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Stress and Teens

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Teenagers are under a lot of stress. I’m more than a decade out of my teens and can still remember worrying about grades, going off to college, choosing a major, keeping in touch with my friends, leaving home, and a hundred other things. Kids and adults share a lot of the same sources of stress — moving, the death of a family member, family financial problems, dealing with peers. But teens also have some unique sources of stress, including: Changes in their bodies The transition between childhood and adulthood Overloading on extra-curricular activities Figuring out what comes after high school … Continue reading →

Homeschooling Did Not Work for Me

I just read a six page diatribe on another website where the author basically said “homeschooling did not work for me, it may not work for you.” I found the article sad and disheartening, not because the author poked holes in the benefits of homeschooling, but because all of the reasons she gave were firmly rooted in many of the stereotypes that homeschoolers fight so hard against. I mostly disappointed because if a homeschooler validates the stereotypes than opponents will feel vindicated. Fortunately most people who are considering homeschooling are investigators. If they come across this article, they will see … Continue reading →

Evaluating Your Stress Level

Life isn’t always smooth sailing. Periodic stress is a normal part of life! However, stress that goes on for a long time (chronic stress) should not be a normal part of life. Every person handles stress differently. What I find stressful and what you find stressful may be two very different scenarios! Perception is a big part of how stressed you feel. One person may look at all the things you do in a day and think they would be stressed — yet you aren’t. But because stress is so very personal, it may be hard to evaluate your stress … Continue reading →

Laugh at Stress

Studies have shown that laughter is a GREAT way to deal with stress. In the short term: Laughter enhances your oxygen intake. That in turn stimulates your heart, your lungs, and your muscles. Laughter makes your brain release endorphins — happy chemicals. Laughter can ease digestion problems. Laughter can stimulate blood circulation, which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress. Laughter also activates — and then cools down — your body’s stress response. It can rev up your heartbeat and boost your blood pressure, leaving you feeling more relaxed as things calm down again. In the long … Continue reading →

Stress and Women

A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that more than eighty percent of women experience physical symptoms of stress like fatigue and headaches on a regular basis. Are you one of them? The thing is, most women think they’re managing their stress well. In the survey from the American Psychological Association, eighty-one percent of women said they were managing their stress “extremely well” or “somewhat well”. Despite that, eighty-one percent of women complained of physical symptoms of stress. How do you know if you’re stressed? Physical symptoms like headache, fatigue, and muscle tension. Impaired ability to focus or … Continue reading →

2006 in Review: Homeschooling Blog at a Glance

As a new homeschooling blogger at Families.com, I wanted to know everything that has been discussed to date. In response to my own curiosity, and in an effort to make perusing our articles easier for you, our readers, I have compiled all of the blogs for the year 2006. Deciding to Homeschool Why homeschool Am I qualified for this? Reasons that Homeschooling Works! My Most Important Advice for Homeschoolers. The Cost of Homeschooling Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? Disclaimer: I am hardly an expert in education. Did You Know? ‘Empirical … Continue reading →

Bonding with Your NICU Baby

Recently, here in the baby blog we have been talking about preemies and the NICU experience. Emotionally draining is an understatement. Bonding is also another challenge as you might not even be able to hold your little one for awhile. NICU babies have unique needs and consequently it’s important that you give yourself permission to observe your baby’s cues and watch them closely. Your baby might not be interested in the outside world for awhile and actually, that’s not a terrible thing. NICU preemies, particularly ones who are sick, need all their energy for recovering. Once your baby is matured … Continue reading →

Vocabulary Word of the Day: Autodidact (auto-die-dakt)

Autodidact means self taught. An autodidact is a self-directed learner. One of the goals of homeschooling is a child who is an autodidact. A veteran homeschooler introduced me to the autodidactic theory. I was explaining how when I am curious about a subject, I tend to go into autopilot and I bury myself in the subject matter for anywhere from 24 hours to a month. When I feel satisfied that I have learned all that I can about the subject, I come out of my self-imposed exile, yawn, stretch, and seek the next challenge. “You’re an autodidact”, she exclaimed. “A … Continue reading →