Forcing Kids Outside to Play

A recent British study shows that nearly half of all kids are pushed outside to play by their parents because they’d rather stay inside and use their phones and play video games. I’m surprised the percentage is that low. But I suppose many kids get some fresh air and sunshine while they’re at soccer practice.

This summer, my neighbor’s two small children have been outside most days, either riding their bikes or swimming in their new pool. But they’re the only children I’ve seen doing so. I guess everyone else is inside texting each other.

My kids were usually brown by August because they’d been playing outside all summer. I was the same way when I was a kid. Will those days ever return? Or are kids doomed by technology to stay inside all the time from now on?

Homeschooling on a Sailboat

We lived the homeschooling lifestyle that most families do, with school around the dining room table, field trips to museums and plays, and a house packed full of books in almost every room.

So it’s kind of hard for me to imagine homeschooling my kids on a 47-ft. sailboat while traveling the world. But that’s what this family did, and what an amazing journey they’ve had. They visited 48 countries and traveled over 58,000 miles. Talk about sheltered homeschoolers 😉

I Wonder When Parents Will Wise Up?

I think it’s tragic that well over half of eighth-graders are considered “not proficient” in reading and math these days.

I also think it’s tragic that 25% of kids under age six have their own smartphones. Think of all the things those little ones should be doing instead of playing on their phones.

I could write endlessly about all the reasons why I don’t think kids should have phones.

But I won’t. Instead, I’ll just say that these two trends must be related. Children who spend all their time on passive entertainment are not learning about the world around them and are slowly being anesthetized. Had they been given the time, space and opportunity to learn naturally, they would probably be proficient at reading and math by eighth grade even if they didn’t go to school at all.

The most chilling quote from the second article has to be this one:

Eight in 10 parents surveyed said they don’t limit the amount of time their kids can use their smartphones.

When will parents wake up?

Life Prep (Third Edition) Now Available as EBook

My first book, the homeschool curriculum Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers, still sells after 15 years and three editions, but it’s always been a print book. Now I’m excited to announce that the expanded third edition of Life Prep just became available in EBook form.

This new eBook version is a “print replica,” which means it looks exactly the same inside as the recently expanded print version does. So it includes every single feature that the print version has. Of course, you can still buy the print version if that’s what you prefer. (If I were still homeschooling, that’s what I would prefer.) But many people like the convenience (and lack of clutter) that you get when you buy eBooks instead of print books.

The print version costs $24.95, and the eBook version costs $9.99, so there’s some significant savings if you choose the eBook version.

In either case, preparing your homeschooled teen for life on their own is an essential task, and one that Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers will do, over the course of 1-4 semesters, depending on just how much preparation you want to offer to your teen. Learn more HERE. See the rest of our books and eBooks at CardamomPublishers.com.