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12-05-07 From Kevin

So I watch the headlines on the major news sources...online. Haven't seen news on TV in many years, but a few times a day I quickly peruse USA Today and CNN online just to see what's grabbing folks attention...and/or being pushed on us.

USA Today is interesting though. You'll see that they make 'comments' available on every article. If an article is up for an hour or so and only has a handful of comments, it will disappear. If however, it gets a couple hundred comments, they'll start pushing it higher up on the page. Interesting eh?

Testimony that the news is not what is most important, but what is most popular! Take that to heart. You can also keep it in mind as we get deeper in to this current political race...

Anyway, early this morning, there was an article posted titled:
Teen births rise for 1st time since '91 Click it to read the whole story.

Tonight, after getting 289 comments as of 8:10pm Mountain Time, it's been bumped up to the top five.

I'm not going to comment. Why do YOU think the teen birth rate is rising? What's the cause? Do you think it will continue to increase

And the big question: What do you expect for your kid? Will your kid who is or will be a teen...create a life as a teen? Why or why not?

Let me know here by commenting, then we'll discuss it more.

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12-5-07 From Kevin

Ok...ready for the big news!? Finally the unequivocal list of what TV shows and movies are appropriate for our children to watch. This will help all the studies, reports, commentaries and research. It's taken over 12 years of personal research for us to compile this exhaustive and comprehensive guide. Here we go...

Reality Parents 'Approved' TV & Movie Guide
1. Nothing

Whoa...don't roll your eyes yet! We have one television set in our home that gets a decent amount of use! But hear me out.

This is another one of these areas we spend time worrying and debating about as parents, and it's really retarded. I remember a few years ago some blockbuster animated movie came out and we were having this debate about the pros and cons and whether the kids should see it. Then Teri does and about-face and says "Wait! It's a stupid make believe movie! If there is an ounce of question, who the he!! cares! What's wrong with us!" And she was right.

The other day Autumn asked me about addictions. Now I'll open up a can of worms that can be another blog entry, but I don't believe much in addictions. My experience is that we label a bad habit that someone won't stop...an 'addiction.' This somehow excuses their responsibility a bit and makes their life and our interaction with them more palatable for us all to cope with. I'm great with that. In these blogs I often get on my soap-box and come off as an arrogant S.O.B. But don't be upset...it's an 'addiction' I can't overcome, so don't blame me. It's genetic anyway, they are currently developing a drug for it (It's called Smackhiminthemouthazine, awaiting FDA approval). I'll start going to S.O.B. Anonymous tomorrow...

- If that statement is hard to swallow, comment at the bottom and we'll talk about it

But I went ahead to explain that folks often label someone as 'addicted' when that person seems unable to stop a consistent habit, even to their detriment.

If there ever was a true addiction, in all seriousness, it's TV. I don't care what 'educational show' you have on, it's not better for your kid to sit VIEWING instead of DOING. It's just not! To argue otherwise is comparable to sitting in the middle of a ripe orange orchard and try to figure out what nutritional supplement would be best for providing you with vitamin C. How about eating an orange?!

Now, do I think there is a place for some mindless entertainment amidst our hectic lives? Some winding down? Sure. And guess what. I adore a good movie. One that makes you feel. We watched 'The Patriot' the other night with our 3 older kids. Now talk about a movie you could question! A lot of violence. I won't even bother to defend that we watched it. I can't justify the gore, though I appreciate that it was at least historically accurate. But my gosh, what a movie. It made us all 'feel' in a big way. I got more than just misty during a couple sections ("Papa, Papa...don't leave...I'll say anything!").

And Teri will not like that I divulged this, but I rented 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.' Someone could try to argue it had some redeeming qualities, but it won't be more. It probably supports the 'gay agenda.' But I laughed. A lot. I still keep laughing thinking about some of the lines. There is value in laughing, even if I can't justify that flick..

But what amount of mindless entertainment is ok? I just had a prospective consulting client who wants to launch a web business and say he's hurting for time to pursue it, but he guesses he could try to stop TV for a while and figures that would give him 10 extra hours per week. Holy smacks! 10 hours? Put that much time toward ANYTHING every week and you are sure to succeed! Personally, I can't imagine being a spectator in front of the tube for more than 4 hours per week, and I can't even justify that. I just admit I enjoy good movies and average two per week, and these days most last 2-hours.

Many years ago, people were busy. They were busting their butts up at 4am to milk cows, worked all day raising crops and washing clothes on rocks in the river, anxiety about whether they'd actually have food to eat or get killed by wild animals or people, then built fires at night to warm themselves and create light in their little houses at night. What did they do with no TV? Rent an old DVD of 'Little House On The Prairie' or 'The Waltons' to see. While you may not be enthralled at the quality of the shows compared to today's wholesome sitcoms (feel the sarcasm), you'll see what they did. They...get this...interacted with each other. They:
- played music
- played games
- read books
- told stories
- made toys, clothes, knick-knacks
- went for an evening walk
- went to bed at a reasonable hour!

Now why do all those things pale in comparison to watching TV? Why does that sound so backward, naive and counter-cultural? It's really...shameful...that we are addicted to TV and media. Instead of doing anything, we just watch other people do things? Instead of:
- Having an adventure folks might write about, we watch adventures on TV
- Creating something that may revolutionize the world, or at the least, make a buck for ourselves, we watch folks create things on TV
- Building and nurturing meaningful relationships, we watch others do so on TV
...and on and on...

What's even more ludicrous is that most of the adventures, creations and relationships we watch...hold on...are pretend!! That's right! They are called actors and actresses. I'm a Mel Gibson fan, fully. But I have to remind myself that he in fact is not the Patriot guy. Or William Wallace in 'Braveheart' or any of the other amazing characters he's portrayed. He's a 20th century guy like all the rest of us, with a posh house and fancy cars to shelter him from any hardship. He's struggled with having affairs and alcoholism in his Hollywood life. I know men up here in my small town who have done greater things in real life than he has, I should be their fans!

So there is the thing that reigns me in from rotting my head in front of the TV, even though I'm just as prone to seeking entertainment as the next person.

Am I going to do anything with my life that is worthy of being written about? Or just waste myself away on my couch watching other people PRETEND to do things that a few real life folks actually did?!

Think about that! One out of ten million people on the earth actually DO something extraordinary or important. The other 9 million 9 hundred thousand and 9 hundred 99 of us sit in our temperature controlled homes munching on Dupont snack foods to view a reenactment of that one person. I'm ashamed of myself if no one else is.

And want to feel even more shame? Instead of teaching my kid something and helping them create a life that has true value to themselves and the world, I'll just plop them down to continue the brainwashing and add another spectator to the world.

So how about you? What do you think about TV for our kids? In our lives? What do you think is ok? Tell me the truth, we'll post it here and let others comment. I really want to know what you think. The comment link is up at the top of this entry.

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From Kevin

R e t a r d e d - N e w s - F i l e:
12-2-07 From USA Today 'Long overdue' guidelines set for childhood obesity

'Obese Children' is getting to be a consistent media headline. Why? Fatter kids. Now...is it easy to take pot-shots at this and get on a soap-box about kids...
- watching TV (4-hours average per day),
- eating too much (that's what they do when they watch TV),
- not exercising enough (cause they are watching TV),
- eating junk food (what TV entices them with in ads, and parents for some odd reason actually BUY!),
- also playing video games and spending time on computers in addition to the TV watching.

...it's too easy. So I'm not going to spend a lot of time there. Instead, I'll hit on the real culprit: us parents. Here are some highlights from the article I linked to above:

"...weight checks at least yearly, counseling about weight even if children aren't overweight, Do we need weight checks? Years ago, people just used to look in the mirror...it's pretty obvious. And if the kid isn't fat, save your time and money and a four-stage treatment plan that could end in medication or surgery for the most persistently obese children."
Holy smacks - who wrote this? The 'American Doctors Trying To Buy New Ferrari's Counsel?' What happened to the good ole' docs who used to say, "Mr. & Mrs. Brown, kick little Tommie's oversized butt out the door and throw out the LIttle Debbies"?.

"Lots of parents and doctors are frustrated because there are no specific guidelines for treating overweight children."
Major News Alert To All Parents: Don't be upset at the government for not spending a zillion dollars to tell you common sense. If your kid eats 2,500 calories and only burns 1,500, he or she will become obese.

"About 17% of U.S. kids are obese, more than triple the rate in 1970, the report says"
A quick visit to the mall would have saved the effort of this report

"Children need an hour of physical activity a day, along with limits on sweetened beverages, computer and TV time, and fast-food meals. There we have it. Just post this headline every week as a reminder and forget the studies, reports and programs "Also, doctors should gather a family history of obesity, diabetes and heart disease." No they shouldn't! If every person in my ancestry is obese, while I may have some literal poor health in my genetic code, I can eat less and exercise more and stop the cycle!

"Prevention, emphasized in the guidelines, was hardly mentioned in the far vaguer 1998 recommendations they replace, says Reginald Washington, an author of the new report and chief medical officer at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver." Reg...that's because people used to expect folks to understand basic laws of life. Are we soon going to need a new report that mentions gravity is still in effect if more and more kids start doing free-dives off the jungle gym, because past reports were 'vague' on this subject? Probably so, seeing as our coffee cups now have to say 'Caution, contents hot.'

"Treatment of childhood obesity must be a family affair, adds William Dietz, director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parents must be involved "because overweight is linked to lifestyle, not just genes, and parents make the decisions here."" It's 'linked to?' Not just 'genes?' How about HARDLY EVER GENES.

Seriously folks. As a parent, how many obese kids were in your school? I had zero. Heck, I was often the fattest. I didn't really watch an overabundance of TV, and I was always riding my bike. But...I failed in the eating category. Even with good food, I was a chronic overeater. Guess what, it wasn't any medical issue. I just liked to stuff my face! More than the average. I didn't need medication, I just needed to be told 'Quit overeating fatty.' I didn't quit overeating till I was in my 20s. It was a bad habit, nothing more. I have five kids now. My oldest, Caleb, could care less about food. HE IS THE ODDITY who probably needs medical help. The other four will stuff themselves to oblivion on M&Ms if given the chance. We teach them about moderation, but we also prepare whole foods that they can basically eat as much of as they want and not be overweight in the least.

We just make the effort. Teri's folks bought us a huge trampoline a couple years ago. That thing has probably consumed a million calories from my kids. Confine a couple kids to a trampoline and it's nearly impossible not to jump. Nix the TV, computer and video games, and DON'T BUY JUNK FOOD! Why is all that so hard? Because we let media brainwash us. Kill it.

So how about you? What do you think about what I've written here? Too harsh, unfair, or right on? I really want to know what you think. The comment link is up at the top of this entry. Let me and others know your thoughts and we'll discuss it here.

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R e t a r d e d - N e w s - F i l e:
11-28-07 From USA TodayExperts: ATVs not safe for children
Photo by By Vivian Johnson, Erie Times-News, via AP

From Kevin
I know I'm on a roll with these headlines, but they so often typify things that have gone awry with our parenting. Take this headline about ATVs...is this really a surprise to anyone? Reminds me of a headline in the local paper in Ft. Collins, CO back in the early 90s when I live there: "Studies show that runners with more expensive shoes prone to increase in foot injuries." Holy smacks! Ya' think? Maybe...runners who buy more expensive running shoes...run more?! In related headlines:
- "People who step outside during a monsoon report strange occurrence of getting wet"
- "People over 7 feet tall more likely to bump heads"
- "People who believe newspaper headlines more likely to be retarded..."

I mean really. And not that the point here is to diss the media, but I actually fear it gives some parents support for not booting their kids out the door to...be kids. As a kid, I spent my childhood on my bicycle, building ramps, careening down hillsides, and losing a few pounds of skin and blood along the way. I see kids today that spend most of their time inside, riding 'virtual' ATVs. We continually practice 'risk aversion' with our kids.

They need to get hurt. They need to do scary things. They need to crash and burn. They need to fail. In the midst of it, they'll have a blast! They'll experience true adrenaline rushes, they'll test the limits and expand their abilities and horizons. They'll be world changers and not desk-jockies. Let's prepare them for more and better!

Do you think we should ban ATVs, keep kids inside, protect them... Share your thoughts. The comment link is up at the top of this entry.

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R e t a r d e d - N e w s - F i l e:
11-26-07 From CNN
Parents, use caution at toy-shopping time

From Kevin
It's been all over the headlines lately, all the dangers with toys and lead. Look, I'm a marketing guy. I know how we tend to work...we're looking for a fire to yell about and get credit for the attention. We as a society have to realize that most of the media headlines and cautionary hub-bub are...questionable, at best.

Read that article, then think about it... We have parents, grandparents and a long line of ancestry, that didn't live in the tidy little sterile world of wood, steel and concrete that we do today. Babies crawled around on splintery wood floors with cracks that let in lizards and snakes. There were electric outlets and cupboard doors that weren't equipped with an arsenal of baby-safe latches and covers. They crawled or toddled outside into...gasp...yards. Grass, twigs, dirt, animal poo... Just think of the horrors!

No car seat laws. I wonder how they put car seats on horses??

Toys were sticks, pieces of wood, a marble. And if the kid put it in their mouths, they got a quick flick and "NO-NO!" A quick cry and they didn't do that anymore.

Now MY child...had proper toys. Electric gadgets that taught ABCs, colors, shapes and sounds and trigonometry... For teething, a vast array of scientifically proven, frozen plastic shapes. Though as I recall, my 3 year old's favorite teether was the handle of a short screw driver he liked to pull out of my often open toolbox. Yep, call human services. This is probably why today he...acts like a 3 year old.

Come on folks, this hype stuff is retarded. Let's take evasive action and just not buy our kids any more toys, they'll just have to make due with the mountain of toys they have now that they don't play with. Try this, when your kids is crying and pulling at your pant leg while you are trying to fix it dinner...go into their room and methodically pitch every toy out the window of your 4th floor condo. Then leave a wooden toy car or doll alone in the middle of the floor. The kid will then be enthralled with the one toy that they can now pick out from what used to be an overstimulated jungle, and the media will have a heyday with headlines about the danger of "Toys Fall From Sky: Santa Must Be Regulated!"

PIc - that's good, clean fun. Watch your little brother plant himself in a plastic tub, flip over and bust his head!

Am I unfair here, should we heed all the warnings? Do our kids deserve more toys? The comment link is up at the top of this entry. Let me and others know your thoughts and we'll discuss it here.

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R e t a r d e d - N e w s - F i l e:
11-26-07 From USA Today (picture By Jim Mone, AP)
Study: Kids will eat healthy school food

From Kevin
Read the article...but here is an excerpt:
"The conventional wisdom that you can't serve healthier meals because kids won't eat them is false," said Benjamin Senauer, one of three economists who wrote the study.

Previous studies have concluded that students prefer fatty foods and that healthier meals cost more to make, the authors noted."

Now what the heck are they talking about? There are multiple issues here:
- Ya' think kids prefer fatty foods? Is there a segment of humanity that doesn't?
- As they finally conclude, no, healthier meals do not cost more.
- Lastly, what are the kids going to do? When I was in school if you didn't like what was served in the cafeteria, you A) brought something from home which was always healthier or you B) went hungry. I see no problem with either option. Now if kids are eating from vending machines, that's primarily the school's fault. If they are leaving the school to hit fast food, that's pretty much the parent's fault.

When did America lose it's backbone? If schools are supposed to care for kids, then do so. Serving nutritious food shouldn't be an issue, much less and option!

Maybe I'm unqualified these days, as my kids are homeschooled. Tell me what you believe, the comment link is up at the top of this entry. Let me and others know your thoughts and we'll discuss it here.