What Happens When You Tear 6th Graders Away From Their Gadgets For 5 Days

Want to know what happens when you take a group of 6th graders outdoors for 5 days without their gadgets? According to this article, researchers found that increased screen time could be having a detrimental effect on our children and their ability to read emotions. Two groups participated in this study. One group spent 5 days outdoors without electronics, while the other group maintained their original schedules.  Students who spent 5 days outdoors showed higher scores on emotional intelligence tests than their counterparts.

Someday I may have time to write my own blog posts. Until then, allow me to share this post I found today.

What Happens When You Tear 6th Graders Away From Their Gadgets for 5 Days 

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Coutesy of http://www.pics4world.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1200

 

Are We Babying Our Kids? Can Riskier Playgrounds Make Healthier Adults?

Some psychologists today attribute the rising frequency of childhood anxiety and depression to over involvement of parents. They say that mental illness and suicide is on the rise in children and teens because these kids are growing up without any sense of control in their own lives. They believe parents need to back off because risky play is crucial to the development of the part of the brain that controls emotions and judgment. In shirt, riskier playgrounds make healthier adults.

Others disagree saying we need more parental involvement. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a child to an accident or other trauma would agree. Read this blog entry  and decide for yourself. Are we hampering the development of our children by hovering over them, or is parent presence a necessity? You decide.

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Children taking risks? Harmful or helpful?

If you’ve come to this blog before, you know I follow a wonderful organization called Children and Nature Network. They post valuable information on the importance of getting children outside to experience the world. When I was 6, I remember walking to the town’s movie theater with my best friend Sue. We paid our money for the movie, bought some popcorn, and enjoyed a show. Could you imagine letting your six year old do that today? At what point does parental safety concern turn to micromanagement and control? This blog from C&NN brings to light the impact that having no free play time is having on our children.

My birthday weekend

Last weekend was my birthday, and my husband, knowing what I needed the most, carted me away to BEAUTIFUL Caddo Lake for the weekend. If you have never been to Caddo Lake, it truly is a Texas must-see. It is the only natural lake in the state, and hosts a unique ecosystem similar to the Florida Everglades. Our plan was to put our ski boat in the water and tour the many inlets of the lake, taking pictures of wildlife. True to form, our boat didn’t start. Luckily, the quaint lakeside cabin at which we were staying, came with a complimentary canoe and all required accoutrements. We set off on a two and a half hour excursion of the lake.

Here are some of the beautiful scenes my husband captured on his camera:

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I love to kayak. It instantly became clear that the next time we went to Caddo lake, we needed to bring our kayaks! There were so many places in the shallow lake that you could only reach with a kayak. (Want to try kayaking? Visit http://www.trinityriverkayak.com/)

Our second day, we rented a small fishing boat with a motor. We spent four hours on the water and were able to capture some amazing shots of wildlife. Here are my favorites:

These first two are pictures of Barred Owls. We enjoyed hearing these two hoot back and forth.

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Followed by snakes- I think Broad banded Water Snakes, but I am not sure, and a Prothonotary Warbler?

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This weekend is just what I needed! A little sun, a little nature, a little water, a little wildlife, and one on one time with my husband!

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