Kids need quality parenting and they don’t need to see or know our stresses and problems. They need to be parented. They need love and parents need to watch what they are saying to their children. Even the little things can cause damage “hurry up!” “Put a sock in it!” “Just quit fighting!” And parents need to not be afraid to punish their kids. Take away their cell phone, IPOD, send them to bed early. And if you say you’re going to discipline them, then do it!
And, we need to take back our own lives, have our own activities, and get back in touch with our spouses. Because your kids are going to leave the house some day and you’re going to end up looking at your spouse and you'll be looking at a stranger and then you'll look at your kids and scream because you'll realize what a complete disaster you just raised. I hope this doesn't happen, but it could.
I wonder what would happen if we as adults focused more on our own happiness. If we focused more on marriages and our own activities instead of living a life that is so geared toward the happiness of our children. I wonder if this could essentially create a happier world for our children. Kids are only kids for a short while, then they become adults, they become a product of their environment, what they’ve seen, what they’ve lived with. We are teaching our kids what adults look like, what adults do. We are teaching are kids how to become adults.
Are you somebody you want your kids to become like?
