Combat ADHD

I read an article today talking about a test done on common artificial colorings and flavorings in foods and their effect on children.

Parents have long maintained that food additives cause hyperactivity in their children, and now there’s a new study out of Britain confirming their belief. In an authoritative, double-blind study, the Brits have proved – contrary to food industry skepticism – that common food dyes as well as the food preservative sodium benzoate can trigger hyperactivity in many children.

How definitive is the study? In light of the new findings, Britain’s Food Standards Agency issued an immediate advisory urging parents to limit their child’s intake of food additives if there are signs they affect behavior.

Part of a homemaker's job is to act as a nutritionist. Usually the homemaker buys the food, so she ends up reading the labels. Check your labels! People wonder what homemakers do all day. This is one of the things that they do. It takes extra time and energy to make sure you're preparing the best foods for your family. That's part of your job, to take the extra time and energy. Unlike most parts of society, culture, and technology, optimized to save all the time you can, a homemaker's job is to spend time to save money and optimize health.

Your husband (or wife, if you're a male homemaker) is working so hard to let you be at home so that you can do things like this in such a way that saves money. Get to know where your local farms are, and watch for sales and availability of non-prepackaged foods. A good homemaker will eventually gain the skills to feed her family the best foods without having to double the grocery bill.

Revving Up

So this week I'm adding a subject to Lil B's schoolwork. I'm going to start teaching him math every day. I figure I'll introduce subjects slowly, like introducing foods to an infant, always giving him enough time to expend his energy.

I was talking to someone who pointed out what he saw as an "us vs. them" mentality among homeschoolers when dealing with the public school system. My first thought was, "Yeah, duh..." But I took a moment to explain, not justifying, but simply explaining why. I think the 'why' justifies itself.

Most homeschooling families start out trusting the public school system and have to get 'burned' before they start taking the precautions that more experienced families do. Over and over I see the case briefs, and so many of them start the same way. "Mrs. S. sent in her notice to homeschool her son in the interest of cooperation. Unfortunately, the school board decided to report her for truancy although her notice followed all state guidelines..." Variations on a theme, some involving police pounding down the front door, some merely involving months of paperwork caught up in red tape, most of them requiring the involvement of an attorney to get the school to back down.

On "ERIC", the Education Resources Information Center online, I looked up 'homeschool'. One of the results, a published study, caught my attention. Rather, the language in the abstract caught my attention.

While the recent growth of homeschooling in America may not be an overall threat to public education in America today, some school districts are reporting that they are experiencing declines in their enrollments, which ultimately means a revenue loss in their school districts (Hetzner, 2000; Vater, 2001). (emphasis mine)

That really sums up the "us vs. them" attitude. The Department of Education and it's various public school systems see homeschoolers as a threat. Their revenue is based on enrollment, though it is paid through the taxes that homeschooling parents pay. Public school districts have little or no influence over private school, but in many states they are presented with a 'letter of intent' for homeschoolers, which gives them a chance to show their displeasure.

I'm not saying all districts are like this. Ours is pretty good about not harassing homeschoolers. Unfortunately, any homeschooling family in our area looking to use any public school resources at all, even offering to pay for these tax-supported services, are finding the door slammed decidedly shut.

Personally, I'm not even going to try. I may turn to the local Catholic school, which cheerfully and readily agreed to administer my SAT's when I was the homeschool student several years ago. I'm going to put in my intent notice with the minimal required information. I don't need to personally be burned to know that "they" are not inclined to be friendly towards "us". And anyone who is actually going to review any portfolio or ask any further questions... well... I will begin by giving them the benefit of the doubt and see if they are decent people personally before deciding if they are part of "Them" or simply good people doing their job.

Well, it took a while...

I have finally put my fall decorations up. Not a lot... my big decorating effort goes towards Christmastime. But I really like fall. It's a wonderful time of year. It feels more like the beginning of a new year to me than January, but maybe that's because I've always, consciously or subconsciously, been running on a school schedule.

Fall is harvest time, the time when things like apples and squashes are cheap and plentiful. It's got a lot of good celebrating days. There's Thanksgiving Day, of course, and in our family, Pie Day precedes it. My mother, aware that most of the extended family has places to go on Thanksgiving, invites everyone over on Wednesday to eat from the various Thanksgiving pies that she always makes a little ahead of time to cut down on the cooking time on the holiday itself.

I try to keep track of Columbus Day. Whether or not anyone in the family has it as a holiday, I try to do our Indian Supper the night before. The Indian Supper is merely suppertime made with only the ingredients that could be found in "the New World" before the Europeans began settling here. Generally it centers around fish and corn.

There are several birthdays in the fall, and my mother does a Halloween party with donuts and dressing up. Last year Lil Bernie (my son) dressed up as a butterfly for Halloween. This year he may be old enough to go to the church party as well. Of course, after Thanksgiving starts Christmas Season, a month full of chocolate and glowing lights and brightly patterned paper. I love Christmas Season!

Anyways... I put up my fall decorations, and here are pictures.

I always like to put a garland over the tapestry in the living room. This tapestry was first purchased by my father for his college dorm room, from a music shop, because he didn't want posters of bikinis or racecars.



Note the "Pooh Pumpkin"...


I don't like clutter in my kitchen, but I spend so much energy in that room, I like to be reminded of the seasons.


My dining room is generally my fall decoration focus. A vinyl tablecloth costs so little, and does so much in defining a seasonal theme! Those lil bear Thanksgiving figurines I bought at the Dollar Store for, of course, $3 for all three!


The 'living area' is mostly upstairs, as downstairs is mostly bedrooms. I didn't see a need to decorate every room in the house. It's too much work to remember where you put everything! But the den holds our big TV, entertainment center, enough seating for an extended family, and it needed some 'fall pizazz'. The little bear figures are more of the same dollar store set. :)