Hal Young's Blog, page 62
September 7, 2010
Mama's Boy
Talk about bad headlines. Following a study presented to the American Psychological Association, the media asked, "Being A Mama's Boy: Good For Your Health?"
The gist of the study by Dr. Carlos Santos of Arizona State University suggested that boys who "resist" male stereotypes and are close to their mothers grow up with better mental health. There's lots of room for discussion here — starting with who defines "healthy" and what it looks like in the researcher's mind! The study focused on m...
September 3, 2010
Waiting for the Weekend?
Ah, the weekend's finally here. Looking forward to the weekend is such an institution, even officially-atheist nations like China shut down for Sunday. Here in America, Saturday's time to catch up on some yardwork, maybe wash the car, but then it's time to play. Sometimes it seems like the weekend is our goal line for all the days before! No wonder they write songs about it.
Now, is anything wrong with that? The answer may surprise you, and even more when you realize that even the...
August 27, 2010
Art for Boys! A Review of Simply Draw with Bob Parsons
Several of my boys are constantly drawing, so when Timberdoodle, one of our favorite suppliers, asked us if we'd like to review a new art curriculum, I thought, "Great!"and evidently, my boys thought so, too. When Simply Draw with Bob Parsons arrived at our house, there was great excitement, but I wouldn't let them open it, not until we got a binder to put it in. So, tip number one is to get yourself a 1.5″ view binder for the book before your order arrives! And, while you're at it, buy a...
August 26, 2010
Listen on WSVAHarrisonburg, VA
You can hear us live on WSVA-AM 550 in Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Charlottesville, Virginia, today at 3:35 p.m. Tune in to "Late Afternoons with Mike Schikman" at 550 AM or online at http://www.wsvaonline.com/.
August 25, 2010
How Much For A Diploma?
A bumper sticker says, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." Most people agree on the value of education. The Civitas Institute, a conservative think tank in Raleigh, N.C., just completed a study of the cost. How much does it take to provide a K-12 education?
How about $122,478 ?
That's median per-pupil expense for thirteen years in the ten largest school districts in our state – and it doesn't count the cost of buildings and buses, only the operating expense.
It puts...
August 24, 2010
Help! I'm Being Disrupted!
I'd had one of those weeks last week. The biggest benefit to working from home is that you can be closer to your family. One of the challenges, though, is just how close that can be when you really meant to focus on work. The week seemed balanced between fight intervention between brothers, a high-need toddler resulting in a low-sleep wife, and children swinging between slothful and scatterbrained when it's time to do chores or schoolwork. You probably have "weeks", too.
So how do you...
August 20, 2010
Hal & Melanie at the Schoolhouse Expo Talking to Teens & Their Families
Psychologists Joseph and Claudia Allen say that low expectations have undermined the transition from childhood to adulthood, and twenty-somethings are still trying to figure out what their parents knew as teenagers. The age of marriage is rising, the number of young men living in their parents' basement is climbing, and America is raising a generation that's really good at Facebook and Halo 3, but doesn't know where to begin when it's time to grow up.
Is 25 the new 15? We say NO — and...
A Review of the "Let's Learn!" Homeschool Preschool Curriculum Series
A few months we reviewed Sonbeam's ABC Bible Memory Verse Songs and were impressed with them, so when Mrs. Candace of Sonbeams asked us if we'd like to review their new preschool curriculum, we were delighted.
The first thing that struck me when I opened the up the samples that Candace sent me was how clear and easy to use this program was. Really, the books do just what we've...
August 12, 2010
Winners!
Congratulations to Cynthia and Cheryl Lynn, who won a copy of Ned, Bernardo Boy and the unit study that goes with it!
Keep your eyes peeled for more reviews and contests to come…
August 10, 2010
God is Good All the Time
From: "Mike Richardson"
Subject: And now for the rest of the story from Mexico-it is a good one!
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 20:44:15 -0500
Over the last few weeks I have thought a lot about Matthew 6:34. "Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own
things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it."
I have really tried to do what this verse teaches but the truth is that I
have failed miserably. I have fretted and moaned to God about the road. I
have done...
