Gwyllum's commentsComments On: EverythingArticles Blogs Journals Photos created by: EveryoneGwyllum The NET worth of a sexual predator. - Blog Entry22 Oct 2006 05:33 AM Megan, you have raised a concern I have. I see many photographs of lovely families on this site. Many more photographs are of children on their own. My concern is, these beautiful family groups and also individual children may very well attract the attention of a minority, ghastly group of people, who use these images for their own sick, perverted, self gratification. I sincerely hope this has not happened. I would just like people to be aware of this possibility. Like facing up to the war on terror, if we give in to evil thoughts and actions of some, we are defeated. By standing firm together and appreciating as well as respecting the family images we see on this site, we can overcome the horror and evil in this world in relation to this topic. I am very proud of your stance against harm to individuals through violence and sexual abuse. I am also very thankful for your sense of Spirituality and personal choice to speak up locally, nationally and globally, about a topic that is all to often kept secret or quiet because of feelings of guilt or shame held by those experiencing this awful behaviour. I love you, Mom. XXX Preparing for a Trip to the Emergency Room - Blog Entry12 Oct 2006 03:51 AM Mirium, your thoughtful list is a very handy reminder of what things to have ready for an emergency. Also, I like your suggestion of knowing where the nearest point of emergency assistance is. The time factor is important to know in regards to accessing a centre's opening hours. I well remember occasions when I reached in the freezer for ice cubes and found none there. Many a pack of frozen vegies made an excellent substitute ice pack!! Coloring Outside the Lines - Blog Entry03 Oct 2006 04:31 AM Oh, how I love it! God bless her little heart. From a long time scribbler of sorts - and to think for all those years, I worried about maybe I was bordering on a laissez faire style of parenting. Wonderful story. Mary Magdalene was Naught but a Prostitute. - Blog Entry03 Oct 2006 03:58 AM Megan, this article brings back work related memories for me. In Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in the early 1970's I worked with a group of young women who had all been convicted and sentenced by the Court for prostitution related charges. I never did find out what the future held for these very young women. However, I do remember their total amazement about the fact that someone cared enough to work with them and showed them unconditional respect. That work included lifeskills, literacy and numeracy skills, and also communication skills. When our course ended, I was amazed at how much those girls had blossomed and how they had grown in self respect. Home Schools Run by Well Meaning Amateurs: Part 2 - Blog Entry01 Oct 2006 04:25 AM Valorie, well done. Part one and part two of your blog reveals the important role of home school education. You identified and tackled the issues appropriate to the needs of children educated in this manner. I strongly support your views and your experiences as stated. Individuals may have different values, lifestyles and beliefs in many areas. Perhaps even within right wing philosophy. However, the desired outcomes are a point of common focus. In my opinion, formal school teachers most definately are not the sole 'experts' in the area of education. Nor does the home coordinator of a child's education need to be experienced and or knowledgable in teaching some specific subject matters. As a young child of around 11 years of age, I was home schooled in what was then a very remote area of Australia. Two of my five, now adult, children were home schooled in Australia when we lived overseas. They needed to return to family in Oz for medical reasons. Then later, as teenages, they were again home schooled for a short period of time. In those days, home school was not as well organized as it is now, both in the USA and in Australia. Both these children are now well educated at tertiary level and are seasoned, world travellers. Both are as articulate, or even more so, than their siblings and peers. However, they were also privileged in attending good quality private schools in Australia and overseas. I believe their experiences of home based education gave them a greater insight and overall interest in all areas of life. When all five children attending formal schooling, my husband and I frequently protested to school teachers, principals, and also the Dept of Education or school board - which ever it was at the time, about inappropriate teaching skills and content of educational subjects. That action never did much in the way of positive outcomes though! It is unfortunate that by putting into practice the conviction of our beliefs, we sometimes seem to be our own worst enemy. Mary Poppins was Written by a Child in Need of Protection. - Blog Entry01 Oct 2006 02:33 AM Megan, nice article. As a retired social worker who spent many years working in the areas of child protection, youth justice, corrective services, mental health, primary care health services and also acute care health services, as well as working with homeless youth, survivors of torture and trauma, and acute flight non-English speaking refugees experiencing dislocation and resettlement in both Central America during the war in El Salvador and in Australia, I experience heartfelt empathy with many adults and children I worked with. Why? Because I have, many times during my professional journey, used the Mary Poppins character and umbrellas in therapeutic sessions (in several languages too). I did not know the personal history of P.L.Travers. I feel humbled. Thank you for making her background known. I so often think, what a small world it is! That applies to our social and professional experiences too!! Planning for an Evacuation - Blog Entry28 Sep 2006 09:04 PM Your suggestions are very good food for thought and provide a balanced check list, Miriam. Here in Far North Queensland, Australia, we are coming close to our wet season when we need to prepare for cyclones. Before retiring, I was a member of our State Disaster Committee for some years. One thing few people considered then, was crocodiles. Post cyclone in some areas, my workers and I sighted many small crocs washed out of their habitat and wandering around sugar cane area farms. My thought was always, where are the big crocs! Because of Winn Dixie - Blog Entry28 Sep 2006 03:55 AM Love it! Know what you mean. I like a bit of 'me time' now and then too. My child is a 36 year old live at home. He is my carer and I need him heaps. Sometimes though, I fantasize my 'escape'! To All Parents With Teen Drivers - Blog Entry28 Sep 2006 03:40 AM Frightening stats, Myra. I am also thinking about the risks for teens who grow up in rural and isolated areas, then move to large towns or city areas. My 5 kids could all drive well by the time they were 13 or 14 years. We lived in some pretty rural and isolated areas. They needed to know how to drive in the event of an emergency but that did not give them right of access to gazetted roads. Later, when they were old enough for a learners permit and then a licence, they learned a different kind of driving: road rules and rural driving skills. Then later again, they needed to learn about the differences of driving along highways in country areas. Finally, they learned to drive in city and suburban conditions. Big responsibility for parents and for teens/young adults. Not to mention power boats, motor bikes, big road bikes, trucks, farm tractors, loaders ... FUN with FOODS for Sensory Integration Dysfunction - Blog Entry28 Sep 2006 02:51 AM Kristyn, your article is really good. Hope these ideas assist many parents. I know my children always took to foods served up in novel ways. My grandchildren love sitting down to treats of fruits and or vegies arranged on a plate as a clown face or an animal shape, the range is endless. Also, serving fruits in skins is good too - such as melons, pineapples, etc. When living in very humid, tropical countries, I frequently served meals on suitable leaves, placed in the centre of the table so all could help themselves. Adults loved that too. |
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