Online Learning

With the increased use of the internet and digitally enhanced products, it is no wonder that students today may be more prone to catch on in a digital environment as opposed to the traditional classroom environment. Distance education learning takes home schooling to a whole different level, and gives parents a viable option to some of the social challenges their children may face in a traditional school.

There are tons of program options for parents to choose from, including advanced level Science, Math and foreign language courses. I was also very impressed with the areas of the Language Arts curriculum that stressed the importance of Internet safety and etiquette, and plagiarism. They also place an emphasis on making sure that students are preparing for college and are being exposed to traditional curriculum requirements such as Classic Literature.

Online learning offers options for parents and students that need a flexible and uninterrupted schedule while ensuring that students continue to learn on the same level as their peers. Some of the online programs also offer online social communities where students can chat with one another, submit to discussion boards or school newspapers, join clubs, and attend cultural seminars. Online resources for parents allow them to have real time online access to student’s grades and upcoming assignments.
The most appealing aspect to me is that it allows for an individualized schedule for students. An individualized schedule allows students to explore a variety of specialized subjects and expand on their areas of expertise. This is especially important for middle school and high school students who may be trying to find their niche and focus on their future goals.

In today’s ever-changing environment, it is essential that parents allow themselves to be open to new innovations that may help their children grow and become more self sufficient. As a parent to a middle school child, it is exciting for me to discover that there are educational providers that care as much about my child’s unique goals and needs as much as I do.

Are We Ruining Our Kids?

My 12 year old step-son has been hounding me about getting him a cell phone. I remember the first day he came home and asked me, I thought I was hearing him wrong. Instead of hearing him say, “Can I have a cell phone”, I heard, “Can I ever call home?”… Why in the world would he ask me if he could call home? I mean, he surely couldn’t be asking me for a cell phone. Kids his age don’t have cell phones….Or so I thought. I soon found out that I was completely wrong, and that my son was in fact one of the few kids in his school that did not have a cell phone. I guess their parents found a reason for buying their kids these new toys, but my logic says, If you don’t have a job and a car you do NOT need a cell phone! What could possibly be so important in the life of a 12 year-old that he would need a cell phone?

Today its a cell phone, tomorrow it might be a Maserati. These kids today are spoiled rotten! And I blame us. We are the adults who have been showing them examples and making excuses for their frivolous needs. Somewhere along the line we began to show our youth that material things are worth more than character. It’s a sad site to see kids who would do anything in the world, including compromising their character, if it meant they were going to live lavishly. A feeling inside my heart makes me want to write a Dear John letter to every teenager in the world, and apologize for how we have created this ultra-materialistic world for them, only to leave them hanging.

Now I have to admit, I have been a pretty lucky girl…okay, maybe spoiled is the world. But in my day being spoiled meant you owned three Barbie dolls instead of one, and had two different sets of jumbo shoelaces to switch out during the week. When you turned 16 you got a job, not a Hummer. And if you brought home C’s and D’s, it didn’t matter how spoiled you were-you weren’t gonna get squat if your grades were horrible. If I have to endure one more episode of My Super Sweet 16 I might puke all over the television. What these kids don’t understand that having lavish things is a privilege, not a necessity. And there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting your kids to have a little more than you had growing up, that is as long as you provide them with lavish gifts and a dose of morally correct instructions on the side.

So what do we do as parents? Do we go along with the status quo and feed into our children’s extremely narcissistic desires to become the most popular kid in school, or do we withhold the cell phones and the car keys until they are old enough AND responsible enough to handle it. While I don’t want my child sitting alone at the lunch table or getting strung up by their shorts in the locker room, I hardly think that his popularity trumps my desire to make sure my child is a morally sound, respectable, and productive individual. I’d like to leave something monumental to this world besides my glorious sense of fashion. My advice for today’s parents…Dig deeper, your children will love you for it!

Can I steal it????

My husband and I have prided ourselves on being Weekend Warriors. We love having a house full of kids, but sometimes go crazy in the process of trying to think of fun activities to keep them occupied. This week the kids are on Spring Break, and I have found myself pulling my hair out every day since the weekend trying to organize play dates, keep the house clean, and keep my brain free of clutter.

Today I decided to take the boys along with me to the "mini" launch party for Her magazine; a local magazine in which I am a contributing writer. I thought it would be a nice little break from the monotony of the day, and a way for them to see the fruits of my labor up close and personal. The launch party was held at a little boutique here in town, complete with hors de oeuvres and great atmosphere.

All the ladies just loved the boys. Everyone kept talking about how cute they were, and how well mannered they were. I couldn't help but think to myself, "are these the same boys who just got in trouble for hanging stuffed monkeys from the ceiling fan and ripping them all to shreds?...are these the same boys who have tried so many times to 'take me out' and take over my house?" They couldn't be..These are perfect angels here. What a perfect day.

The launch party was great. They got to meet my editor, and see the new May issue of the magazine. We even picked out some great Mother's Day gifts for my grandmother. As we were leaving, Jonah (the baby of the bunch) saw a cute little piggy bank on the bottom shelf. His eyes got SO big, and he had the biggest grin on his face. He looked at me and said:

"Oooh!! Can I buy this?!"

"No," I said

"Well then," says Jonah, with his 3 front teeth missing "Can I STEAL it?!"

Talk about embarrassing! The whole store turned around and looked at me for an answer. With nothing left to do, I quietly hung my head in shame, waved goodbye to my editor, and escorted my future felons out of the store.
Ahh...children.

When the HELL did I start wearing sweat pants???!!!

This weekend, that's when.
I pride myself on being a Diva, and I love to look great. But there comes a time in everyone's life when we must all bow down and admit to being defeated. I would like to share my story of "defeat", and announce that I am now trading in my stilettos and skinny jeans for Timbs and sweat pants. All because 3 little demons that you people sometimes call "Children" tried to "take me out" this weekend. The story goes a little like this..

Saturday morning in the Billingslea household, and all is quiet. My coffee is great, and I am relaxing watching the news. I am interrupted by what sounds like an earthquake in my bonus room. I try to ignore the sound of the herd of children; that is until my windows start rattling-okay, now I draw the line..

Me: "Shane!!!! What are you guys doing?!"

Shane (the oldest demon, and out of breath at the moment): "Nothing"

Me: "Who's running?"

Shane (still out of breath): "No one"

Me: "Well then why are you out of breath?"

Shane: "Oh, we were just chasing each other a little bit"

Wow-excuse me for being the idiot who thought chasing people involved RUNNING. Silly me.

So I say my little speech, and go back to my room. At this point, I have warned them that there is to be NO running inside the house, no screaming to the person downstairs while you are upstairs, and no tying anything to ANY ceiling fan in the house whatsoever (that's another story..I will save that for later).

I guess I was talking to the wall because the earthquake continued. Even after taking away all of their video games and making them run outside, they were STILL giving me a run for my money. Then it dawned on me-These "children" are trying to take me out! What did they do, make a deal with a child mob boss? They want me gone, and they want me gone NOW. And the bonus room is obviously where they do all of their plotting. My husband is gone, and it is just me. I HAVE to protect my life.

About an hour later I hear this "Clank, clank. Clank, clank" coming from underneath my bed. At first I thought it was just me going crazy. Perhaps the "children" had slipped something into my coffee that morning, and I am finally going insane just as they planned. Although I feel as though this is just another ploy that the demons had plotted on, I decide to investigate anyway. I look under the bed to find my precious Georgie (a small demon with four legs and a tail) with his head rammed into a can of Raviolis. What in the world?! Has he sided with the enemy too? Time to approach the demons with questions..

Me: "Who had a can of Raviolis?"

Shane: "Not me"

Jonah (the littlest demon of them all): "Not me. I don't even like Raviolis"

Mike Mike (the middle demon): "I did"

Me: "Did you leave the can out?"

Mike Mike: "No."

Jonah: "Yes he did. I saw him."

Me: "Jonah, did you see Georgie get the can of Raviolis?"

Jonah: "Yeah."

Me: "Well, why didn't you say anything?"

Jonah: "I don't know. I just didn't."

I could see the joy in the little one's eyes as he smelled despair and defeat all over me. This was all a part of their plan. The dog is orange, I am pissed, and the "children" are now happy.
I make an attempt to collect myself and try to return my dog to a normal color, when...Thump. Thump, thump.."Waaaaaaa!!!!!" Oh man, someone is crying.
All 3 demons run down at once..One is crying, and one is holding his face on the verge of tears.

Me: "What happened?"

Mike Mike: "Jonah kicked Shane in the eye!"

Me: "What?! Did you do that?"

Jonah(emphatically): "Yeah!"

Me: "Why?!"

Jonah: "Because we were playing and I got hurt."

Me: "Well, did you start the game first?"

Jonah: "Yeah, but I'm still mad cuz I got hurt."
So you kick someone in the eye.That's great
As I stand there looking at all 3 demons, my orange dog, and a kitchen that looks like a bomb hit it, I realize that they have won. This is what they wanted all along. Doesn't matter what I want. Not at all. Doesn't matter that my plan to was to put on a cute pair of skinny jeans and a top and go for coffee with Crystal. Does not even matter that I have been trying to get out of these sweats and into my skinny jeans all morning. Not a bit. And forget about the fact that I have been cleaning since 10am and the house is still dirty. I know its only 3 now, but is there a liquor store close by?

I have always prided myself at being good at handling "children", but I have learned that little demons will win every time. Perhaps since I am new to this, I have not grown that extra pair of eyes in the back of my head yet. Maybe they only appear after you've become a Grandma.
So, I am admitting defeat. And trading in my skinny jeans for sweat pants. I guess we are still not "There" yet.