Holiday Cookies and Promoting Educational Skills

I love baking during the holidays. I especially like rememering my Grandma Harvey by baking her pecan puff cookies. At Thanksgiving while chatting about the benefits of cooking being both a life skill and a way to practice and enjoy education. Cooking is the onlylife skill I can think of that uses reading, math, science, direction following, and sometimes writing. This is why I think cooking with your children is so important.

If your child is struggling with fractions taking theminto the kitchen and working with them to mas a cake that is decorated with orange, clementine, or lemon segments by the time you have read and followed the receipe, peeled and segmented the fruit, and decorated the cake. Your child will have worked with fractions so mamy times they will have a better understandingg. especially if you take the time to point it our and ask questions. In addition, you will have spent undivided attenion whith your child and they can say at dinner they made dessert.

Cooking and baking with your kids works so well for extending their understanmging of how things  work.

Science Heat can change a liquid to a solid, A liquid to a gas and a solid to ashes.

Math Fractions or Doubling or Halving ingredients

Reading The receipe has directions for a list ingredients, what equipment is needed, and the steps for putting the food together.

Following Directions setting the oven temperature and following the steps of the receipe

Writing creating a receipe can be as fun and challenging as any puzzle. Kids who like say baking cookies  can work at adapating a receipe. Maybe they love peanut butter cookes and they wou8ld like to add honey rosted peanuts, or even try a different nut als together. This adds a challenge and fun to cooking.

Cooking is an important life skill. It makes life easier and even cheaper if you can cook at home. But, it is also a way to practice educational skills and develop self-esteem by making something that did not exist before. I encourage you to cook with your kids for all the above reasings. And frankly because it just fun.

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From generation to generation

For many years it has been my understanding that the Lord loves-- absolutely delight in Generations.  and psalm 33:11 he says this: 

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

I would go so honored and privileged this past Shabbat on November 9th to see that play doubt before me it was the bat mitzvah of a young lady in our synagogue. During the course of the service she heard her younger sister and her older sisters, their mother and grandmother all sang a song about how God blesses the generations. The Rassmuessens's   brought tears streaming down my face to see how G-d's people are able to know God and then to pass that love from mother to daughter, from mother to daughters; it just blessed me. The reason God dent me to the planet is to help adults to do just what I witnessed on Saturday. It blessed me.

Since September I have been teaching about work-life balance in combination with authenticity and just how important it is to be true to what you believe. Parents are the example for our children As adults children live out 85S% of what they observe and do int their homes. Thus, I encourage parents to be the living example what it means to be people of faith. It was obvious to me that thaos was a principle of the Rasmussen family.  They were together singing praise to the Lprd of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for their generations.

It reminded me of how blessed I am. My grandfather took me to church when I was 10-12 years old just as he took my mother. My father's father was a minister. The generation of my grandparents passed their love of Gpd tp me and my sister. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by thinking about from Adam and Eve Until the End of Time the generations that we will see. I often wonder if people in heaven will be wearing the clothes that were prevalent in their generation. I have concluded probably not, but it's still fun to think about. This brings me to the question and the purpose of my writing this blog.

You have a choice and your choice starts now. Because you do no have years to wait.

What kind of legacy do you want to pass on? Wha5t are you actively doining to pass it on today?

 The choice is yours you can be like the Rassmuessen"s you can pass your belief and your love of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob on to your children and their children and their children. It starts by deciding you're going to do so. You are going to read your Bible, you want to talk to your children about reading the Bible, you going to talk about God and what he expects of us, you are going to be the example for themm then will see you be the example for them teaching them to be the example for their children and --so on--so on. 

I believe that legacy has less to do with money and more than this. Becaise this the legacy that God expects us to leave. King Solomon said A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. Choose to leave an inheritance to your children and their children a legacy of faith. It is after a;; the most valuable inheritance you can leave them.

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Quality-time is a Myth!! Our Kids need Our Undivided Attention

Over the last week both the New York Post and Fox News reported that parents tend to spend more time with their phones than they do with their children which shows me the downward slope continues. I was alarmed by the findings a few years ago when Pew research noted that parent spend an average of 19 hours a week with their children and that included both discipline and general caring like bathing and feeding. Is it any wonder that the new Barna Research report that came out earlier this month shows that only 1/3 of young adults feel cared for by others?

The report says that Millineals and Generation Yers feel connected to the world on a global scale and are passionate bout what is happening out there. However, only 33% feel that someone they know personally cares about them and what is happening in their lives. This tells me that we as adults are failing to connect with our kids. When a whopping 66% feel disconnected in their lives I call that an epidemic. As a parent coach this has been my concern for many years as parents often talk about quality-time. Let me say this with as much honesty, straight forwardness and clarity as possible.

QUALITY TIME IS A MYTH THAT IS SENDING THE NEXT GENERATION INTO A SUICIDE RATE THAT IS THE SCARIEST IN HISTORY!

Our children are just plain lonely. It is so unfair to them. They tare not just accessories in our lives. They need real connection with their parents. Schools have become indoctrination centers where individual children are not important. Getting children into group think is.As a  person who is an expert in early childhood education I have seen what group think and grouping children together from an early age can do. We in our society are losing the value of the individual. It is time for parents and the church to get our heads of of the sand and begin acting in the best interest of our babies. The government not only can not do so they are not meant to!

So, what can be done?

• Limit your use of screens There is more and more research showing that interacting with screens are addictive. The interaction with screens stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. Many adults, teens and children are becoming addicted and this leaves those around them without the human interaction they need.

• Talk to your kids. As in have actual conversations with them right from birth and even before. Children especially those under the age of 5 need face to face interaction and communication. it is this communication that prepares them for literacy.Children need to hear 3 million + words to be ready to learn to read at age 5. This comes from conversations, cuddling to read books, bedtime stories etc.

• Do things as a family that does not include screens. Have a picnic at a local park and play games like tag and hide and go seek. Go on a hike and take lots of pictures you can scrapbook later. Start a family reading night. Where you read much loved children novels like Charlotte's Web, or Where the Red Fern Grows. Find a local festival to attend and talk to your kids about what this festival is focused on and why it is important.

• Make at least one night a week screen free night. Have everyone come in plug up and turn of their devices. Make dinner together. Sit down and talk about your day. Then either read your family book or play a boardgames.

• Listen, Listen, Listen Give your child at minimum 15 minutes a day of your undivided attention. Listen to what they have to say. Nothing makes a child feel more loved, accepted, and connected to an adult who they can communicate with openly, honestly, and with loving care. This is probably the number one question I get from parents. How do I get my children to talk to me? My answer make time to give them your undivided attention and do not just hear them listen to them and understand what they at re saying and why they tare saying it.

These five things are not the whole answer. However, they are things you can start doing today that will begin to curb the loneliness issue that is prevalent in our children's lives. I guess what I am trying to say is we are the solution we are looking for to create a space where our children are getting their need met and it takes lots of time and attention. The real problem is that quality time robs our children of what they most need and that is us!

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Becoming a Psalms 78:6 Parent!

Psalm 78:6 The Message (MSG)

6 Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come—Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, Never forget the works of God  but keep his commands to the letter.

Every Christian parent  hopes they are are raising children who will chose to serve God, and also teach their children to do so. However, achieving this goal takes far more than hope. It takes a steady and determined thought and behavioral pattern. There are four steps as outlined in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NASB).

6 (I)These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 (J)You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 (K)You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.9 (L)You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Be on your Heart

One of the important things about our faith is that we live what we say we believe. This is called acting justly. When we act justly our beliefs are just there. However, our relationship with the Lord is not simply what we do. It is about our daily interaction with Him. One mistake we make is to say that the Holy Scriptures is the word of God. The scripture only points to the Word of God. John 1:1 tells us that the word became flesh and dwelt among us Jesus (Yeshua) is the word of God. It is our relationship with Him that is  spoken of loudly in what say and do, in addition to the decisions we make. Most believers in the Messiah have no issue with this however we fail to follow the other mandates. Which leave our children in the dark. 

Teach them Diligently to your Children

Teaching is done in two ways first it is taught by observation. Children observe their parents; if our lives are speaking loudly of our relationship with the Word of God. Children are able to see and  copy what they observe. They do what we do. Children become better at being who we are than we do. The second way children learn is through discussion and parents asking open ended questions. Children need to think about their own values and their own relationship with the Word. So the question is are you diligently living out your relationship with G-d and are you constantly discussing and asking your children about what they think or believe. Do you ask you children what they think the scriptures mean?

Talk about the Statues

We are instructed to never cease talking about what G-d has to say, what, He means, and how we can live it out. Talking about how to live this life on a daily basis is an important part of what we are instructed by Deuteronomy to do on a daily basis. In modern vernacular when you get up, at the breakfast table, in the car, at work, at home, at our House of Worship, in the grocery store, etc. Please remember talking often takes place louder in how we act and react to a situation often speaks louder than what we say. Are you acting justly, loving  mercy, and walking humbly with G-d? Are you talking about what that means? How often do you talk about what is happening in your spiritual life? Do you talk to your spouse in front of your children? Do you invite your children to discuss what is happening in both your life and theirs? Do you study the scriptures as a family? How often do you discuss what the sermon was about at the service? Do you use that to lead family discussions on the issue? The goal is to talk about , pray and read together, and ask questions?

Signs and Reminders

This scripture tells us to bind things on our foreheads, tie reminders on our hands, and to put them on our doors and gates. In today’s world there are a variety of ways to do this. We have posters, paintings, t-shirts, plaques, throws, and a variety of other reminders we can place around our homes, offices, and automobiles. We all can have a variety reminders have you spoken to your children about why. My father was proud to be a Leo once he became saved and realized the error he was making and stopped collecting lions. Later, he realized Jesus was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He renewed his love of lions and our house became full of reminders which referred to Messiah as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I still have many of those reminders. They are reminders to me and will be reminders to my children they have a heritage of faith.

Ultimately, living the life of a Psalms 78:6 parent is about teaching your children how important it is not to just live a life pleasing to God. But, to pass it on to the next generation. Teaching our children to live out their faith in front of their children, and so on.

Why American Kids are Starving and Eating Three Meals a Day!

Few things in life have stirred my passion like the show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. I am an educator, with Type 2 Diabetes and Visual impairment because of it. One thing I have learned over the years is how important it is to know where my food comes from, how it is prepared, and whether those who cook it are using safe practices. It has become a passion as I have been on Dr. Mike Moreno’s 17 Day Diet. In addition, I just watched Nathaniel Jordan share the horrifying and overwhelming fact that our diet is actually the gateway drug that is leading to the issues that are greatly efecting our childrens bodies and minds from lack of nutrition. https://youtu.be/lQZmZ63jhxk

            

 I want every parent in America to stand up for their children. What we eat determines our quality of life. It is how our brain’s do or do not develop. Research is beginning to show that both Autism and ADHD are diet related. The kinds of high fat, high sugar food served in schools today are the exact foods that trigger the symptoms. Children and in fact all of us need foods that grow in the ground, on trees and not from factories.  Someone once said that “the love of money, is the root of all evil.” In the early 1900’s people sold plaster of paris as powdered milk. Now, in the early 21^st century; it is selling food that feeds the stomach, but not the body.

            

The very people who want to “educate” our children are poisoning them with the breakfasts and lunches they give them 180 days a year.  That is 360 meals a year to be exact. This means that your children are eating foods that keep them from being hungry, but do not feed their muscles, their brains, or their hearts. But, instead bring ill health and sluggishness to their bodies and minds. I believe that until parents get involved and demand that healthy, well-balanced, and less processed food are provided for school lunches. The prediction of the World Health Organization will prove true. Our children will live a shorter, sicker, lower quality of life than their parents and grandparents before them.

             

  There are six foods to remember our children need to feed their bodies and there brains. They should start on these foods as soon as they are off formula and ready to eat good foods. They can be remembered with a great acronym GBOMBS.

G- Greens B- Beans O-Onions M-Mushrooms B-Berries S-Seeds

These are the basis for a plant-rich, nutrient dense, body and brain feeding diet. Jamie Oliver, Nathaniel Jordan, Dr. Oz, Dr. Mike Moreno and many others are standing up and talking about the standard American Diet *SAD* and the damage it is doing to ourselves and our kids. Get them ona GBOMBS diet and keep them on it. Teach your kids to feed their bodies and their minds with real food!

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To Parents of NICU Babies: My Story

Many people believe that when a child is born and needs time the
neonatal unit they are destined to have a hard life. I can tell you
some of that very true but, some of it isn't. When I was born on
October 11th 1965 I would literally more than 6 weeks early. My
mother's due date was December 18th. I was born at 9 a.m. in the
morning I weighed in at 2 lb 5 and 1/2 oz and a nurse gave me
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for 2 and 1/2 hours before I breathed
on my own. The doctor came to my mother's room at 11 am to consle
her on my loss. He thought I was stillborn. He had no idea the n
urse had work so hard to save my life. He warned my mother that I
would probably be sickly and die at an early age.At that time as
an infant my mother couldn't breastfeed me for various reeasons
so my diet consisted of boiled and pulverized white rice, mashed
bananas, and weak tea. I would prone to seizures and also just
very sickly as a child.I was put on phenobarbital at that time
to prevent seizures and while there's not a whole lot to be
said the seizures I had as a child I can tell you that two
things resulted from being on phenobarbital. The first is the
medicine kept me awake. My parents would drive me around at
night playing classical music to get me to go to sleep. That's
I've been trained to fall asleep at classical music. I took my
Mom to see The Nutcracker; for her 70 birthday.My whole life
I've wanted to see the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy live and
I fell asleep. Ironically, the second issue also has to do is
sleep. Wen they took me off the phenobarbitol at age 5 my
mother said I slept for three days.

It is believed that most children who end up in the NICU
will end up falling somewhere on the of autistuc soectrum.
I learned that at a conference a few years ago. Since then I
have recognized that thus us true or me as Id sometimes
don't pick up on social cues. However, that hasn't
kept me from being very successful at the coach and the
teacher. Nor has it kept me from helping 10000 + parents
develop a stronger and more powerful parenting relationships
with their kids.

The lesson I'd like you to take from this is that even if
your children start out in the neonatal unit nobody can say
where they will end up. The key is to recognize that your
children may have some limitations. However, it does not mean
you should not have abd hold them to high expectations.
When parents believe in their children and place high
standards on what they can and should be able to achieve
within what ever limitations exist children work to get to
the highest level they possibly can. It is empowering for
children they believe in themselves because you believe
in them.

I promise you there will be many well-meaning professionals
in your life who will tell you that your child is going to
be limited in some way. But, I can tell you that in my case
the medical professionals were wrong. My mother believed
in me. She pushed me; held me to high expectations and
while I didn't always meet them. It was never because she
didn't believe in me. It is because of this belief; that I
firmly believe that it is my job to affect my generation to
be the absolute best parents they can be.

So, I want to encourage you. Pray tp the only person who
really knows why your child is capable of and what they've
been sent to the planet to do God himself. If you ask Him
to show you how to guide your child so that they can hit
the target that He has set for them and their lives. So you
understand the purpose, and the reason he sent them Earth
He will. More than likely a little bit every day you will see
something new and different and almost miraculous in your
baby, your child, the teen they become,and the adult
prepared to do the plan for which He sent them.

God gave you this particular child because He trust you to
struve through whatever difficulties or trials they may
have. So in the ehd they can to hit the ground running and
taking off to work int their generation and making a
difference in the world. You can do this! You have everything
in you to do this even if it feels like you don't!
It's there reach down deep pull it up and get on with it.
My parents did it in 1965 without all the help and
support parents have today to raise premature children.
You have help. you have a do you have support, There
are parent groups all over the world. You can start
by looking at this website Parent2ParentGA . If you
feel aneed to talk to me make no hesitation to reach
out to me my email address and educatepta@gmail.com.
I believe in you and I want you to do everything you
can to be the best mom and dad you can be.

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Conversation, Reading, and Education

Over the years many parents have asked me what is the key to my child being succeesful in school. I have given a variety of answers, however new research has changed my thoughts on this topic. The new research says:

1. Children need to hear 3 million words before they enter Kindergarden in order to be ready to read. (The words during screentime do not count, it is in person to person communication.)
2. Children need healthy social/emotional development to be able to properly engage in the classroom.
3. Children who can recognize and write thier name before they go to Kindergarten are ready to read.
4. Children need to read 8 million words from First Gradethrogh eighth grade inorder to do well and be ready to engage in the high school classroom.
5. Children need to engage in activities where they use math and math conacepts on a regular basis. The easiest ones at home is cooking, woodworking, and games like sudko.
6. Playing games like Junior srabble, Scrabble, Upwords, and crossword/word search .
7. The more children have discussions with others the better their ability to engage with language in real time conversations at school. 
8. Spending time as a family engaging in games, activities, and using teachable moment regarding lanugage and math, gets kids to practice almost without thinking about school. It gives them a better undersatanding of how school is really preparing them to live in the world.

Each of these eight areas can be a blog all on its own. So, over the next few weeks I will be taking each topic and creating a more expansive post for each. Let me just say this. There are two things you can do for your children to improve thier schooling. Read in front of them, read to them, and make them read at least one book a week, or a month if it is a chapter book. Chapter books you can actually read as a family; discuss what is happening in the story and talk about thoughts and feelings regarding the story. Which leads to my other thought talk to your kids, have conversations with them on a regular basis. Make it about interesting things that you like and share together.

1. Sports
2. Cooking
3. Hobbies
4. Cars
5. Fashion
6. Current Events
7. Vacations
8. Outings
9. Family Fun time or Issues
10. What you and they dream of having in your lives.

I guess you can see a theme throughout this blog reading and coversations are fundamental to supporting your kids education. It is a simple and as difficult as that.

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