http://school.discoveryeducation.com

You may have read a story about a boy who is 13 and is trying to reach the peak of Mount Everest. Here’s an article about it in thr NY Times. This young man is risking his life to stake the claim that he is the youngest person to ever reach the peak (his father is on the journey with him). Is it worth it? I suppose if he safely makes it there and back, he’ll sure think so. But soon after he celebrates, someone will come along and blow his record away. “Toddler Climbs Mount Everest Alone in One Week in Diapers.”

There’s another story about a young man named Adam Wheeler who allegedly faked all of his academic records (and claimed to have a perfect SAT score) to get into Harvard and obtain scholarships and grants. He allegedly lied about where he went to college and faked transcripts. He even falsely claimed to author and co-author a long list of books. His ability to fool the pros (for a while) gave him opportunities that should have gone to other authentically accomplished students. Rather than achieving, this young man seemed to be spending his energy scheming. Just imagine if he had put all this effort into actually doing well in school rather than lying! Was there pressure on him by his parents to achieve? How did they not know he was lying to get in? Is he just an extreme example of what the pressure can do to be the best and the brightest?

As a parent of a child who just graduated from high school and survived the college app process, I can tell you that competition among children is getting fiercer and fiercer. When I was graduating from high school, outstanding students never paid for college; they received countless scholarship opportunities. Now there are so many superstar students, not only do colleges not need to offer them scholarships, they don’t even need to accept them into their schools. Students graduate from high school today with a long list of AP credits, academic distinctions, perfect test scores, essay awards, thousands of community service hours, music and dance competitions and on and on.

When is there time to be a kid when you are spending so much time trying to be perfect? Attempting to be better than everyone else in some way? Does all this overachieving really pay off or is there a price to be paid for it?

This is a most unusual and fantastic book I reviewed for LA Parent – EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures by Roxie Munro. It will teach your child about the earth while entertaining her in the most unusual way!

1. How could 4 years fly by that quickly?
2. Wow, am I proud of my daughter.
3. 4 years of high school is long enough.
4. Why are the graduation speeches so boring?
5. I respect so many of my daughter’s wonderful teachers, and I want to thank them.
6. I wish I worked as hard in high school as my daughter did.
7. How many of my daughter’s high school friends will she still be in touch with when she graduates?
8. I am so excited for her future.
9. What wonderful things will she do with her life when she is done with college?
10. What on earth will I do when she’s gone?

Here’s my daughter’s high school graduation cake I made, honoring her soon to be college days .  .  .

© 2010 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

Click here to read last week’s comic.

Please check out my new article on Wandering Educators, “I Saw it in a Museum.” I wrote about my top 5, most inspirational  museum visits of all time. I think you’ll enjoy it!

My readers know I grow organic tomatoes and eat as many organic foods as possible. An article today in The Atlantic Monthly suggests that steering clear of toxins in our food is crucial in preventing cancer.

Organic food is indeed more costly than conventional, but I find that it lasts much longer in the fridge, tastes better and is naturally healthier. You can buy an organic broccoli from a farmer’s market, and weeks later it is still fresh. But buy a conventional broccoli from the grocery store, and it will go limp in a few days.

When we buy gallons of milk, we often don’t think about what the cows were fed or what chemicals and antibiotics are added to their diets and the milk itself. Should our daughters be drinking estrogen-induced milk? I think not. I insist on organic dairy products.

If we all stand together and demand more wholesome, hormone and chemical-free foods, we’re likely to get them. We’ll be healthier and our children will be grateful a they live to be older.

I reviewed an adorable, colorful book for LA Parent called If America Were a Village by David J. Smith. Your kids will learn statistics about America that are fascinating. They will love this, and you will love it too!

I designed and made a laptop tote bag for my daughter for high school graduation to hold her new Macbook laptop. I ordered a stack of 100% wool felt squares in autumn colors, washed them to shrink them, cut them into strips and sewed away. I even made a hanging cell phone case. The strap and lining were made from leftover corduroy I used cotton quilt batting between the layers for cushion support. If you are planning to attempt this, just know that it is difficult to cut 100% wool felt evenly, as it is squishy and moves around easily.

The project was time consuming, but well worth the effort! She’ll be the only student on her college campus with a bag like this!

Happy Mother’s Day!

www.hellasmultimedia.com

What makes a Mom a great Mom?

1. She puts her kids first (without the guilt).
2. She also takes care of herself.
3. She is self-confident.
4. She is giving to others as well.
5. She laughs a lot.
6. She can laugh at herself.
7. She is patient.
8. She is forgiving and accepting.
9. She is reliable.
10. She has a good work ethic.
11. She keeps her home as organized and clean as possible.
12. She sets out to avoid the mistakes her parents made.
13. She encourages the love of reading from day one of her child’s life.
14. She encourages her children to be curious.
15. She encourages creativity.
16. She supports their interests.
17. She provides a calm, n0n-chaotic home life for her children.
18. She makes sure her children feel safe.
19. She constantly shows them affection with hugs and words.
20. She makes her children feel special.
21. She praises her children when she should.
22. She sets a good example for her children. (Practices what she preaches.)
23. She provides healthy food and a healthy active lifestyle for her children.
24. She teaches her children to choose their friends wisely.
25. She is helpful to her children (without the guilt).
26. She spends quality time with her children in all stages of their lives.
27. She disciplines her children consistently with love.
28. She lets her children know there are consequences for their actions, both good and bad.
29. She does not spoil her children (in the sense that they become monsters.)
30. She does not teach her children to be materialistic.
31. She does not lie to them to protect them from life.
32. She does not criticize or belittle her children.
33. She encourages her children to talk to her about what is on their minds.
34. She knows when her children have something bothering them.
35. She knows when her children are not being honest.
36. She teaches her children to stand up for themselves.
37. She does not compete with her children.
38. She does not compare her children to others or expect them to be like others.
39. She fully respects her children.
40. She is understanding and fair.
41. She has realistic expectations.
42. She teaches her children to be independent.
43. She does not try to control her children.
44. She lets her children think for themselves.
45. She does not teach her children to be miserably competitive.
46. She does not expect her children to be perfect.
47. She accepts that she will make some parenting mistakes.
48. She worries about her children.
49. She wants her children to be happy and healthy.
50. She loves them unconditionally and equally.