I promised myself I wouldn't post everyday because I didn't want to become a slave to the computer. There has just been so much interesting information being thrown out there, I have to lay it out.
As I mentioned in previous posts, my son has been diagnosed with A.D.H.D. recently. Whether or not this clearly has anything to do with that, I am not sure, but I thought it was important to discuss. A study was published Monday suggesting that Spongebob Squarepants, a popular children's cartoon, may have negative effects on preschoolers ability to stay on task. From what I understand, researchers took a very small sample group of 4 year olds with similar backgrounds and submitted them to nine minutes of either Spongebob, a PBS cartoon, or coloring and drawing. Immediately after they performed a psychological tests to measure their ability to stay in task. The Spongebob spectators scored significantly lower than the other two groups. The reasoning behind the outcome, they said, is due to the rapid pace of the show as well as it's fantastic characters.
I have to admit, my son does enjoy watching Spongebob Squarepants. He particularly loves the "fantastic" characters. I personally do not like the show because I feel some of the story lines are inappropriate for children, and I do not like the bantar back and forth between Spongebob and Squidward. I feel it is a little too mean spirited for kids. As far as the attention span aspect goes, I do not feel there is a significant impact. I do not agree with the idea that it is as important to monitor what type of television your children watch as well as what amount of time they spend in front of the television. Lessons are taught in the home not through the television.
I do monitor what my son watches at my own home. I am not too concerned with the amount of time he spends in front of the television. My whole objective is to raise a well rounded, productive citizen. Although I avoid shows such as Spongebob in our own home due to my own personally feeling and opinions on the matter, I cannot control my son no matter where he is. I do my best to educate him about respect, appropriate behavior, kindness, and always putting forth your best. I have him in activities like soccer, basketball, and tee ball. He attends church. We do family activities and games. The majority of his time, even as a preschooler was not spent in front of the TV. I think that is what we all need to take away from this.
Television is not such an important aspect in people's lives that we need to start researching it they way we do food, alcohol, or drugs. The reality of it is, television is a part of life. It is everywhere from your doctor's office waiting room to the line at the bank. It is not the evil here. The evil is the way it is used. Moderation is the key to everything in life from exercise and healthy eating to television and video games.
Speaking of television, I was watching Jillian Michaels recently. She happens to be one of my idols. Every time I read anything or see anything about her she speaks to me more and more. She was talking about how pleased she is to be a co host on the daytime talk show The Doctors. She says she feels blessed and honored to be given this vehicle 5 days a week to better peoples lives by educating them about health and fitness. It gives her purpose in her life. That only inspires me more.
I had to come to a realization in my life when I was given so many limitations, and that was "What really makes you happy? What do you really enjoy?" I had to answer these questions to come to a level of acceptance about my new life. No longer would I be able to follow my dreams of becoming a psychologists, or a nurse, or a diabetic educator, or a nutritionist. The education and knowledge that I gained studying for those careers is not lost. I use it in my everyday life, and with a life like mine they sure have come in handy. The answer to those questions was sports. Everything about sports just speaks to me, and to advance it even further, the exercise improves your health. The nutritional knowledge only builds on that idea.
I watch Jillian Michaels on The Biggest Loser every year and she continues to motivate me to stay as healthy as I can. No excuses. I would love to do what she does. I would love to become a personal trainer. I know that is an impossibility at this point in my life. I do hope to inspire people to take a good look at their lives, and make improvements. Do not waste the health you have now on a few sodas and a lazy afternoon. Be grateful you have your health and cherish and respect it.
No matter where the road God has set out for me goes, I plan to follow it. I will continue to educate myself and improve myself in hopes that someday I will feel blessed and honored to help people the way Jillian explained she felt.
Again, I urge you to leave comments and ideas. This should be an open conversation. How do we improve ourselves and learn if we never look at things from another's perspective?
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