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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Thirteen things I'd like to know

1. Do we REALLY have a right to hear Alec Baldwin's private conversation with his daughter, even if it IS shameful?

2. How do we as parents guard against this kind of icky materialism? What do I do with an eleven year old who BEGS to go to the mall because all of her friends LOVE shopping and most of them have much more money than she does?

3. Is it really necessary for my kids to practice a lock-down at school? Does a handful of shootings in the last few years REALLY warrant that kind of paranoia? Or am I just being a naive parent?

4. How can a person POSSIBLY keep her house clean when it's Springtime outside?

5. Why is there so much disposable stuff in our culture? What will it take to wake us up and start insisting that manufacturers make stuff to last so our landfill sites don't choke out the earth?

6. Where can I sign up for the Yann Martel book club? Will Stephen Harper really read those books? Perhaps at least the brilliantly written letters?

7. Is it better to push my girls to continue piano lessons under duress or let them quit when they want to?

8. What's another word for solidarity that doesn't have the same political baggage? (This is a serious question - I need it for an ad campaign at work)

9. When will my children realize that begging for things the minute I walk in the door does not usually make me want to grant their requests?

10. Why do I feel like eating ALL the time?

11. Why oh WHY did I let Marcel sign me up as a volunteer soccer coach for the Tiny Tots? Have I lost my mind?

12. When will I get a chance to take another pottery class? Or an art class? Or join a writers' group again?

13. Why am I blogging when it is beautiful outside and I should be hanging out with my children?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

RE piano - I've met scores of adults who are sorry they quit, and only one who is sorry her parents made her continue, so that's what I'm basing my enforced torture on.

Anonymous said...

I can answer the piano one too -

My mom let me quit after 2 yrs of piano and now as a grown-up I TOTALLY regret it and have asked her "Why"....her answer "because she was tired of fighting me about it."

But - I wish she had. and now, who has time to retake piano lessons?

Springtime - it's either the flowerbeds,garden, or house. Take your choice...my house wont be clean until fall.

Alana LaGrange said...

I have piano lessons set up in my E-mail for blogs etc. and had to respond.

oshee said...

Solidarity: Togetherness, Harmony, unity

just a couple of suggestions.

Piano-- I never wanted to quit..but my piano teacher moved and since I didn't beg for it (I was using begging energy for dance lessons), I didn't continue. I wish I could play better.

I have an eleven year old daughter too. Who ever told them they could grow up and be teenager-like didn't get my approval first. heh. It is tough to fight the friend element isn't it.

Alana LaGrange said...

I saw your publication and as a teacher had to respond. I own a piano teaching web site (http:musicandyou.com)and have taught piano in a studio, so here it goes.

GET ANOTHER TEACHER. If your girls were learning some music theory, chords and arranging, they would like the piano. Teachers do not realize that if they do not expand their music education program, children and adults will quit. I add all of the techniques learned in classical music into blues, boogie, and fun songs and my students loved the piano and usually ended up loving classical music as well.

I think performing is also important. If your girls could each play 2 songs they like, and sound good, you could invite their friends or family and make a big deal about their playing, then they would be so proud and have the attention they deserve for their hard work.

If this doesn't work, then they should quit. I didn't like to be forced to do things for my parents either. Try another teacher and do whatever you can to make them feel special, and see what happens.


If you have any questions will be glad to help you

Hope said...

#4 impossible
#11 and why do I have to do all the organizing when my husband volunteers himself!
#12 I love clay
# 13 log off lady.

Linda said...

Alana is right. Find them a teacher who will teach them how to play the fun stuff. And in the meantime, buy them books with popular songs that they can play. They are out there.

Gina said...

I'm with you on the last one, Heather!

Anonymous said...

1. I thought the same thing.
3. Yes it does because we have to be prepared now. I want our kids to know what to do.
4. EXACTLY!
7. Duress is good for them. They will be thankful later. My Mom let me quit and I regret it.
9. Olivia fixes me a Diet Coke and CLeans the Kitchen before I get home. THEN she begs. I wish she would teach this trick to Austin.
10. Reeces Peanut Butter cups are terrible terrible terrible to have in bulk.
11. I heart Marcel.
12. In Season.

As you can tell I always have something to say. =)

BarnGoddess said...

1 Mr. Baldwin should be ashamed of himself.

7. I quit piano lessons after 2 years when I was 10yo, it is one of my BIG regrets

10 mee too!! I think Im a food addict

Liz said...

Soidarity: Here's 4 possibilities with synonyms depending on how you are using the word:
http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/solidarity

I regret quitting piano too (around 6th grade), but at the time I was determined to quit and wouldn't even consider staying. I often wonder if I had a different teacher...?

Anonymous said...

#2 Truly, when I was her age my friends & I window-shopped. The young teens I see at the mall these days usually have bags that prove they spend money there.

#8 alliance? unanimity? affinity? consonance? empathy? concordance? commonality?
I don't think there is a better word than solidarity.
I associate it with our baptist union's Solidarity Sunday, so to me it doesn't have such political undertones.

#10 and why don't I ever feel like eating fruit?

Anvilcloud said...

#7 is a question for the ages. Maybe you just know, and some it is based on talent, I suppose.

#8 Teamwork? Togetherness? Tough one.

#9 Maybe when you tell them. Maybe not.

#10 I have a hiatal hernia that often makes me think I'm hungry. I feel better with food inside. Is it possible?

#12 When the kids are older, to some degree you'll be able to focus on you again. But if you're feeling empty, do something soon, even if it's just a little bit.

#13 Because our words are important.

Pamela said...

7) make them continue. My daughters all say "WHY DID YOU LET ME QUIT, MOM"

8) Unity

no answers for anything else