bullying, parenting

The next step in bullying

I have stayed away from politics this whole time, because I don’t feel like my political opinion is either right or wrong, however, I do feel that there is a right or wrong to bullying!

trump_protest_0_1478881698Now I don’t care which side it is, or who is getting bullied. It is not right. When Trump was running he was very bad at his Tweeting and many people called for his Twitter account to be suspended. He went after women, minorities, war vets… it didn’t matter. It is the reason why so many people are so upset about his presidency.. and I get that. He even said that had he lost he wasn’t going to go away quietly.

Everyone couldn’t wait for the election to be over. Most people just felt like he would disappear into the ether and that would be the end of it. (I say most people because technically Hillary won the popular vote.. so more people voted for her, and there were other’s who either wrote in or voted for another option). But with the results as is.. he did not go away, and will not for at least 4 year.

That being said, he won, and we have to learn to except this arraignment. I’ve read many people saying that it’s white privilege that allows me and others to say this and that people of color have more to fear. That may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is the President. Now, personally, I’m terrified of some of the changes that may happen. I’m terrified of the precedent that has been set that it’s OK to “grab them by the pussy”, but what mostly scares me is that the bullying is spreading. On both sides.

Hillary said that Trump not excepting the results of the election was horrifying, but now, the results are in and the same people that were supporting her comment are protesting said results. This is not actually helping anything. It’s just adding fuel to the fire. Twitter is actually declaring that it has to start cracking down on hate speech and bullying! Twitter, the site designed to share 180 characters of “what I had for lunch”.

I get that people are angry. I get that people are scared. But as Michelle Obama said, “when they go low, we go high”. Bullying others only gives their side more credibility. Trump made many promises, some of them good, some of them disgusting, m7912564-16x9-2150x1210ost of which have to pass though congress before it can be accomplished.. what’s important now is that the WORST of his campaign, the hate, the bullying, and the anger needs to stop. If you want to
make a change… if you want to Make America Great Again.. that starts with you. Get involved in local politics. Help out at local shelters or other charities… donate your time and money to helping the next generation be less hateful… You’re not going to change Trump’s mind. You’re not going to change the minds of his supporters. You can only change your own actions. And I for one would rather talk about the good in the world, than focus on the HATE!

parenting, Uncategorized

What do you think about a better life?

Self talk has to be one of the most important things that we do to and for ourselves. A lot of people poke fun at affirmations or positive thinking. They think it’s a woo woo science and that it’s all just a gimmick. Ironically it has been widely recognized that emotional abuse to a child is a real thing.

If a child is raised in a household where he/she is continuously told that they are bad, or downloadugly, or useless or whatever negative things they are bombarded with they will usually grow up to have low self esteem, behavior problems, not do as well in school, get into drugs… this is all classic text book science. Children are regularly taken away from parents who abuse them emotionally, or they spend countless years and dollars on therapy as they get older.

If a woman is in a relationship with a man and she is constantly being undermined. If she is told that she doesn’t do anything right, that she is horrible, and stupid and ugly and she should feel lucky that the man is good enough to be with her.. that is abuse… she would be told to leave a relationship like that immediately.

As a mom we are told to encourage our children whenever possible. And not just generic encouragement like “good job!” but specific detailed encouragement like, “you’re a very good listening”, “you did a wonderful job cleaning up” and so forth. We are told that speaking to a child like this over and over will help them have higher self-esteem and grow into better functioning adults.

So why is it that people think that the things that we say to ourselves don’t matter? When I was younger I can remember always saying, “I’m tired” all the time. My father used to get so annoyed by that… “of course you’re tired… you keep telling yourself that you are”. imagesIn my tween years I would write on my books “I love Billy” or whomever.. over and over.. and my dad would point out that it was a form of brainwashing.

BRAINWASHING… think about that… what we tell ourselves over and over we are actually brainwashing ourselves to believe. So… if we are always thinking.. “I’m fat.. I’m ugly.. no one will ever love me” guess what our brains are going to believe? Our minds are very powerful things. They control almost everything about ourselves. From our actions to our hormone levels. If our brains believe that we are fat and useless, what do you think will happen to our metabolism? What do you think it will do to our cortisol levels?

We as humans are our minds.. we are our souls.. we are what’s on the inside. If we are constantly abusing ourselves we will become the victims of our own creation.  It takes practice… it takes work.. but we can create a better life with better thoughts. Thoughts lead to action, action leads to change

bullying, parenting

That’s not bullying.. that’s assault!

This is not a typical whiny old person rant… I am dead serious. What is wrong with kids today. I just read an article about a 10 year old boy who was set on fire by one of his classmates. SET ON FIRE!!! How does that happen? Who in their right mind thinks that it’s ok to SET SOMEONE ON FIRE?!?!?!

kaydenI just don’t get it. I have never been one of those people who was all up in arms about bullying. I’ve never approved, even as a kid, but always kind of thought that it was a right of passage. I grew up in the 80s when kids were stuffed in lockers and lunch money was taken. Classic bullies like you saw on TV. I always thought they were jerks, and my dad always taught me to stand up to a bully and that “nothing hurt like a punch in the nose”. It really was kid stuff.

Setting someone on fire is not kid’s stuff. Nor is pouring superglue on someone’s head and causing burns, nor is shooting up a school. I just don’t understand what has happened. I had to go to an “Active Shooter Drill” at my son’s preschool this past week. Seriously?!?!? This is the new generation?

I am not even sure who to blame for this. Some are blaming parents, some the media, some the parents for letting their kids watch the media.. there’s movies and video games and all the like, but really? My dad grew up watching cowboys and Indians, he didn’t blaze through the school with a shot gun. I grew up watching Star Wars, I didn’t run through the town with a blaster… though at least if I did, I wouldn’t actually hit anyone.

Violence is not a new concept in entertainment. Before movies and TV there were books4c0e85d8762200be32f31f1c6f5c61c7 and stories. Death and destruction was par for the course. Have you ever read the true Grimm fairy tales? I had nightmares from Edgar Allen Poe, there was Shakespeare and Homer and on and on… but there has never been such a violent generation.

The scary thing is violence isn’t just the bullies, the victims are seeing it as their only way out. Most school shootings are perpetuated by those who were bullied and then there’s the suicides, which is violence to ones self. Just google “kids commit suicide for bullying” and pages come up. And these aren’t angsty 16 year-old’s, they are 13, 11 and even 9! At nine I was still playing with dolls! How can this actually be reality?

People talk about the mental health system failing, but these kids have barely hit puberty. They’re still getting stickers from their pediatrician for being a “good boy/girl”. Are we going to have to start psychological testing in pre-school? I am normally not one to blame parents. I understand how difficult it is. I am a single mom. I was raised by a single dad. No one can be there 24/7, but come on, you have to see something. I’m not saying it’s the parents fault that the child has killed other’s or themselves. I’m saying that we, as parents, are the first line of defense.

If you see that your kid is moody, or withdrawing, or having trouble you know it. Don’t just pretend it away. If you hear about your kid being nasty or mean to other’s step in. Don’t just assume that “kids will be kids” because kids are not kids anymore. They are lost and disturbed. If you don’t have the answers, that’s ok, that’s not your job.. but talk to the teachers, talk to the guidance counselor at school Most people have insurance today, therapy is covered.

I understand that there is a stigma behind therapy and people don’t want to feel or be treated like there’s something wrong with them… but that has to stop! Even if you, as the parent start going to a family therapist first for ideas on how to help your child and then ask your child to join you. Then they will think it is more about you than them. I, personally started my son in therapy about a month ago and he’s only 3. He has been through a lot of loss in his short life (my father, who we lived, with passed away, and my son’s father is not very consistent). When it was time for my son to start pre-school I wanted help with how to deal with the separation anxiety that he was going to experience.

It is pretty much common knowledge that most bullies are just people with their own self-esteem problems who are trying to make themselves feel better by putting others down. It 12033164_499509056920652_6337032704963096023_n-600x800is clear that we, as a nation, are not raising strong independent kids with healthy self esteem. Bullying, violence, drugs, suicide… these are not “normal” childhood behaviors. We need to stop letting society, the media and video games take responsibility for our children’s actions. Again, I’m not blaming parents, I’m encouraging them to help. Teach your kids right from wrong, if you don’t feel the TV is helping, shut it off. If you see your kid being a little ass, correct the behavior. Not just with punishment, but ask them why they treated someone that way. Talk to them about empathy, and sympathy…

Parents are not just there to feed and shelter our children to ensure they live to adulthood. We are there to raise high functioning members of society so they can contribute to, not just consume from society.

parenting

Taste the rainbow!

OK, I may get a little flack on this one, and I’m alright with that.I’m sure you’ve all seen the post about the mom who was “snack shamed” for sending her kid to school with Oreos, and I get that as parents we have the right to feed our kids what ever we want. But here’s the thing. School is a place where we go to send our children to learn things, and fist of all, learning good nutrition is also important, but on top of that it has been regularly proven that we learn better when we can concentrate. When our blood sugar levels are all over the place we can’t.

SONY DSC

I’m not saying that an Oreo now and then is going to kill you, but these teachers are dealing with 20 kids in their class, and the last thing they need is 20 maniacs running around from a sugar rush, and then crashing and not being able to focus or listen.

And yes, I understand that the new cool thing is to accept everyone no matter how unhealthy they are, but learning good habits as a child will help them become a more healthy adults, who may actually live to see their own children grow up. Obesity is real people. Diabetes, heart disease these are not made up conspiracies by the fruit and veggies market. These are real diseases that are killing people.

Now I understand that fresh fruits and veggies can be expensive for some and that buying the cheaper chips and cookies are easier, but let’s think about that for a moment. I’m not willing to put a little extra away to buy even raisins to help my child stay healthy… in other words KEEP MY CHILD ALIVE LONGER.

Sugar really is evil. There is study after study about not just how it affects our moods anddownloadjf energy levels and concentration, but also our long term health. Sugar is worse for our bodies than most fats, and most of the cookies and other junk foods aren’t even made with real sugar and natural fats, they’re made with high fructose, partially hydrogenated garbage that increases cholesterol levels, plays havoc with our blood sugar levels and even gives us acne… as if health problems weren’t bad enough!

Cutting sugar isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible either. There are plenty of places to go for help, and plenty of real snacks to take the edge off. In fact, research shows that as one starts to cut out the sugars and salts from ones diet they crave it less, and I have found that my taste buds have grown so that real food’s flavor actually intensifies.

So the next time you get all bent out of shape because someone dared to put your well-being  before your wants, try to remember what your job is as a parent, and be as good to yourself too.

parenting

How do you talk to yourself?

I had an interesting conversation with a friend recently. This is one of those friends who is an amazing person but has extremely ow self esteem about everything. He’s the type who loves to make self deprecating comments and jokes and thinks that he doesn’t deserve anything good.

We were discussing my 3 year old son and how big he’s getting. I told him that everyone from other moms to his pediatrician comments on how strong he is. How he is very muscular even at his age. I said that he gets that from my side of the family, as his father’s side is slim, and tone, but not really bulky muscular.

His response was, “wow, that’s not cocky at all”. I was so confused by the statement. My comment wasn’t cocky, it was a biological fact. My side of the family is very broad and muscular and my ex’s is not. My brother is 6’6″ and did wrestling and football all through high school and college… that’s just the way it is. My ex is 5’9″ and wears a small-medium sized shirt. He’s not scrawny, just not bulky, and I’m not cut and defined, I just have a high muscle build. In fact, the high muscle concentration has been a problem for me as a girl and now as a woman. My scale and BMI are very misleading, as even when I was thin, my numbers said otherwise. It took me years to understand the difference.

8392d6b5d575384417308b7ac7a83413I started out a little offended by what my friend had said to me, but then I realized that it wasn’t about me at all. It wasn’t about my son. The comment was about my friend’s own person self esteem issues. He had been trained, either my himself or parents, or others, that complimenting any aspect of yourself is a fault. That you mustn’t “pretend” that you’re better than others, or point out or even accept your good qualities.

This friend has been looking for a new job, and myself and others have been telling him to go for this one or that one.. and he won’t. He doesn’t feel he is good enough, even though he is plenty qualified. He spends his time hoping for a brighter future, while constantly talking badly to himself about himself. I feel bad that he treats himself that way. He is a great guy and deserves better. The irony is that if he ever heard anyone speak to me the way he speaks to himself, he would probably knock them out.

People have to understand that self talk is the most important talk. We need to feed ourselves GOOD messages about our strengths, our bodies, our souls. We create our own lives. If we hear of a parent verbally abusing their child there is outrage and we understand the parent is creating havoc with that child’s self esteem. How come no one ever thinks the voices in our own heads do the same?… only we can’t walk away from that.

Uncategorized

It’s so not my fault

So… it’s official. I have a thyroid condition. Ugh… I’ve never had a “condition” before. At least I never knew that I did. Apparently my records indicate that I was tested a decade ago for hypothyroidism, but the doctor never told me or did anything about it. Anyway, now I have it and now I am… ON MEDICATION… as previously mentioned this is not a thing that I wanted, but also nothing that can be controlled by diet and exercise (according to my doctor, if weight-loss-diet-with-juicing-toning-plans-up-for-gym-56403you know of anything otherwise… please let me know).

The one thing that I will not do is blame my poor health choices on a gland. Yes, it may make things more difficult, but it doesn’t tie me to the couch or shove ice cream in my mouth.

I have an appointment to go back in a couple months to see how I’m doing. So far I haven’t noticed a real difference in my energy levels, but I’m starving all the time. So… yeah, not helpful. I’ll give it the couple months and then re-evaluate at that time. I also need to research how this condition can affect me if not treated. It doesn’t seem to be life threatening, so if it’s just that my metabolism is a bit slower and I’m kinda tired.. I got coffee to handle both of those things.

I’ll keep you posted….

coaching, Health

I need a new drug… or not

I am proud to announce that all of my hard work is paying off. No I am not a size 2, but I went to my doctor’s and my bad cholesterol is down FORTY points… yes, you read that correctly 40! And my good cholesterol is up 3 points. Also, though my blood pressure was never really high, it is still better than it was.

10310400-largeI have to say this feels like a huge accomplishment. Most people I have read about and come in contact with don’t bother to try to get healthy. They just pop a magic pill. Their cholesterol comes down, and they feel like they are doing so much better after. I never understood that. You’re still 50 lbs overweight, but you take medication with major side affects that could harm you, but hey… at least you can still eat pizza whenever you want and feel like crap all the time… so go you!

I have been very open to admit that my health was not always my top priority, but I have always tried to be at least a little active. I love taking my walks and hikes in the woods with my dog, but now that I have been actually up and really working out… getting my heart pumping and eating foods that make me thrive instead of just survive it’s like a whole new world.

I’m so glad that I chose this route. I know that I could have joined the masses and in-cholesterol-oil-Minnesota-St.-16125medicated myself to death. But that’s not the life I want to live. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some medication is actually necessary. My dad was a diabetic… there was no getting around taking insulin. There are also lots of people with a genetic predisposition to things like high blood pressure, or cholesterol. My brother had a friend who’s very fit and a vegetarian and still has in the 300s… but for most of us, we need to think beyond the numbers, and start thinking about overall health. This is the only body we get. Now I’m just waiting on the results of my thyroid tests… wish me luck!

parenting

Anything GO should be a good thing

I am not getting the whole Pokemon-Go outrage. I see blog upon blog and meme upon meme about how stupid it is, how dangerous it is and how it should just be band! Seriously? It’s a game. Remember games? Things people do for FUN.

508800-pokemon-goParents are in an uproar because there are stories about kids breaking into buildings and houses and getting shot at or other kids not looking where they are going and walking into a street and being hit by a car. I’m sorry, how is this the game’s fault?

Remember when you were a child and you’d be playing ball in the neighborhood and you’d accidentally hit the ball into the neighbor’s house? Would you go breaking and entering into the house to retrieve the ball? No, of course not! Remember when yodownload.gifu would be riding your bike and laughing with friends? Would you not pay attention to the cars on the road because you were too busy chatting? Maybe… but if you got hit, that was your fault.. not Huffy’s.

This game is great! This game is getting stationary kids and young adults who have spent years with their ass on the couch up and moving… going outside even! Interacting with other human beings IN PERSON! Who knew that this was still possible?

In a era when Facebook and snap-chat are the only way people are staying connected. In a time when online has become the new pastime, having a game that actually gets people moving and socializing face to face seems like a Godsend. How about instead of finding fault with a product we tell our kids and friends to smarten up and be careful. Sadly, they probably don’t understand that there are factors outside of themselves because they have spent so long inside alone… it’s games like Pokemon Go that can get society back in action.. and I for one applaud the whole concept.

Health

Exercise is for losers

Morning-exercise-on-an-empty-stomach-should-you-do-it-or-not-

I read the most ridiculous article in the world the other day. It was all about how exercise doesn’t help you lose weight. That was actually the title of the article. Seriously! This is what people are writing about? This is supposed to be helpful? Telling people there is no point to exercise because it takes a lot of exercise to burn calories. That’s the theory. If you have to work out for an hour and only burn off one piece of pizza it’s just not helpful. Well, is it better to NOT burn off the calories?

The other part, that seemed to have been forgotten, is that exercise boosts metabolism, builds muscle and  increases endorphins, all of which helps to not only lose weight, but also makes you actually feel better.

Exercise also helps with things like cholesterol and blood sugar levels. That’s why I started my exercise routine. After my father passed from complications from diabetes and I got the news from my doctor that my cholesterol levels were all wonky (bad too high, good too low), I knew I had to do something. I signed up for boxing classes, and my whole world started changing. As well as my perspective on health and weight. I was working out pretty consistently for about 2 or 3 months and feeling really discouraged because I wasn’t really losing any weight. I was talking to my boyfriend and he reassured me that he could definitely see a difference in my body. I decided to re-take my measurements and I was shocked. I was down about 3 inches in both my waist and my hips.

fat-vs-muscle-5719b712c0afbdfb040bc4e5I always knew that muscle weighed more than fat, but it didn’t occur to me that the reason I wasn’t actually “losing weight” was because for every lb of fat I was losing I was gaining a lb of muscle. It made the scale stay the same, but my body change. Which is the point after-all.

The other thing that the “science” article said was that when you exercise it makes you more hungry which is counter-intuitive to weight-loss, but in reality in order to lose weight you do need to eat… often. It’s just a matter of what you eat. Sure, if you exercise and then go eat a whole pizza you’re not going to lose fat, but if you exercise and eat fruits and veggies, whole grains and healthy proteins the fat will just fall off and the muscle will make you stronger and healthier than ever.

There are no tricks or shortcuts to health. You can’t exercise your eating habits away, and you can’t diet your lazy butt to health. You need to treat your body to both.

 

Health

Body Bullies

I don’t know why society has turned to shaming as their favorite past-time. I don’t know when it became the “in thing” to degrade other people but that is all I see on social media ALL THE TIME. It’s like the internet has created an entire society of mean girls.

gymjam (1)I was talking to one of my friends and he said that he was wanting to get in better shape. He’s in his 50s and in the last few years has just kind of let himself go. We were discussing different ways that he could get more exercise and he was hesitant to try anything because he was afraid of what other people would say about him.

That was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. He was afraid to get in shape because people would make fun of him for not being in shape, but sadly it happens all the time. Why is this ok? I’ve seen articles from other people, mostly women, where the same type of body shaming has happened and it makes me scratch my head. Are they shaming the fat person for being fat or for trying to fix their behavior? I feel like this only happens with people who struggle with their weight. If an alcoholic joins AA no one shames them for doing so. No one shames a gambler for trying to change their habits. Why on Earth would someone shame anyone for wanting to get healthy? I can just imagine if they tried to quit smoking… the snide remarks must just fly.