Day: April 26, 2006

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Parenting – The Ultimate Test of Mental Fortitude

So how do you react when your 9 year old child disappears for 2.5 hours? You know he went to a friend’s house but he didn’t come home on time and you are certain of his location because the friend’s house appears empty.

So he returns home and you try to remain calm but long ago the emotions built yup and you want to give him what for! But you hold it together while he describes that he went to another friend’s house; a friend you don’t know and who’s parents you’ve never met.

Simple rule at our house: Let us know where you are. That is, if you change houses, tell us; call, shout, come home first, send a smoke signal but let us know and make sure we got the message.

Here is where parenting becomes art. At the moment a child stands before you and like wet clay on a table, he begs to be molded. At this time, a child that was self-initiated to find himself something positive to do with his time waits to see if you teardown his self-confidence and instill the seeds of doubt with regard to making his own choices. So do you 1) yell and scold or 2) tell him "good job" and ask that he call home next time. Sometimes, with emotions churning, it is hard to do the latter and so wrong to do the former.

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Definitions

lec·ture Pronunciation Key (lkchr) n.
1. An exposition of a given subject delivered before an audience or a class, as for the purpose of instruction.
2. An earnest admonition or reproof; a reprimand.
teach Pronunciation Key (tch) v. taught, (tôt) teach·ing, teach·es v. tr.
1. To impart knowledge or skill to: teaches children.
2. To provide knowledge of; instruct in: teaches French.
3. To condition to a certain action or frame of mind: teaching youngsters to be self-reliant.
4. To cause to learn by example or experience: an accident that taught me a valuable lesson.
5. To advocate or preach: teaches racial and religious tolerance.
6. To carry on instruction on a regular basis in: taught high school for many years.
nur·ture Pronunciation Key (nûrchr) tr.v. nur·tured, nur·tur·ing, nur·tures
1. To nourish; feed.
2. To educate; train.
3. To help grow or develop; cultivate: nurture a student’s talent.
par·ent Pronunciation Key (pârnt, pr-) n.
1. One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother.
2. An ancestor; a progenitor.
3. An organism that produces or generates offspring.
4. A guardian; a protector.
5. A parent company.
6. A source or cause; an origin: Despair is the parent of rebellion.

[Source]

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I juggled..punish me now.

Last night I juggled with the Knoxville Juggler’s Club. Excellent people! Very talented jugglers. I had a blast and when I came home I permitted myself some tv time with the wife, helped the beligerent 7th grader write an important speech for student council elections, then took a cat nap that lasted most of the night.

Now comes the punishment. My body isn’t sore like last time…at least, not yet. But I woke to find my Linux development server being uncooperative. Doesn’t want to find the network. Could be a bad nic. With the deadlines I have this week I can’t afford a moment’s downtime! Muuuurph!

Update: Dev server seeing network again!

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Blogmarks

Sometimes I read something I want to save for later but bookmarks in a web browser do not cut it. Often I am not on the computer where I will need the reference later. Ergo, blogmarks!

In today’s blogmarks, we have How to see in the dark which I mark not for the information but rather to grab the rss feed when I am back downstairs. I like comparing these DIY pages. Speaking of, Make: (which I looove! Next issue should be coming out soon. Thank you Carmat!!) is coming out with a new magazine called Craft:.

Next up, 450+ helpful freeware utilities. I blogmark this not because I want to jump in and use these utilities. I don’t trust them! However, I troubleshoot enough computers and do enough geeky things that I may find this a good reference. Someday I’ll look them over.

Brings us to the New York Times, Students Searched Without Warning

the new searches would be used to confiscate not only weapons but also an array of “dangerous instruments,” as well as cellphones

Oh yeah, get those dangerous cell phones!

He advised any principal whose school faced the surprise searches to postpone any tests scheduled for first period. “Give the exam the next day,” he said.

Way to put the importance on education there Bloomberg!

And the final blogmark, Portable DVD player to include slot for Gameboy Advanced games.