Assisting Dummies

By Marlin Rollins

 For most of us, hearing about different types of addiction is a common occurrence. Even more difficult to bear is that most of us are close to someone affected by an addiction. When addictions are related to the abuse of a substance such as alcohol, our understanding that there is a problem may be rooted in clear and serious signs of a life out of control. But what about an addiction related to something more subtle? Could a behavior as seemingly normal as watching television become an addiction? You bet it can!

I believe television can be a “drug” because it is literally a mind-altering experience. Like any drug, it has the potential to be used responsibly or abused. Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children under two years of age, and no more than two hours of television per day for older children? Here’s why. It is not only because of the potential for inappropriate content. In fact, for young children especially, it is the incredible stimulation that TV provides that makes it so potentially damaging. All of the flashing bright colors, loud sounds, and frequent fragmentation of reality that television encompasses is far too much stimulation for most young minds to manage. At the same time, children are like a magnet for this type of gratification, and as most parents know, can become addicted to the neurological stimulation of television very quickly. Although some people have tried to justify overexposure to electronic media by claiming it makes children smarter, those theories are little more than rationalizations for indulging in what science indicates is bad for us.

What’s the effect of repeated exposure to television stimulation? Just like what happens when a person is exposed to any drug, repeated exposure to television has the effect of dulling a person’s senses. This is precisely what we as parents experience when we ask our kids to tear themselves away from the television and in return get a blank stare or grunt and shrug! With younger children, requiring them to make a transition away from a stimulation source to which they are “hooked” often results in an instant melt-down. Noticing your child’s ability to transition between watching television and attending to the environment around him or her is a good way to determine if she or he is over-stimulated, or even possibly addicted. Kids who are addicted to television care increasingly less about the content of what they are watching, and more about getting another “hit” of electronic stimulation. The brain is an organ that is unique in that it develops in response to its environment - and if you’re continually “blasting” a young, developing mind with rapid-fire images, you may be creating a mind that craves high level stimulation but lacks the ability to focus its attention - sound familiar?

Here’s What You Can Do:

1) Make television a family activity. Discuss what you and your child are watching together. Turn down or mute the volume during commercials to ensure you are sustaining social contact. And relate events on television shows to real events in the life of your family.

2) Limit television watching to a specific period of time and to specific times of the day. Kids do better when they are required to do things before they watch TV, such as getting dressed, teeth brushed, breakfast eaten, etc., before the television set goes on. Don’t let television become the constant background to family life. Turn the TV on to watch specific shows, and then turn it off when the show is over.

Discuss alternatives to television with your children. Kids do much better accepting that they can only watch a limited amount of TV when they know you are prepared to spend time playing a game, going to the park, or helping with homework instead. When we use TV to occupy our kids so we can get other things done, we are inadvertently becoming enablers of their addiction.

3) Not all television is created equal. Look for shows that are paced appropriately for children. There are great programs for kids that don’t rely on seizure-inducing graphics to keep their attention. Don’t be afraid to censor shows; if you start when children are young by simply saying, “this show isn’t good for your brain, and I’m proud of what a smart girl (or boy) you are,” you’ll get them on the right track.

Read about gerbera daisies, gerbera care, gerbera flowers, willow trees, hybrid willow , weeping willow trees and other information at the Gardening Central website.

Are Obama Grants Encouraging More Moms to Get a Degree

By Fred Jackson

 Despite the fact that higher education is important, there are often a number of obstacles that can hinder potential students from enrolling in college. For single mothers especially, family obligations and financial concerns are often at the top of this list. Obama grants, which are meant to encourage mothers to return to college to earn a degree, attempt to ease some of the concerns associated with going to college.

In many cases, the purpose of federal grants is to help disadvantaged groups to attend college. The federal Pell grant is an endowment commonly given to low-income students. The benefits of Pell grants have been increased in order to be a greater help to potential students, since the Obama administration has stated that it places a high priority on education. In particular, working moms are especially encouraged to apply for the Scholarships for Moms program, which is just a title given to a portion of the standard Pell grant program. Equipping low-income mothers to earn a degree will provide a stimulus to the lagging economy, the administration believes, and also be a great benefit to the families of those mothers, as a result of which will be an increase in their earning power in the work force.

$5,000 from a Pell grant may not seem like a lot of money, when you look at the high cost of education these days, but it should help defray the other expenses associated with going to college. As well as books and supplies, a student has additional expenses of housing and travel as well. For single moms, these miscellaneous expenses may also include childcare. One of the great advantages of the Pell grant award is that the money awarded does not necessarily have to be applied to college tuition. On condition that any expense that can be seen to be necessary to obtaining an education, can be covered by the grant money.

It must be remembered that this program doesnt cater specifically to traditional students; it provides opportunity for traditional and non-traditional students alike. If a mother wants to return to college to earn a degree, she will be just as welcome as a student who is fresh out of high school. Equal consideration is given to mothers who would like to stay home and take care of their children while doing online courses, to potential students who would prefer to go to a small community college. The most important factor is that all willing students are able to earn a degree that will provide them with significant opportunity in the job market.

An effort by the current administration to show that education truly is the key to a bright future are Obama grants. Everyone from young adults to working mothers has a chance to go to college, by the allocation of a significant amount of money to pay for education.

So what’s holding you back? Take advantage of a $10,000 scholarship drawing. Registration is free if you visit http://www.scholarshipsformomsfinder.info/

Your Source For Information On Assisting Individuals With Disabilities

mentally challenged

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.