MAKE A NOTE!! -- June 15th, 1999
CIRCULATION 2,171
A Free Twice Monthly Newsletter with (Hopefully) Useful Info on a Wide Variety of Topics
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 | Refrigerators |
| Summer Movies |
| Church and Kids |
| Learn 2... |
| Courtship Info |
| Standardized Test Results |
| Joke, Quote, Feedback, Back Issues/Samples, Subscription Info |
NOTE: Each entry has a suggested "POST IT..." location at the end. We recommend that you print out the newsletter, cut out each entry & post it at these locations to make it easier for you to find when you need it.
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Did you know that your fridge accounts for about 1/5th of your electric bill? AND there can be as much as a 65% difference among models in efficiency. So a highly efficient model that may cost you more initially will end up paying for that difference very quickly in energy savings. Top Freezer models (as opposed to side by sides, and bottom freezer models) tend to be more efficient and also less expensive. So if you need a new fridge, then this is the entry to post under your husband's nose. In the meantime, POST IT....on the back or side of your fridge.
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We are definitely in the midst of the movie season AND while I have talked about this very helpful web site before, we have added about a thousand subscribers since then & so hope you "old-timers" don't mind a useful repeat. http://www.screenit.com/ is a wonderful web site that reviews movies and videos in GREAT detail. They do have a newsletter (for you Juno readers), but unfortunately it is mainly just a notice of the new reviews on the web site. They will tell you of ANYTHING that might be objectionable in a movie like language, nudity, idiotic behavior (they call it something else :)), violence, etc. They also tell you whether they like the movie or not, but I find the details the most helpful, since I am the one who needs to make the decision on a movie for my family, and not some reviewer. POST IT....by your computer. For those of you on Juno, or something similar, I highly recommend the Preview magazine, for a sample call (972)231-9910, get the group subscription so it will be $12/yr instead of $33/yr, sign your friends up. Also for a good but rather limited (only 6 movies & 1 video at a time) source call 1-800-311-4222 for the Catholic Church's movie review line. POST IT....by your phone.
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Well, I may be opening myself up for some flame mail on this one, but it was requested by a reader. One of the great struggles of many parents is trying to get your child to behave during worship services AND actually get something out of it. This can be a problem for ANY kind of large gathering of people for instruction. Unfortunately many of the things we do (or in my case, did for a while) actually have the opposite end. While I do not have perfectly behaved children (does anyone?:)), I have collected what I think are some of the best ideas from assorted articles, postings, & wise moms that seem to work for people. But let's start on Saturday night. Do you let your kids stay up late on school nights? Then why do it on the night before worship? If a child is rested, they are much more likely to behave. Also how many of us display a kind attitude in the morning when we are rushing around the house, sometimes yelling at the kids to "hurry up"? So set out clothes and breakfast dishes the night before so that things will be little less hectic in the morning. On Sunday morning, make sure that a good breakfast is eaten, so that there won't be any whining of "I'm hunnngreee!!". Before worship, sometimes between Sunday School & church, make sure your child goes to the bathroom, gets a drink, and stretches a it. Now how many children go for more than 2 hours playing without going to the bathroom, or getting a drink? So they shouldn't need to do it if they have just gone before the service. Many children use this excuse just to get out of the service for a while (notice how it takes them twice as long when they are in the middle of a service as opposed to the minute it takes them when they are at play?). Not only are they getting into a bad habit to do this, but it also distracts others in the service. If a child says they need to go, and they went just before the service, then tell them to wait until it is over. Unless of course you are convinced it is absolutely necessary. But it shouldn't be necessary EVERY time. Don't go into the church too early when your child is still learning to be still. Sit at the back until your child gets into good habits, so they will be less likely to distract others if "discussions" are going on, or if the child needs to be removed from the service for a more extensive discussion. Do not bring in food or drink for the child. Again, this just gets them in the habit of letting their stomachs or food distract them from what is going on. Find ways to get them to pay attention to the service. If they are older, offer a special treat, perhaps a dessert if they can tell you on the way home what the sermon was about and maybe even how it relates to their lives. Even children as young as 7 can manage that. If the children are younger have them make a mark on a paper every time they hear a certain word, perhaps words like: God, Lord, Jesus, etc. Look up the verses in your Bibles and hymns as you sing & point out the words as they are read. Even if the children can't read yet they will soon start recognizing words and feel more involved in what is going on. They should have a Bible as soon as they are old enough, so they can look things up in their own Bible and feel more a part of things. An excellent children's study Bible is the New Adventure Bible, available in different versions. VERY young children can be asked to quietly color a picture of something in the sermon, but only with a pen and only QUIETLY. If you get into the habit of letting children color whatever they want unrelated to the service, looking at books that have nothing to do with the service, playing with toys that have nothing to do with the service, or laying down, climbing on the seats, rolling on the floor, etc, then they are learning that they don't need to pay attention. It also helps if the pastor, and I have heard of some that do this, will provide Bible verses, hymns and other info about the sermon a week in advance, so that you can study a bit before hand and make it more interesting to your child. Pastors who make a point to try to get the kids' attention during the sermon are also wonderful. Perhaps you could request some of these of your pastor. Getting your child to behave in church is a lot like trying to get them to behave at the dinner table, it just takes persistence. If your child misbehaves in church, then remove them, take them to an empty room in the building and discipline them, then go back into the service. They should not learn that if they create a big enough disturbance that they get out of sitting still. So if the child is creating too much of a disturbance, then take them to that empty room & make them sit in a chair (the way they would in the service) until the service is over. You may look at some of these ideas and think that I am crazy, but I have seen many families train 3 & 4 yr-olds to do these things, and you can do it too, if you just be consistent. If you have an infant, then get the infant in the habit of sleeping during the worship time by putting them down for a nap at that time every day & not just on Sundays. And for those of you with teenagers or older children who like to help in the nursery or toddler rooms...make sure this is truly wanting to help & not just a way to get out of worship. Believe me, when I was growing up I used it as an excuse and know many others that did also. So perhaps limit the teens to once a month, and give others the opportunity to volunteer also. And make Sundays special days with special meals, special desserts, perhaps even special toys that only come out on Sundays, or a Christian video or game night. It should be a day of celebration, not just a day of rules. But just like school, learning can only be fun if the kids learn to behave & follow the rules. And if you have read this & feel you could be handling things a little better, don't just drop it on your children. Give them a warning, or rather an explanation. Sometimes I will apologize to my kids if I realize that I have been allowing them to develop a bad habit with my poor discipline and will ask them to forgive me. Then I will explain how things are going to change and be different from now on, and how I expect them to behave. But hang in there for a month or 2 and I guarantee you will see a difference if you are consistent. POST IT...by your Bible.
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This is a fantastic web site (AND book, so keep reading Juno readers) where you can find detailed instructions with cartoon illustrations of how to do just about anything. I found a fix for a toilet leak that has been plaguing us for months and they made it very easy to understand. They have instructions on writing a thank you note, watering your lawn, fixing toilets, burping a baby, carving a turkey & much, much more. Check it out at... http://www.learn2.com/ And if you can't get to the web site they have a book called "The Learn 2 Guide: Burp a Baby, Carve a Turkey, & 108 Other Things You Should Know How to Do". It isn't quite as detailed as the web site, but is still very helpful. POST IT...by your computer.
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For those of you who are fans of courtship, or just interested in checking it out. Here are some helpful web sites. I don't agree with each one 100%, but then every family is different. The Courtship Connection site actually has a way for you to link up with other like-minded families in your area. If you can't get to the web sites, try Josh Harris' book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" for a start. By the way, he just got married. Jonathan Lindvall also has some wonderful audio tapes on the subject, and Focus on the Family. And for those of you who might think the whole courtship idea is an extreme, look at it this way, if you wouldn't want your child to marry the person they are dating, then why would you want them dating them? Try reading some of the material with an open mind. Especially the testimonials. Here are the web sites... http://www.boldchristianliving.com, http://www.christiancourtship.com/, and http://www.orednet.org/~mmackey/courtship.htm. A special thank you to Susan C. for sending me the Christian Courtship site. POST IT...by your computer.
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This is the time of year when many of you are getting results for the tests your kids took for End of Year or End of Grade testing. In our state, homeschoolers are allowed to administer the tests themselves with certain qualifications. And one advantage I discovered while testing my own kids is that you can tell whether your child really didn't know something, or was careless, or just mixed up. Test results should always be used, by parents AND teachers, as a tool, not as a statement of fact. If there were only 2 questions in a particular area & your child missed one, that puts them at 50%. Some questions are confusing, even I had trouble on some questions figuring out exactly what they wanted. Others may be just a matter of semantics, for example showing a picture of a couch, but only offering the word sofa as a choice, when your family has never used that word. I saw my children incorrectly answer questions that I KNEW they knew, and when I asked them the same question after the test they got it right. Some children are just not good test takers, so before those big SAT's maybe you can use the practice tests to give them more practice on test-taking itself. So take all those results with a grain of salt & don't panic. Good teachers and parents can usually figure out where a child needs more assistance in his studies. POST IT...???
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(Submitted by Susan C.)
Dog's Property Laws:
- If I like it, it's mine.
- If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
- If I can take it from you, it's mine.
- If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
- If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
- If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
- If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
- If I saw it first, it's mine.
- If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
- If it's broken, it's yours.
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QUOTE
(Submitted by Barbara S.)
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart."
--Excerpt of Testimony of Darrell Scott, father of two victims of the Columbine High School Shooting (his daughter was killed, & his son saw his friends killed)
For his complete testimony, go to... http://www.house.gov/judiciary/scot0527.pdf
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FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK
RE: Harry S Truman Quote
A big thank you to Bradley C. who wrote to tell us the story of Truman's middle name being only "S". His note follows... "I understand the initial "S" stood for both family names Shippe and another family name(that began with an "S"). If one family were to ask they would be told the name was associated with the inquirer. I also read that at one time Truman had signed a registry, and was asked to spell out his entire name, and he had written Shippe, and later it was erased to just show S but the remaining "hippe" could be made out. I'm no expert, just telling you what I recollect."
--Bradley C.
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Thanks again for making this newsletter a part of your life. Please forward the newsletter to anyone you think might be interested.
God bless,
Sharon ^i^
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