Happy Mother’s Day
By Christina Quick | May 11, 2008
For all you moms who tirelessly wipe little noses, change diapers, mend boo-boos with a kiss, shuttle kids to swimming lessons, attend piano recitals, help with schoolwork, stay up late waiting for teenagers to return home, pray for errant sons and daughters, help with grandchildren…
For every mother who cries at the kindergarten door, laughs at silly jokes, hugs, sings lullabies, frets, reads the same picture book hundreds of times, builds sand castles, makes smiley-face pancakes, puts off buying a new coat for herself to purchase school clothes, makes long-distance phone calls to the dorm room, sends letters to the battlefield…
For every mother who has ever loved a child…
This Mother’s Day bouquet is for you. Be blessed, and have a wonderful day.
Topics: Parenting | No Comments »
Of Kids and Socks
By Christina Quick | May 8, 2008
Just in time for Mother’s Day, a Harvard professor is informing us kids aren’t worth the trouble.
Having children is a recipe for long-term misery, Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University, told a group of professionals this week in Sydney, Australia.
Expectant parents experience a spike in happiness, Gilbert told attendees at the Happiness and its Causes conference. But, he added, “as soon as you have them, trouble sets in.”
“When does it (happiness) come back to its original baseline?” he asked. “Oh, about the time the children grow up and go away.”
And what of the millions of moms and dads who claim to enjoy parenthood? Gilbert says such people are self-deluded. He oddly compares parental investments in children to buying designer socks.
“I suspect that one of the reasons that people who own Armani socks think they are wonderful is because they have paid $85 for a pair,” Gilbert said. “The psychologists tell us that we like things more when we pay for them. What does that sound like? It sounds like children.”
When people say parenting is their greatest joy, Gilbert sees it as evidence their world is too small.
“My reply is that, ‘Yes, when you have one source of joy, it’s bound to be your greatest.’”
Wow. I wonder if this guy has children. It’s true there’s more to parenting than decorating a nursery and cooing over layettes at baby showers. I grew up playing with dolls and dreaming of someday being a mom, but actually becoming one opened my eyes to realities I had never before considered. Who knew infants could spew molten, volcanic matter out the back of their diapers and into their hair? Or that toddlers were so skilled at tossing random items in and out of grocery carts? No one warned me about frantic calls to the pediatrician’s office over a bumped head or high fever; temper tantrums in public places; long car rides and their effects on children’s stomachs; magic markers in the washing machine; homework assignments forgotten until bedtime; or the nagging guilt of wondering if I’m doing it all right.
There are other things for which I wasn’t fully prepared. (Warning: I’m about to wax sentimental. If you prefer to believe happiness and parenting are mutually exclusive, stop reading now.) Like the lump I get in my throat every time one of my children says, “Mom, you’re the best!”
I never knew how selflessly I could love or how easily little things — a toothless smile, a tiny hand reaching for mine, the words “I luv you Mommy” scrawled in crayon, an afternoon at the petting zoo, small talk over a milkshake — could stop me in my tracks and make me count my blessings. I couldn’t have comprehended the joy of watching my children grow an inch at a time or the heartache of letting them go an inch at a time.
For me, true wealth has nothing to do with Armani and everything to do with pouring my life into someone else. There’s no greater joy than watching my children mature intellectually and spiritually into people who, I believe, will one day give to others just as they have received.
Call me delusional if you wish, but my kids really do make me happy. In fact, my life as a mom is bursting at the seams with laughter, hugs, adventures and new discoveries. My relationship with Christ is my ultimate source of joy, but the children He has given my husband and I are wonderful gifts to be cherished and enjoyed. I don’t know many people who rush home to spend time with their sock drawers, but at the end of the day I can’t wait to wrap my arms around my son and daughter.
“Oh, go your selfish way and free
But hampered I would rather be,
Yes rather than a kingly crown
I would be, what you term, tied down;
Tied down to dancing eyes and charms,
Held fast by chubby, dimpled arms,
The fettered slave of girl and boy,
And win from them earth’s finest joy.”
— From “Tied Down” by Edgar Guest
“Children are a heritage from the Lord…” (Psalm 127:3).
Topics: Parenting | No Comments »
Rediscovering Low-Tech
By Christina Quick | May 5, 2008
I recently met a Springfield, Mo., couple who make wooden toys and American history-themed educational kits in their garage. In an age when everything seems to be mass-produced in overseas sweat shops, I was impressed.
The small business, Corp of Re-Discovery, allows the family the flexibility to homeschool their children. It also provides other families with one more alternative to the plastic, lead-tainted imports that line the shelves of major retailers. (Not all items the company sells are handmade or even domestically manufactured, but many are.)
I picked up moccasin kits for my children, as well as a wooden weaving loom and drop spindle for turning wool into yarn (all handcrafted sets). My son is having a great time piecing together his own Indian moccasins. Last night, he modeled one for us before hurrying back to his bedroom to work on the other.
A locally-crafted wooden ball and cup set has also become an object of fascination around our house. It’s the classic game in which you hold a handle with a little cup mounted on one end and attempt to flip a ball attached to a string into the cup. My son has played with this for hours, trying to see how many times he can get the ball in without a miss.
“This is so much fun,” he said last week. “It’s better than video games.”
I smiled, content in the knowledge that he’s rediscovering simpler pleasures from a simpler time. And I’m rediscovering the fact that an 11-year-old can be entertained by something that doesn’t beep, blink or require batteries.
Other low-tech amusements to rediscover with your children in the coming summer months:
• Marbles
• Jacks
• Sidewalk chalk
• Kites
• Clay
• Jump rope
• Hula hoop
• Papier-mache
• Sandbox
• Board games
• Soapbox car
• Lawn sprinkler
• Mud pies
• Yo-yo
• Stick forts
• Clover necklaces
• Water balloons
• Cloud watching
Topics: Family fun | No Comments »
Closer Than You Think
By Christina Quick | April 28, 2008
As a person who loves to camp and spend time outdoors, I’ve always been a fan of the night sky. So when I had a chance to visit a university observatory during an open house Friday night, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to look through one of the massive telescopes used by scientists who study the stars.
Since astronomers prefer to stay as far as possible from the intrusion of city lights, getting to the viewing lab was no small task. After several wrong turns and what seemed like an endless journey over crater-filled dirt roads, the kids and I, along with a friend and her two children, arrived at the spot in the woods where several dozen astrophysics students, professors and interested members of the public had gathered. It was a chilly evening, and a low canopy of thick clouds hung overhead. People huddled outside the dome-covered building, gazing upward and silently hoping for the sky to clear.
At last the clouds began to part, and the telescope rotated into position. Everyone lined up for a chance to look. When my turn came, I stared through the lens in awe. There was Saturn glowing like molten gold in a vast sea of blackness. Its shimmering rings and three of its moons were clearly visible.
“It’s a billion miles away,” a professor explained to my children.
“Wow,” they whispered, their eyes shining with wonder in the faint light.
We later viewed Mars and saw time-lapse images of M51, a galaxy millions of light years away. Confronted with the staggering immensity of the universe, I thought of Isaiah 40:12: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?”
We have a big Creator, a powerful and magnificent God. Yet He is not a billion miles away. In that same passage, we are told of God’s nearness: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11).
I like that verse. It reminds me of God’s concern for children and families and for the billions of individual people — each anonymous life —inhabiting this small planet as it spins in an endless expanse of space.
Even as our senses strive to penetrate the mysteries that surround us, God’s eyes are ceaselessly fixed on us. Though doubt and the distractions of living sometimes cloud our view, His truth and goodness are revealed in His creation and in His Word. The God who measured the heavens with His hand reaches down to touch our lives.
“Wow,” my children would say.
Yes. Wow.
Topics: Faith | No Comments »
Go TV-Free This Week
By Christina Quick | April 22, 2008
In case you haven’t heard, this is TV Turnoff Week — a national effort to get families to switch off the tube for one full week.
Though the event started Monday, it’s not too late to participate. Even a day without television could prove beneficial to your family as you find alternative ways to spend time together, such as taking an after-dinner walk or playing a board game.
The television gets too much attention in most American homes. By the time the average child graduates high school, he or she will have spent more time in front of the TV than in class, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The group warns that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to be overweight, have lower grades, read fewer books and exercise less.
A recent study by the University of California-San Diego found that overweight kids who devote more than two hours a day to viewing time are more likely to have high blood pressure, a strong predictor of adult hypertension.
Physical health isn’t the only thing that may be compromised by too much TV. Today’s networks bombard viewers with foul language, sex, and depictions of depraved lifestyles. Children watching television during the first hour of prime time encounter violence, profanity, or sexual content every 3.5 minutes of non-commercial airtime, according to the Parents Television Council. Advertisers, meanwhile, push alcohol and junk food, fuel consumer greed, and breed shallow values.
So why not take a break from the TV this week? Read a book aloud. Play a game of charades in your pajamas. Lie on a blanket in the backyard and study the stars. Pray together. That’s what I call prime time.
What’s your favorite TV-free family activity?
Topics: Trends | No Comments »
BPA: Are Your Kids Being Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals?
By Christina Quick | April 16, 2008
A preliminary government report reveals a chemical commonly found in plastic baby bottles, sports drink bottles and other products could cause serious health problems, including cancer.
Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, causes precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty in laboratory rats, the National Toxicology Program report says.
BPA can leach into water and other liquids, even at room temperature. When a container is heated in a dishwasher or microwave, leaching may occur even more quickly.
Several companies now offer baby bottles made of glass or BPA-free plastic. I don’t have babies, but I’m purging my home of anything that might expose my kids to this chemical. I recently discarded our Nalgene water bottles, and I’m planning to invest in an aluminum Sigg bottle for each member of my family.
To determine whether your plastic items are made with BPA, look for a number inside a triangle, usually found on the bottom of the container. Steer clear of the numbers 3, 6 and 7. Also avoid lined cans, such as soup cans.
For more on this topic from a Christian perspective, see my previous post Consumer Products and Other Scary Things.
For more on the latest government report, read the Associated Press story here.
Topics: Health, In the news | No Comments »
Are Video Games the Solution to Childhood Obesity?
By Christina Quick | April 15, 2008
Thanks to the popular Nintendo Wii, the newest trend in gaming may be physical movement. Though the actual health benefits of swinging a Wiimote are questionable, parents like the fact that Wii requires kids to move more than just thumbs. And with childhood obesity tipping the scales at unprecedented levels, who can blame them?
Encouraging youngsters to get off the couch is the idea behind ME2, a game device by iToys that will be hitting store shelves this summer.
The $35 toy can be played like a handheld game. But the real action begins when it’s plugged into a computer for online play. The catch? To access certain tools and gain power in the game, kids have to rack up mileage by wearing the device around like a pedometer as they run, walk, bike, play ball, etc.
I must confess I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it might be effective for getting otherwise sedentary youngsters in the habit of exercising. On the other, it seems sad that society has been reduced to using bribery, trickery and high-tech toys to get kids to engage in activities that have long been considered part of a healthy childhood.
What do you think of the ME2 concept?
Topics: Trends | 1 Comment »
Food Dyes May Affect Kids
By Christina Quick | April 14, 2008
Are artificial colors making kids hyper? That’s the opinion of Britain’s Food Standards Agency, which last week called on the European Union to ban many of the same additives that are widely used in the United States.
The recommendation was based on a British study that found a link between hyperactivity in children and common food additives, such as dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate.
Artificial colors — with names like FD&C Yellow No. 6 or tartrazine — are hard for families to avoid. They’re found in everything from ice cream and cereal to chewable vitamins and cough syrup. They can lurk in seemingly healthy foods, such as canned fruit or yogurt. Incredibly, these chemicals are sometimes even sprayed on fresh produce to make them look nicer.
So what is this stuff our kids are eating by the fistful? I did some research, and believe it or not, much of it comes from petroleum and coal tar! I realize many health-conscious parents have been aware of this for years, but it was news to me. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site, “certifiable color additives are man-made, derived primarily from petroleum and coal sources.”
I wonder how many parents would knowingly feed their children industrial byproducts. I also wonder what other health effects, besides hyperactivity, these additives may be causing.
What concerns you most about today’s foods? The high prices? Chemical pesticides? Preservatives and artificial colors? Fat and calorie content?
Topics: Health | 2 Comments »
Dance of a Lifetime
By Christina Quick | April 10, 2008
My 9-year-old daughter is going to be a grandma. More accurately, she will be playing the part of a grandmother at the local theater Saturday in a ballet production of Little Red Riding Hood.
She’s been taking dance lessons since she was in kindergarten. In her first production, she was a ballerina puppy. It was a small role, but she looked so cute with her painted nose, plush ears and tiny tutu I hardly noticed the other dancers.
Since that time, she has been a teddy bear (twice), a duckling, a circus clown, an angel, a blustery wind and a raindrop.
As I watched her rehearsing her latest role this week, it occurred to me how quickly she is maturing — not just in ballet, but also in life. I briefly wondered what she would be like when she is old enough to be a real grandmother.
“Mom,” she often tells me, her brown eyes radiating affection. “When I grow up, I want to be just like you.”
The sweet sentiment never fails to make me smile. Imagine, someone wanting to be like me! What a gift parenting is. And what a responsibility. If she’s following my lead, I guess I’d better stay on my toes. I pray that my example will not be out of step with God’s character.
Topics: Parenting | No Comments »
Babies Don’t Need Video Games
By Christina Quick | April 8, 2008
First there was Babytv, a 24-hour television channel for children under 3. Now toymakers are producing what I would call video games for infants.
Fisher Price’s Laugh and Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony, due to hit store shelves later this year, is a plastic ride-on toy that connects to the television and allows children as young as 12 months to interact with the screen. As the child bounces, video images appear on the TV and sound effects are heard. This encourages more bouncing and, presumably, more staring at the flashing screen. Think of it as Nintendo for the diaper set.
Is it just me, or is this a bit much? The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned parents for years that television is not good for toddlers. And studies have shown that children younger than 3 who regularly sit in front of the TV are more likely to have attention problems in elementary school. Yet the toy and entertainment industries seem intent on getting kids hooked on electronic devices the minute they can focus their young eyes on a screen.
The thing is, babies don’t need to interact with a television set. They need interaction with loving adults who are willing to talk, sing songs, play games, blow raspberries, finger paint and laugh with them. It’s how babies learn and grow, and there is simply no substitute for these early experiences.
For parents, this is just common sense. Of course, common sense doesn’t sell many toys.
Topics: Trends | No Comments »
