It would be unreasonable to say that families shouldn’t be enjoying all of the new gaming systems and other forms of electronic entertainment that are available. There’s just too much out there to be ignored, and some of it really can be great material. However, as a teen, it seems a bit sad when I hear from kids who admit they’ve never gone camping. Never gone camping? It seems they haven’t completed their childhood. When else will they have the opportunity to hold flaming marshmallows in the futile attempt to create the perfect s’more? How else will they appreciate the secure roof over their head that doesn’t leak with the pitter-patter of rain? (more…)

Tweet This Post

I’m not a big fan of video games. In general, they are counter to socialization and imagination. They’re borderline addictive. I’ve seen kids get so wrapped up in Halo that they lost all sense of time and what was going on around them.

And so I was less than enthusiastic when my sister gave her favorite nephews a Wii for Christmas.  As far as video games go, this thing is fantastic.  This is not like other game systems that involve only staring at a screen while flailing one’s thumbs at super-sonic speed. (more…)

Tweet This Post

It’s Christmastime again!  But, unfortunately, along with Christmas come the bad and corny gifts given to teens worldwide!  Behold, the article that shall stop that.

So, first I shall list my top five worst gifts.

1. Socks: Most teens do not want socks.  We would rather buy them than receive them as a present. (Yes, even if they have cute puppies or menacing skulls.) Don’t believe me? Consumer Reports discovered that socks were the most offensive and disappointing gifts that people received in 2005! (more…)

Tweet This Post

Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, one of my, and many Americans’, favorite holidays comes around.  This holiday, Thanksgiving, is a holiday of food, family, and football.

First, a little Thanksgiving history.  In the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November 1863.  Abraham Lincoln’s successors as president followed his example of annually declaring the final Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving. But in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with this tradition. November had five Thursdays that year, and Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving rather than the fifth one. In 1940 and 1941, years in which November had four Thursdays, he declared the third one as Thanksgiving. With the country still in the midst of The Great Depression, Roosevelt thought an earlier Thanksgiving would give merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. Since 1942, this holiday has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday. (more…)

Tweet This Post

Not too many years ago, parents might have had trouble keeping their kids entertained (and not climbing on the walls) when it was raining outside. With all of today’s electronics, a rainy day does not seem to present itself as a problem anymore. Children have computer games, board games, video games, movies, and many more fun activities. The problem is, none of these activities really keep a kid active. Here are some activities you can do outside when it’s raining: (more…)

Tweet This Post