Wednesday Wow: Teens should Volunteer

My teens are always looking for ways to stay busy. We left off on Monday talking about ways teens can volunteer, make a difference and even learn something while helping others. The list continues here:

Hospitals

Many hospitals have volunteer programs to help patients both inside and outside the hospital.

ore medical careers and gain work experience. Contact local hospitals to learn more about opportunities in your area.

1. Libraries

Many libraries need help reshelving books, running children’s programs, making books available to the community, and so on.. Contact a local library for volunteer opportunities in your area.

1. Senior Citizens Centers

Many senior citizen centers offer volunteer programs to provide friendship and community activities to senior citizens. If you would like working with senior citizens, call a senior citizen center in your neighborhood and see what kinds of volunteer programs they have available.

1. Animal Shelters

Many animal shelters are non-profit or government organizations, and therefore they welcome volunteers to help take care of animals, keep facilities clean and work with the public. Call a local animal shelter for more information.

The United Way

is a nationwide umbrella organization for thousands of charitable organizations. The United Way raises billions of dollars and distributes it to these charities. There are local United way affiliates across the country and they need volunteers. Contact your local affiliate for more information.

Red Cross The American Red Cross

helps people in emergencies – whether it’s half a million disaster victims or one sick child who needs blood. Volunteer opportunities exist across the country. Contact your local Red Cross for more information.

The Salvation Army

provides social services, rehabilitation centers, disaster services, worship opportunities, character building activities for all ages and character building groups and activities for all ages. Volunteer opportunities exist across the country.

Environmental Organizations encourages volunteer support to help with environmental activities. You can help in many ways: by helping lobby on conservation issues, by leading hikes and other activities, or by lending a hand at the Chapter Office. Contact the local office of an environmental organization near you.

Political Campaigns

If it’s an election year, there are thousands of opportunities to volunteer in political campaigns around the country. You can learn more than you imagine by helping a candidate win election.. Pick a candidate whose ideas you believe in (either on the local, state or national level) and volunteer to be a part of his or her campaign.

Web site creation

Many small charities and organizations do not yet have web sites. You can help by learning how to create a web site and volunteering your services. You could also raise money to pay for the web site, or seek help from a local company in the form of a donation.

After all that volunteering. Be sure to reward your teen. Mine still LOVES Disney On ice! They will be here next week! Get your tickets!!!!

Visit us them Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DisneyOnIce or themed pictures for ticketing information.

(We gave away a family four pack. Winners= will be announced THIS Friday in the Friday Four Blog post)

Cassie helps Ms Artie!

Wednesday Wow:Homeschooling Questions and Answers

Garden and plant home school class by Aura Agape The homeschool community has grown exponentially in the last ten years, and the resources available to homeschoolers now can seem endless in scope.

Thinking about homeschooling, so have many others parents just like you! I have put together a few tidbits and hope it helps you in your decision to educate your child.

Home schooling does not  mean that you are non public school….every child has different needs, and every parent has different capabilities.

We home school because we want all of our children to have a quality, well rounded education with minimal distractions, that would prepare them for real life experiences. For us, we wanted to focus on Nutrition, Culture, Physical, the environment, Math, Science, Finance, and Technology.

Literary Circle at our local library hosted by the UNCC early educators interns.

Having them at home ensures character development too which is also essential. At Kelle’s Higher Learning, we make it work for us. I guarantee you that we don’t stick to a clock to tell us how long to teach/learn. Some times it more, sometimes it’s less than the 8 hours.

After years of using math in their daily lives, homeschooled teens are well equipped to teach themselves higher math. Don’t worry about it when they are ten.
You will question yourself a lot. Maybe several times a day in the beginning. This is normal. Find a fellow homeschooling friend. Support each other. Tell each other that it’s okay to sometimes feel that your children didn’t seem to learn anything on a given day. They did, and so did you!

By no ones measure are my kids social misfits. I have a stay at home mom support group with children very close their age, and because of  the kids next door, their friends at ballet, 4-H and Karate there is no reason to ever be concerned about that.

Another concern I hear is whether their child’s SAT/ACT’s results will get into college. Every year, colleges across the nation and the world are opening their doors to homeschoolers. Many of the most prestigious colleges around the nation have accepted homeschoolers: Brown, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, the United States Military Academy at West Point, UC at Berkeley, University of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Yale, just to name a few. My son was homeschooled for just two years and today he is at Hampton University . So, trust me, it’s ok.

The key to homeschooling both older and younger kids together is all in strategy. Teach them how to learn. For example, when were are doing science projects, the older ones get the research part of the assignment. The younger ones get to help create it! Everyone enjoys it!

Homeschooling is an act of love. It does require loads of structure, determination and immense creative skills. It’s a very personal decision, and you must be comfortable with yourself.

To get started in North Carolina there are three requirements that homeschools must meet: 1st visit the NCDNE here’s the link: Click Here!

Once you give the state notice of your intention to homeschool, wait for your “license” to begin. If you are living on a budget as we are and have multiple children as we have, do yourself a favor and get free/ affordable help. Many businesses and even libraries offer free help for students of all ages. Try K12, Connections Academy, Insight or Kaplan. They all offer free programs. Khan Academy is our favorite! They are a not-for-profit educational organization that believe in providing a high quality education for anyone, anywhere.

Being home schooled allows children to work at different levels. My 6 year old is doing division, multiplication and reading well on a first grade level.

Don’t forget educational games. There are so many amazing ways to engage your child in learning while they are having fun, thanks to technology and the internet. These green friendly options allows us to be more mobile by just googling: free learning software for kids and free preschool curriculum, a truss of goodies come up. I suggest Jumpstart. It’s an affordable software and a few of the lessons have hard books and match games. Also check out local newspaper for opportunities available to you as a homeschooling family.

Reading comprehension skills in action.

Homeschooling is a lot of work. But it’s worth it. Every time I’ve considering putting them back in public school, I go back to thinking of the reasons why I chose to homeschool in the first place and start on my lesson plans for next week. In closing, if you try it and it doesn’t work, put your ego aside and send them back to public school. You can always move to a better school zone*. If you need more detailed information on this topic get it my upcoming guide I’ll share it here on this blog post in the comment section.

Wednesday Wow! The Total Children’s Wellness Fair is on it’s way!

I’m so excited! Right about now, everything is falling in line. Yesterday, I secured the location for this year’s fair! It is nothing less than favor!  In my mind, the Total Children’s Wellness Fair is incredible. It addresses all seven (7) branches of wellness in one day by bringing together the community children, commercial community ,and the service sector for a colossal of healthy fun and under cover education in a progressive engaging format! Obviously, it’s catching on, and it feels great to know that someone else sees the value/ need!  Going into our 4th year I expect an explosion of

creativity and teamwork…..our children deserve it! Nutritional, Social, Spiritual, Environmental  Educational, Financial and Physical wellness is and always will be vital to our children survival. If you choose, call it clicheísh, but it’s true, our children do not come with instructions, someone has to fill in that gap for the ones that have no resources or guidance.That’s where the Total Children’s Fair comes in at. The value is to provide realistic life skill strategies and identify local resources that are available to the under served and to support them by sharing knowledge, resources, instruction and time. It’s a win for all! The community partners get to educate their future consumers and the visitors get an opportunity to discover 1st hand why their habits should change…or continue. And you know I’ll have breastfeeding as a highlighted as well as the grand finale of the “She Mechanic” workshops there. Guy’s this is all about empowerment for all children from the unborn to the college student.

Beautiful things DO happen when great people work together! -QC Supermom

Now it’s time to really get busy. If you guys know me by now, I have to have a personal  “Oh Wow” moment  during the fair & I think I have it (no hints just yet!)

In the meantime, there’s space for anyone and everyone to help out! If interested contact me now to learn how you can join us!

Valentine’s Day Love for the domestically abused

Happy Valentines Day!   Kiss kiss and a punch can’t be right.

Let’s talk about red when its not fondly thought of. No one should live in fear of the person they love. I pick at my husband a lot. If he wakes me up too early in the morning, the next 60 minutes is bad for him.Everyone in a while he’ll say that I’m that aggressor and sure I know that he’s just kidding, but Sunday, I was reacquainted to an old family foe-domestic violence. Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, it happened to my sister. This year instead of waiting on my husband to pamper me. We’ll be pampering a few abused moms at the shelter.Nothing heavy; just a smile, love packages, chit chat and our time.

Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse,occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. Domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence.

In college, my 6-8 brother in law was exposed as the abuser. I learned so much dealing with my sister in pursuit of getting her and my nieces out. I felt so much anger towards them both. Him for hurting my family and her for allowing it. My big sister was pretty, smart, employed and my role model. Over time and probing conversations and observations I picked up a few things. If your beloved

•  Calls you names, insults you or puts you down
• Prevents you from going to work or school
• Stops you from seeing family members or friends
• Tries to control how you spend money, where you go, what medicines you take or what you wear
• Acts jealous or possessive or constantly accuses you of being unfaithful
• Threatens you with violence or a weapon
• Hits, kicks, shoves, slaps, chokes or otherwise hurts you, your children or your pets
• Forces you to have sex or engage in sexual acts against your will
• Blames you for his or her violent behavior or tells you that you deserve it
• Portrays the violence as mutual and consensual

Then –

•  threatens violence.
• strikes again
• apologizes, promises to change and offers gifts.
• and the cycle repeats itself.

LEAVE!  Don’t wait!

Pregnancy, children and domestic violence

Sometimes the violence begins — or increases — during pregnancy. Even if your child isn’t abused, simply witnessing domestic violence can be harmful. Children who grow up in abusive homes are more likely to be abused and have behavioral problems than are other children. As adults, they’re more likely to become abusers or think abuse is a normal part of a relationship.

The longer you stay in an abusive relationship, the greater the toll on your self-esteem. The only way to break the cycle is to take action.

Tell someone, a friend, loved one, health care provider or other close contact. At first, you may find it hard to talk about the abuse. But you’ll also likely feel relief and receive much-needed support. Today my sister is alive, happy, self sufficient and dating again. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Peace to all my abused moms. I pray your peace & strength…….QC Supermom

(And yes…although my husband isn’t abused, men do get abused too. )

Other resources: 

Tyler Rose’s Rising

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

Valentine’s Day: Does ‘V’ Stand for Domestic Violence? The Cathy McNaughton Story

“If you have survived an abuser, and you tried to make things right… If you forgave, and you struggled, and even if the expression of your grief and your anger tumbled out at times in too much rage and too many words… If you spent years hanging on to the concepts of faith, hope, and love, even after you knew in your heart that those intangibles, upon which life is formed and sustained, would fail in the end… And especially, if you stood between your children – or anyone – and him, and took the physical, emotional, and spiritual pummeling in their stead, then you are a hero.”
― Jenna Brooks

Election EVE! Should Stay at Home Moms Vote for Romney?

Today will be a very stressful one. Not only will voters decide who our next president will be, but they will also have a say in what public education in California will look like in years to come. If Proposition 30 or 38 does not pass, teachers will lose their jobs, class sizes will get bigger, and school will end in May. Low income children will suffer the most. A lot has been said during the last few days about stay at home moms. How does voting affect sahms?

Was Ann Romney’s Stay at Home Mom Experience the Same as Yours?

Ann Romey, a wealthy stay at home mom, thinks we have the work thing all covered and confirmed. Saying Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life’ when she has raised 5 sons is such a sublimely ignorant statement, it’s daunting! This is about what benefits the families of stay at home moms and moms all over this country.

See this presidential clip! (it’s really good!)

Michelle helps me stay focus on keeping my children healthy.She even stated yesterday that, “Every mother works hard, and every woman deserves to be respected.”  …..but that does not guarantee a landed vote to her husband either. Here’s what a moron friend of mine said: Mormon women honor the religion we share with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But on Election Day, thousands and thousands of us will cast our votes in support of President Obama. She said- “No mother should have to choose between health care for her children and the other necessities of life. No one should have to go bankrupt because they get sick, or have a disabled child. I am a Mormon woman who supports Barack Obama because of the Affordable Health Care Act. ”

What do stay at home moms care about? 

I surf alot, & came across one blogger that asked if her readers were rich Romney moms or Foodstamping Obama Mamas. I seen some of the most interesting answers. Some votes promised to vote for Johnson(an independent) some simply said Not Voting all together. A “wealthy” responder said they were voting for Obama. What an amazing concept,some people with money actually care about social issues more then what is in their wallet or bank account lol.

Here’s one stay at home moms surprising statement of how she will select a candidate. Formato’s explains that from the 2 choices, she didn’t trust Mitt, & her enthusiasm for Obama has waned. “He hasn’t changed anything.” That’s not the 1st time I heard it that way.

Needless to say this is gonna be another interesting election! I’d say Neither-I am an american showing up to vote for whomever I darn well please.

1. Moms Worry About Paying the Bills– When it comes to managing finances moms can be experts. Many moms do everything within their power to make sure the money their husbands earn goes a long way, and with the declining wages that we are facing even though big corporations are getting richer, moms are the best line of defense when it comes to making sure family finances are cared for.

2.Moms Care About Health Care– When a child is sick many moms will stay up all night caring for their sick child. Moms will not hesitate to take a sick child to the hospital, unless they do not have health insurance. Stay at home moms are particularly concerned with health insurance because they live in a one income house hold. They know that without insurance they can’t afford health care for their family. Many moms worry about their kids who have medical conditions and how insurance companies deny coverage to sick children all the time.

3.Moms Care About Education– In addition to the housekeeping shores moms make sure that children do their home work when they get home from school. Moms are partners with our teachers. All moms care deeply about their children’s education. Republicans on the other hand do not appear to care about education. They want to dismantle school systems and refuse to care for teachers, and that negatively affects children. They want to get rid of Pell grants, school lunch programs and essentially public education. That is why most moms reject Mitt Romney.

VOTE!!!!!! (if you need a fun teaching moment and in Charlotte, watch the election with your family together at the Venue!) Click here for details!

– Till next time, QC Supermom

Wednesday Wow! Breastfeeding In the QC

A newborn baby has only three demands.  They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence.  Breastfeeding satisfies all three.  ~Grantly Dick-Read

Being a mother is challenging enough. Keeping up with the physical, medical, educational, nutritional and social pursuits of my children is almost impossible. I do this for 7 busy kids (1 college sophomore, 1 in high school. 1 in middle school and 4 under 5years old) and a husband, who happens to be a veteran and a college student as well.

Needless to say being equipped and organized is a must.  Knowing a little about the law comes in handy too since there’s such a fine line between being legal and unlawful. One law we discovered was that mothers have a protected right to breastfeed in public.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-190.9 (1993) states that “…a woman may breastfeed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.”  This means that a breastfeeding mother is not in violation of indecent exposure laws.

So that meant that if I chose to, I could whip my breast out and nurse away and no one could say a word. But we found out that not everyone at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system knows this. On August     2012, I entered the library with my husband to scan & email some time sensitive official documents to the V.A. . Because they only had one pc that could do this, we had to make an appointment to return.  On the second trip there my 2month old got hungry. I thought this would be a quick visit, but it wasn’t so I shift him inside my white, thin, cotton shirt to feed him. The only thing visible was his soft curly brown locks. Seconds later a library volunteer approached me(twice),then the female security guard (twice), and finally the older female  supervisor. The message was consistent, plain and clear. I cannot nurse at the computer. I had to stop, get up and go into their 8x10ft nursing cellar. I refused each time telling them I knew my rights and not only were they violating my rights as a library patron, but also as a breastfeeding mom.  As a public/government building, servicing that particular target of the community, they should know these laws.

I left frustrated and disappointed  with the uncertainty if my official business had been taken care of because my computer time expired before any confirmation that it was sent. Once I got home I wrote a letter. I asked for an public apology and that yours truly be paid to educate each library employee of the rights and benefits to breastfeeding. Instead, they mailed out a letter apologizing for the humiliation and said they were merely suggesting that I had the option of using it. I know this isn’t a new story, but where did we get so messed up in the head to think that feeding your child in public is a taboo thing? As a mother with daughters, I will do all that I can to  ensure that the day they do have a child, they will be equipped with the knowledge, education, and peace of mind to breast feed their baby.

This story has been shared internationally.

Here’s some of the comments: (I have the RIGHT to choose which ones I share)

M. RaidenandCarolyna’smom P. I’m feeling the urge to go sit and nurse my babes in this library and will be going so in the near future! I would absolutely embarrass the pee out of anyone who attempted to harass me about my legal rights in a second. Outrageous. More power to this mama! I hope I get to meet her at some point so I can high-fiver her for being awesome and doing the best thing for her little one!

A. Elliott News flash! Just heard from the library, it’s all a misunderstanding, the nursing room is there for the mammal-deniers (people who don’t believe humans are mammals) to hide in when the hordes of lactating activists (lactivists) insist on nourishing their offspring.

See more-