Pages

Google Search

Custom Search

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Build A Bear, Strangers, Dictionaries

Since I have been up since 4 AM, and I am very irritable when I don't get enough sleep, my post might sound irritable to some of you. First why 4 AM, it wasn't on purpose I assure you. My husband's job called to say they were out of juice. Despite the fact that I sleep with ear plugs so I don't hear annoying noises, like the phone, my mixed up ears hear the phone anyway. I can not figure out why I was blessed with super human hearing, but I wish I was not. My husband says I am just crazy. I am sure it is way more complicated than that. So then I can not fall back to sleep of course.

Irritation number two: why should a five year old be able to beat me at a game as dumb as Build A Bear Workshop? This seems entirely unfair, since it really is quite simple. And no I do not let her win on purpose. Then I get you know what you say mom, practice makes perfect, and you don't practice enough. That is alright I will just ground you from it for two months, and then we will be on the same level Ha!

Irritation number three: A California school has removed all dictionaries from their school due to them being too dirty. OK now I will admit I am very conservative when it comes to teaching sex ed to kids that are too young to need to know, or understand. However, a child was not caught looking up dirty words, a mother was looking up dirty words, and in fact found said words, and then pitched a fit. First of all what schools even use dictionaries anymore? In this age of technology, I didn't even know anyone had one anywhere. Second of all kids are curious about sex, and just about anything else. Would you rather they look it up and find the answer or ask their friends, experiment with others, watch porn, or maybe read it? Third and this is my main point, it is my understanding that most kids have access to internet, cell phones, chat lines, social networks, should I go on? If you do not know what goes on relating to sex, on all of these things I just listed, then you have no right complaining about a dictionary. Please wake up, and know what your kids really do, and do not have access to. If you really do not want them to know dirty words, or about sex, then you might wish to put them in a closet until they are 18. If my kids ask me a question about sex, I tell them in an age appropriate answer. You see I wrote age appropriate. You can educate your kids about love, sex, protection, pregnancy, diseases, and all the others, and then they might not turn to all these other resources to find out. Oh, and don't let me forget the school bus. There is a plethora of info to be obtained from there. The dictionary would be the least of my worries. Oh, and by the way I have no idea what dictionary this school was using, but we have a Webster dictionary, and I could find none of these words they listed, accept for sex. Try going in a chat room, or check their texting history, you might get a whole new education yourself.

There I am done for now, maybe tomorrow I will be irritated again. Lets hope not, I have to go out in public. Speaking of public tomorrow we are studying stranger danger. I can not stress enough how important this topic is. Of course people in your own family, or friends can be a danger to children as well, so be sure to include safe guards for that too, such as good touch bad touch, always tell mommy, or daddy, etc. Just one more quick note. We are finishing sign language colors, and this was by far the easiest yet. If you are considering starting to learn signing you might want to start with that. Of course the alphabet is good to learn too, to start.

Lesson Plans For 01/28/10:

DJ:
Playdate at the park 12-2
Health: Stranger Danger
Math: Fractions, division
Language Arts: Syllables, root words, question busters
Cursive Writing
Sign Language: Colors
Vocabulary

Caitlin:
Playdate at the park 12-2
Your Senses: Worksheet
Reading: HOp Dog Bug week two
Site Words: Sets one and two
Printing Practice
Math: Addition
Flash Cards: Number to word identification







4 comments:

Kristy said...

I agree with you that there are so many other things to pitch a fit about besides a dictionary. Wow! It sounds like Caitlin is loving her new game and beating mom! LOL! We love the stranger danger videos you posted. David and I just finished watching both of them and he had lots of questions. Thanks Miss Melissa.

Melissa said...

Ms Kristy, I am glad you guys liked them. I can not tell you how much stranger awareness means to me.

Anne said...

I hope you are feeling better soon! I hate not getting enough sleep. Why did they call because they are out of juice? That doesn't really sound like an emergency (unless he works at Orange Julius).

I think removing the dictionaries is a little over the top. My older daughter gets upset because she is not allowed to read the same things (and watch the same movies and TV) as her friends, but I think removing the dictionary is a little far-fetched. You can't remove all educational resources because they have 1 or 2 words (out of thousands) that are offensive.

Melissa said...

I often think the same thing, but since he is the Food Director at the prison, and no juice actually can cause a riot, it is kind of an emergency. But they do have a substitution list they can easily refer to, rather than calling at 4 AM. It is part of the job, doesn't mean I like getting woke up.

The words the mother looked up were words, most adults probably don't even know. It was quite humorous. My kids too are not allowed to read, or watch just whatever they want, or friends want.

Currclick for Homeschoolers

CurrClick

Custom Ornamental Gates

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!
Copy this code to your website to display this banner!