Parenting — Page 3 — raisingthreeknightsandaprincess.com

Tough Questions. Tough Answers.

Taken from LearningRx National Edition 2009:

Italics are mine.

Our doctor diagnosed my son as ADHD and prescribed medication to control behavior. My heart breaks at the thought (as did mine). Do I really have to drug my child?

Probably not. In a society where a large percentage of students significantly under-perform, seemingly easy solutions are a temptation. “Should I medicate my child?” is a question on the mind of parents nationwide and is most often asked by parents of children tagged ADD/ADHD. There is a growing field of cognitive brain training researchers investigating alternatives to drugs for ADHD. In almost every case, learning skills testing reveals that these children have “cognitive deficits, specifically in working memory.” Weak cognitive skills often mean they can’t pay attention long enough for good academic performance.

Researchers have explored methods to train the brain and impact weak learning skills. In one case, a number of ADHD students underwent 5 weeks of specific stills training and afterwards, 60% no longer fit the label. These results point to the possibility of overcoming lifelong learning hindrances in an extremely short period of time with the right mental skills training. Why wouldn’t everyone do it? The investment in cognitive skills training is “not easy for a time-crunched society and far more laborious than popping a pill.” Althought maybe not as easy as taking a pill, the benefits of overcoming skill weakness and building advanced learning ability are worth the short-term effort. Which is exactly what our family is doing and seeing significant results after a 24 week program!

(Response compiled from Gunjan Sinha, an award winning freelance science and medical journalist. Specific citations are derived from Training the Brain: Cognitive Therapy as an Alternative to ADHD Drugs, Scientific American. July 2005)

To read more LearningRx reviews and stories from other parents visit: http://www.learningrx-reviews.com/

1 Comment

Posted: January 20, 2012 by Julie |Category: LearningRx | Parenting | Tags: ADD, ADHD, Learning Rx reviews, LearningRx review, parenting

Day 19 – Reality

I was looking back at all my photos I’ve uploaded onto Photobucket and found this one.

This little sweet thing turns 10 tomorrow.

Where does the time go?

She is 7 going on 16 and wants her ears pierced, a new pet and all her clothes to match.

He’s 11 and wants a phone for Christmas. This shot was taken with my very first digital camera. Everything had to be date stamped because I had 4 little ones and couldn’t remember when I took pictures!! I also was a scrapbooking fiend then.

This guy is 12 and turns 13 (A TEENAGER) on Christmas Day this year. Reality! It’s amazing how the time on this earth flies like it does.

It makes me think of eternity, a mind-boggling thought.

I’m so glad I know I’ll spend it with Jesus. I wonder what it will be like…when I breathe my last breath and open my eyes to heaven’s glory. My birth mom is dying from cancer. God blessed me with the chance to get to know her some 8-9 years ago. My time with her last month in WI was so precious. She’s stubborn and hard-headed and likes things the way she likes things. I see me in her. It’s a wonderful feeling. There have been times when she says she rests and goes into this strange, quiet, peaceful place. We talk about whether that will be what dying is like…just slipping further into that peace.

I asked her to ask God to send me a telegram (just break the rules once) to let me know if that is what it’s like.

I wonder what he’ll say?

I love you mommy Janet!

1 Comment

Posted: October 19, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Parenting | Tags: 31 days, death, reality

Day 17 – Reality (sadness)

I have been so bad about planning ahead for my own 31 days. My sweet friend Scooper has, of course, planned her blogs a head of time. She’s like that. I love her.

“HI SCOOPER”

Today’s a bit about real life. We spent our weekend in SC. And once again I got to glimpse into the life of teenagers and all the pressures they are under. It scares me for my own kids. Will this sex-driven generation ever go away? I’m sad that girls think they need to have bones showing because of TV and magazines. I’m sad that teens are involved in drugs, kill others and collapse under the social pressures of today. I scream out to God “Come, come quickly…for the children!” Taken from “Intense Moments with the Savior” by Ken Gire. If you haven’t read it you need to. Go to Amazon now and download it on your Kindle or buy the book.

We’re up late after a long weekend in SC seeing friends and those we love so I’m off to wake children for school. It’s already nine o’clock.

Bye!

1 Comment

Posted: October 17, 2011 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags: 31 days, peer pressure, teenagers

Facebook

I’m approaching a touchy subject here…Facebook.

My husband and I have been convicted not to use Facebook. It’s a decision many of my friends have not liked but it’s our conviction and a way of protecting our family. I found a great article which I found to be very balanced about Facebook and infidelity. Read it for yourself, but it states that Facebook is just like the phone or the internet. If you go looking for trouble you often find it. Facebook can lend towards infidelity when those who use it are more interested in the past than in the future. It also states that people sin, not Facebook or the computer or the phone. These avenues, I believe, make our desire to stray available at our fingertips. But, like I also stated, I believe where there is a will there is a way. Safeguards are important and necessary as each is led.

I liked the article. We will still choose not to use Facebook as an example to our kids of our choice to go against society and follow God’s prompting in our lives but I feel more balanced now in how I look at one of the social tools of our age.

Most people feel Facebook rocks. What about you?

4 Comments

Posted: March 11, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Parenting | Tags: conviction, Facebook, family values

Not a pretty post…

Today’s post is not one of those pretty, fluffy ones….so be forewarned.

I am still, to this day, amazed at the ugliness of man’s heart. I am not so sure I should be, but I am. If man hung the Savior of the world on a cross why would we not act ugly when our feelings are hurt and our emotions are running high?

Someone once told me when emotions run high intellect runs low. I believe that statement.

Why do we choose anger and discord instead of love and understanding?

Manipulation instead of Trust?

Why do we choose to accuse instead of listen?

Why did we look into the face of God and puts nails in his hands, thorns on his head, and a sword in his side? I know he came to earth to do the one thing he could not do in heaven…die. But we are the ones who killed him.

As amazed as I am at God’s provision, God’s love and His miracles I am also bewildered at man’s desire for revenge, accusation and discord. When we can choose peace why do we choose war among ourselves and among the ones we said we loved? Why do we choose hate? Is it because it’s easier? I know in my own life I SOOoooo want to give into my flesh at times.

I am astounded at the capacity we have for love and for hate. We can kill or give birth. We can speak life or death. We can pray or we can seek revenge.

The natural man vs the spiritual man.

Flesh vs Spirit.

It’s a lifelong battle, has been since the beginning of time. How is LIFE lived out in my own life? Do I act in love as I say I love? Am I humble when others need something I can give? Do I give and then give some more? And then give until it hurts?

Sometimes I don’t know the answer to such deep questions. I want to be “Jesus with feet” but am I? I want to show the love that was shown to me on the cross.

And so my journey with life and with my Lord continues as it will until I meet Him face to face. Through the pain and the joy I look for His face. It’s there if I only look hard enough. And when my heart can not see Him I stand on the faith of knowing He is there even if I can’t see Him.

On one of our recent school mornings I read my kids Philippians 2:14-15. Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing. I did this to help them understand that God tells us this so that no one can criticize us. And I realize that not only did this apply to a situation in my own life recently where I watched arguing at it’s ugliest, but it also applies to me when I interact with my kids. Since that day I have refused to argue with them. It’s changing our lives. It’s changing mine. I’m amazed at the words our Father chooses to use. Words like EVERYTHING.

“Everything, Father?”

“Yes, everything my child.”

And that is where my trust comes in. Do I trust Him to handle the situation? Do I trust Him to look out for my best interests? Do I know He is working all things for the good of those (me) who love Him?

A work in progress…julie

3 Comments

Posted: October 7, 2010 by Julie |Category: God Breathed | Parenting | Tags: Bible, God, Living as Jesus, Loving, Phillipians 2

Not just a football family any more!

We’ve been a football family for a long time. Whether it has been flag football or the thump of pads during fall football season, we’ve been a football family since my oldest two were able to play.

Football, football, football.

But just as having our fourth-born being born as a girl has changed our lives from trucks, bodily function noises and wrestling, she is changing the face of sports in our family too.

Today, without a single practice because we signed up late, baby girl (sniff, sniff) played her first soccer game.

She sweated. She ran. And she was a trooper in 98 degree weather.

She played as a team. She overcame her shyness very quickly. She’d never met her coach or any of her team mates.

She cheered her team on!

She waved at me from the game and grinned when she did well.

We bought pink and black cleats, pink shin guards and a pink and black bag for it all to go in. She was so proud…..her own bag of sports stuff!!

And while I missed the older boys game today there was one big brother there to support her!

I bought him a Frog Togg for the hot weather. I think he’s in love!

It was so much fun to see her trying something new, being a little scared but overcoming that fear, and enjoying herself and her team. She kept telling me she wanted to stay in the game to help her team win. I think my heart broke a little. What character God is developing in her.

And after the game? The tunnel!!! The best part for all the kids!

So you go baby girl. Be all God has for you to be and love him and chase him with all your heart!

FOREVER….

LOVE, mom

Hanging Out – Raising Boys!

While we were busy in and out of the snow on Monday I, at some point, walked into the kitchen to find this site…..

I had my camera out anyway so I grabbed a few (horribly unfocused) pictures because I knew I had to show you. Don’t some of the things your kids do just make you wonder what they were thinking?

So I’m thinking something like, “Maybe he was just bored and wanted to try out hanging techniques for when he grows up.”

YIKES!

Or maybe he was thinking they are going to be best friends forever and wanted to tie them together with “cords that can not be easily broken.”

Either way I’m a tad bit concerned.
Maybe I should go talk to him. Because when I went to get his Valentine Bear the other night off my bed this little guy was attached to him.

Hmmmm…….

Maybe I SHOULD go ask him….
Just a minute.
To our #2 Son…..”Wanna tell mom what this is all about?”
From #2 Son……“Oh that.….. (without skipping a beat)……Mom, I just loose him all the time and this way I don’t.”

Whew!

I can sleep tonight.

Kids…..they are just so darn practical.

5 Comments

Posted: March 4, 2009 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags:

Doing myself a favor…

Today I did myself a favor. I slept in.
It was sweet! I had planned to go to bible study but when I got out of bed it was rainy and cold. And I thought “Oh, what a good day to crawl back in bed”. So as soon as the sitter arrived I did just that. From 9am until 12pm I slept like a bear.
A friend told me that women are nurturers. I knew that. But she also told me that we forget to nurture ourselves. So this morning I did just that.
Hmmm…..wonder what time they’ll let me get in bed tonight?

And just because posts are better with pictures….

“Learning to shoot one handed”

Have a great night and tomorrow.

2 Comments

Posted: February 18, 2009 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags:

To Thine Own Self Be True

My good buddy, Scooper, has an interesting post you should read about self discovery. She’s witty and funny and she’s really way cooler than she thinks she is. I love her.
Her post got me to thinking about my own self. Is anyone out there struggling with homeschooling this time of year? Oh it’s a chore right now for me. I tell myself all the right things…
– enjoy your children
– be grateful, some women must work
– love each day as God gives it to you
But there are times that all this just feels overwhelming. And like Scooper said in her post I GOT NOTHIN….well, I got nothing.
No extra energy.
No motivation.
No drive.
No get up and go.
Nothing to share or give.
NOTHING.
I got nothing.
Life has presented it’s own set of challenges for our family as of late. Rocket Man has a new job. It’s stressful but keeps him home at night. He’s worked out of our home for 10 years. I miss him during the day.
I wonder what my kids think when they look at me. I’m certainly not all sparkly and shiny right now. Loving? Not sure that word qualifies either.
So here I am.
Words of encouragement? wisdom? advice?
Any one have a sweet vacation spot in Maui and want to watch 4 kids for a week?
I’m open to suggestions…..