Discussion Forum > Wow...it is quiet here...Mark, what are you up to these days?
Jacqueline,
>>> Mike - I wonder if it's symbolic that the squirrel got fried? :-) <<<
ROTFLMAO ;-) I can only hope ;-)
>>> As always, if I wait long enough you will say what I'm thinking better than I. It sounds like you've been reading Emotional Hostage. What are you doing method-wise w.r.t. procrastination? <<<
I've not gotten back to it since the last time. I've not even unpacked yet ;-) The thing about "Emotional Hostage" is that it is not something you "read". It is really more of a workbook, even if not laid out that way. In my first read through I set up the different emotions and the various components they suggest make them up. I tried them out and confirmed that it made sense to me. Then I saw one of those damn squerrils. LOL ;-)
On my next go around, I'll pick up where I left off and tackle the emotions I believe underlie procrastination. Particularly "overwhelm", "frustration", "depression", and those kinds of things. I'll let you know what I learn.
>>> Mike - I wonder if it's symbolic that the squirrel got fried? :-) <<<
ROTFLMAO ;-) I can only hope ;-)
>>> As always, if I wait long enough you will say what I'm thinking better than I. It sounds like you've been reading Emotional Hostage. What are you doing method-wise w.r.t. procrastination? <<<
I've not gotten back to it since the last time. I've not even unpacked yet ;-) The thing about "Emotional Hostage" is that it is not something you "read". It is really more of a workbook, even if not laid out that way. In my first read through I set up the different emotions and the various components they suggest make them up. I tried them out and confirmed that it made sense to me. Then I saw one of those damn squerrils. LOL ;-)
On my next go around, I'll pick up where I left off and tackle the emotions I believe underlie procrastination. Particularly "overwhelm", "frustration", "depression", and those kinds of things. I'll let you know what I learn.
November 29, 2009 at 11:28 |
Mike
Mike
Mark,
Speaking from painful experience, you can NOT "force" a child to learn a musical instrument. I'll have to ask her when she wakes up but I think my wife will confirm that as well.
Speaking from painful experience, you can NOT "force" a child to learn a musical instrument. I'll have to ask her when she wakes up but I think my wife will confirm that as well.
November 29, 2009 at 11:37 |
Mike
Mike
Mel,
How the hell are you? ;-)
>>> Mike, I agree. I love the Margaritaville analogy. LOL! That's absolutely where I am. Can't wait to go to Mexico in January and try out my new Spanish speaking skills. The kids and I have been learning together using Visual Link Spanish at a nice steady clip. I've found that for my personality I can learn better with others. Actually, I learn most things best by teaching them. <<<
I'm with you there. In fact, sometimes when I get stuck on something, I imagine that I'm explaining it to someone and that often breaks the mental logjam for me.
As to Spanish, I found that listening to a Spanish radio station all day helped "work it in". There is also a wonderful TV series, called "Destinos". It is a great way to learn the language. It is done as a Spanish soap. A woman attorney is asked to help a dying man find a lover he lost many years ago. In the process, she travels to all of the various Spanish speaking countries and doing that she travels in many ways (thus discussing the words for train, boat, plane, suit case, clothing, money, etc.) It is very well done. It is one of those PBS things. Of course, if you are going in January, I'd just play the radio and TV in Spanish until you go ;-)
>>> If you had children, I suspect you would have homeschooled them. <<<
Every time I hear a news item about a teacher mollesting a child, or worse ... the kinds of idiotic politically correct crap they pass off as education ... I say just that thing.
>>> It's really the most fulfilling experience. It's an adventure in discovery. <<<
I can imagine. I can also imagine how much you learn about the world through new eyes.
>>> Just like TM systems, you can have high hopes that a curriculum will be "the answer" and then your kids say, "We hate it." lol What's fantastic about those moments is that you usually hate it, too. My oldest was asking why he had to keep using the art curriculum when he doesn't like it and doesn't plan to do anything with it in the future. I found myself saying, "Because I had to do it." He didn't even have to say anything before I realized that I needed to let him scrap it. <<<
LOL ;-) That IS neat.
>>> Now to Mark's point. My second son has a natural giftedness in art and also a naturally unmotivated personality. I asked him what he would like to do when he grows up and he said, "Whatever they want me to do." LOL! So I have had to insist that he continue with the art curriculum. He'll be glad later. <<<
Despite what I said to Mark just now, I agree. The real trick is to find a way to motive without force. Without giving it much thought, I'd try to find ways to tie it to something he values. I mean, how neat would it be to be able to draw pictures of the girl he wants to impress? How much fun would it be to keep a sketch journal of walks in the woods as the season's change? If he is interested in cars, he could sketch the ones he likes and then start to sketch new fantastic designs. How much easier to learn if he could illustrate points with quick sketches (a la mind maps)?
<<< Deciding when to push and when to drop these kinds of things is tough. I also don't think we should put the responsibility on our parents though. Sorry Mark! If something is a driving passion, even if you are just a child, you will beg your parents for the opportunity. Otherwise parents will let you go your own way. <<<
Yeah, that is a fine line. A kid needs some minimal exposure to find his driving passion. He does stand the best chance if home schooled, however. I remember seeing a thing on 60 Minutes, I think it was, about five farm boys in Montana or someplace and they were all students at Julliard at the top of the heap at a young age playing concerts.
>>> Mike, a sound system sounds like a great gift. Dh and I don't exchange gifts either. I love gifts, but I got tired of my dh's habit of giving me torn pieces of yellow notebook paper on Christmas morning saying, "You can buy X." LOL!! Gotta love him. <<<
Men! ROTF ;-) The trouble is that you get to know someone and, as you say below, you get stuff throughout the year. I mean, if my wife can use it today, I'm not going to wait until an official holiday ... why the hell should she wait?
>>> He lets me buy things I really want throughout the year, so it's not right for me to complain. I decided to beg the kids for the one thing I really want anyway (a Wii fitness game). <<<
Have you a Wii system now? Do you enjoy it? Have you done any comparisons with X- Box or PlayStation?
>>> I love your suggestion that a gift of doing is better. Almost everything I'm getting for the kids this year falls in that category. I'm getting lazer tag guns for everyone. The family that shoots at one another stays together, right? ;-) <<<
ROTFLMAO ;-) I'm going to remember that one ;-)
How the hell are you? ;-)
>>> Mike, I agree. I love the Margaritaville analogy. LOL! That's absolutely where I am. Can't wait to go to Mexico in January and try out my new Spanish speaking skills. The kids and I have been learning together using Visual Link Spanish at a nice steady clip. I've found that for my personality I can learn better with others. Actually, I learn most things best by teaching them. <<<
I'm with you there. In fact, sometimes when I get stuck on something, I imagine that I'm explaining it to someone and that often breaks the mental logjam for me.
As to Spanish, I found that listening to a Spanish radio station all day helped "work it in". There is also a wonderful TV series, called "Destinos". It is a great way to learn the language. It is done as a Spanish soap. A woman attorney is asked to help a dying man find a lover he lost many years ago. In the process, she travels to all of the various Spanish speaking countries and doing that she travels in many ways (thus discussing the words for train, boat, plane, suit case, clothing, money, etc.) It is very well done. It is one of those PBS things. Of course, if you are going in January, I'd just play the radio and TV in Spanish until you go ;-)
>>> If you had children, I suspect you would have homeschooled them. <<<
Every time I hear a news item about a teacher mollesting a child, or worse ... the kinds of idiotic politically correct crap they pass off as education ... I say just that thing.
>>> It's really the most fulfilling experience. It's an adventure in discovery. <<<
I can imagine. I can also imagine how much you learn about the world through new eyes.
>>> Just like TM systems, you can have high hopes that a curriculum will be "the answer" and then your kids say, "We hate it." lol What's fantastic about those moments is that you usually hate it, too. My oldest was asking why he had to keep using the art curriculum when he doesn't like it and doesn't plan to do anything with it in the future. I found myself saying, "Because I had to do it." He didn't even have to say anything before I realized that I needed to let him scrap it. <<<
LOL ;-) That IS neat.
>>> Now to Mark's point. My second son has a natural giftedness in art and also a naturally unmotivated personality. I asked him what he would like to do when he grows up and he said, "Whatever they want me to do." LOL! So I have had to insist that he continue with the art curriculum. He'll be glad later. <<<
Despite what I said to Mark just now, I agree. The real trick is to find a way to motive without force. Without giving it much thought, I'd try to find ways to tie it to something he values. I mean, how neat would it be to be able to draw pictures of the girl he wants to impress? How much fun would it be to keep a sketch journal of walks in the woods as the season's change? If he is interested in cars, he could sketch the ones he likes and then start to sketch new fantastic designs. How much easier to learn if he could illustrate points with quick sketches (a la mind maps)?
<<< Deciding when to push and when to drop these kinds of things is tough. I also don't think we should put the responsibility on our parents though. Sorry Mark! If something is a driving passion, even if you are just a child, you will beg your parents for the opportunity. Otherwise parents will let you go your own way. <<<
Yeah, that is a fine line. A kid needs some minimal exposure to find his driving passion. He does stand the best chance if home schooled, however. I remember seeing a thing on 60 Minutes, I think it was, about five farm boys in Montana or someplace and they were all students at Julliard at the top of the heap at a young age playing concerts.
>>> Mike, a sound system sounds like a great gift. Dh and I don't exchange gifts either. I love gifts, but I got tired of my dh's habit of giving me torn pieces of yellow notebook paper on Christmas morning saying, "You can buy X." LOL!! Gotta love him. <<<
Men! ROTF ;-) The trouble is that you get to know someone and, as you say below, you get stuff throughout the year. I mean, if my wife can use it today, I'm not going to wait until an official holiday ... why the hell should she wait?
>>> He lets me buy things I really want throughout the year, so it's not right for me to complain. I decided to beg the kids for the one thing I really want anyway (a Wii fitness game). <<<
Have you a Wii system now? Do you enjoy it? Have you done any comparisons with X- Box or PlayStation?
>>> I love your suggestion that a gift of doing is better. Almost everything I'm getting for the kids this year falls in that category. I'm getting lazer tag guns for everyone. The family that shoots at one another stays together, right? ;-) <<<
ROTFLMAO ;-) I'm going to remember that one ;-)
November 29, 2009 at 12:40 |
Mike
Mike
I'm going to close this thread now as it's become too large to be manageable. You are welcome to continue the discussion on a new thread.
November 29, 2009 at 15:13 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
If you had children, I suspect you would have homeschooled them. It's really the most fulfilling experience. It's an adventure in discovery. Just like TM systems, you can have high hopes that a curriculum will be "the answer" and then your kids say, "We hate it." lol What's fantastic about those moments is that you usually hate it, too. My oldest was asking why he had to keep using the art curriculum when he doesn't like it and doesn't plan to do anything with it in the future. I found myself saying, "Because I had to do it." He didn't even have to say anything before I realized that I needed to let him scrap it.
Now to Mark's point. My second son has a natural giftedness in art and also a naturally unmotivated personality. I asked him what he would like to do when he grows up and he said, "Whatever they want me to do." LOL! So I have had to insist that he continue with the art curriculum. He'll be glad later. Deciding when to push and when to drop these kinds of things is tough. I also don't think we should put the responsibility on our parents though. Sorry Mark! If something is a driving passion, even if you are just a child, you will beg your parents for the opportunity. Otherwise parents will let you go your own way.
Mike, a sound system sounds like a great gift. Dh and I don't exchange gifts either. I love gifts, but I got tired of my dh's habit of giving me torn pieces of yellow notebook paper on Christmas morning saying, "You can buy X." LOL!! Gotta love him. He lets me buy things I really want throughout the year, so it's not right for me to complain. I decided to beg the kids for the one thing I really want anyway (a Wii fitness game). I love your suggestion that a gift of doing is better. Almost everything I'm getting for the kids this year falls in that category. I'm getting lazer tag guns for everyone. The family that shoots at one another stays together, right? ;-)