With society advancing, children are becoming sexually active at earlier ages. What kids should know about sex starts with the parents. There are many parents who are afraid of that famous "birds and the bees" talk. Sex is not something that should be taken lightly. There are lots of consequences if your child doesn't know the proper things about sex. Whether raise a nice Christian household, kids are going to have sex in today's world. Some things to what kids should know about sex are:
1. Condom use- There is different ways to approach this topic. By introducing the condom to your child, they will know what they are and how to use them properly. For children practicing sex, if the condom is too hard to put on correctly, they will not use one at all. This will put your kid in very bad danger.    
2. Diseases- Teach your kid all about the different diseases that come from sex. Herpes, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and the worst of all AIDS are just a few things to what your child can catch if they are not practicing safe sex with their partner. As children get older, they become smarter on the ways of safe sex, but it is challenging to keep an eye on your children at all times.   
3. Pregnancies- This is a big thing amongst teenagers who do not think it a good idea to practice safe sex. Pregnancies are a steady rise with children just because many parents would rather have the school teach their children of sex only to have the child skip the class. With the increase of hormones and testosterones amongst teenagers, it is no wonder why the temptation of sex arises. Keeping the children safe from pregnancies is the best we could do as parents for our children.   
For parents, it is hard when you have to talk to your kids about sex. There are many things kids should know about sex to help them protect themselves from the dangers. As parents it is your duty to protect your children in all forms of harm. When you teach your child of the proper uses of sex and when the best time to have it, then your children will respect your decisions. Be a part of your children's lives and you will know when the right time to sit down with them and give them the talk that they have needed for a while. Keep your children safe.

Read More..

How to Teach Homeschool Sex Education

In the 9 years I have lived in the city, this is the first year I have seen bunny in the neighborhood. Until this year. In the spring I saw my first. Then another about a week later. Now I see a several a day, sometimes needing to avoid hitting them when I back the car out of the garage. In fact, did you know that a group of rabbits is called a herd? I have noticed something about bunnies. They reproduce like rabbits! And that reminds me... Have you taught your children the Facts of Life?
I asked my sons what was their favorite books that taught them sex education. The both had the same feedback. They both enjoyed the book "Preparing for Adolescence" by James Dobson. My husband would take one child each week to ice cream. They would discuss a small section of the book while having ice cream together. These "dad dates" became a very big deal in our family, and over the years really helped us communicate.
But teaching your children not to reproduce like rabbits is not something you teach just once. The concept of respect and marriage is something that we returned to often. Here are some of the other things we used.
Passport to Purity
Originally intended to be a weekend away with a pre-teen, we had to adjust it to fit our family. We would have liked to do this curriculum the "right" way, but it just did not fit in our schedule. Instead, my husband taught this curriculum to my boys when I was away for a homeschool convention. I prepared all the crafts and activities in advance, so he did not have to do any of the planning. While I was gone, he read the workbook and did all the learning activities with my boys together. It was very effective!
These are important discussions to have with your teenagers. Do not let these things go unsaid! Be proactive and talk with them. If you do not talk to your teens they will assume a lot of things, but they would not really know how you feel about the issues they face. Using a book can help you to guide your discussions. As a nurse I know there are few things more important than these discussions about reproduction. This is an important subject, and you do not want your kids doing what the rest of the herd is doing!

Read More..

The History of New Years Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.
With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.
The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new.
The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.
In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.
The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.
Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.
Ancient New Years
The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.
Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
Global Good Luck Traditions
With New Year's upon us, here's a look at some of the good luck rituals from around the world. They are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year.
AUSTRIA - The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new year. It's served on a table decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert often consists of green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
ENGLAND - The British place their fortunes for the coming year in the hands of their first guest. They believe the first visitor of each year should be male and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire, a loaf for the table and a drink for the master. For good luck, the guest should enter through the front door and leave through the back. Guests who are empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter first.
WALES - At the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.
HAITI - In Haiti, New Year's Day is a sign of the year to come. Haitians wear new clothing and exchange gifts in the hope that it will bode well for the new year.
SICILY - An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.
SPAIN - In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, the Spanish eat 12 grapes, one with every toll, to bring good luck for the 12 months ahead.
PERU - The Peruvian New Year's custom is a spin on the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the turn of the year. But in Peru, a 13th grape must be eaten to assure good luck.
GREECE - A special New Year's bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.
JAPAN - The Japanese decorate their homes in tribute to lucky gods. One tradition, kadomatsu, consists of a pine branch symbolizing longevity, a bamboo stalk symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom showing nobility.
CHINA - For the Chinese New Year, every front door is adorned with a fresh coat of red paint, red being a symbol of good luck and happiness. Although the whole family prepares a feast for the New Year, all knives are put away for 24 hours to keep anyone from cutting themselves, which is thought to cut the family's good luck for the next year.
UNITED STATES - The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the new year.
NORWAY - Norwegians make rice pudding at New Year's and hide one whole almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person whose serving holds the lucky almond.
Chinese New Year
Except for a very few number of people who can keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, the majority of the Chinese today have to rely on a typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore, you cannot talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the Chinese calendar at first.
A Chinese calendar consists of both the Gregorian and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year into twelve month, each of which is in turn equally divided into thirty- nine and a half days. The well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the Chinese ingenuity.
There is also a system that marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, naming each of them after an animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People born in a particular year are believed to share some of the personalities of that particular animal.

Read More..

The History of Elephants

Elephants are the largest land mammal and can be found in both Asia and Africa. African elephants live in areas that are south of the Sahara Desert while Asian elephants are found in India and other countries in Southeast Asia. Elephants are interesting animals because of the way they travel together and care for their young. They're also interesting to many people living in Asia and Africa because of their size and the way they can contribute to the economy. Learning about elephants can be fun for people of any age, so starting off with the basic facts is the best way to start learning about these huge creatures.
Environment & Nutrition
The natural environment of the elephant depends on the type of elephant. African forest elephants typically roam the forests while African savannah elephants roam open African plains. The Asian elephant also lives in forests. Elephants need a large range of land to roam so that they can find enough food and water to survive. They often follow elephant trails to get from one area to another to look for more food. Elephants eat bark, grasses, twigs, and leaves and they drop seeds in their dung, making them act as gardeners as they go about their travels.
Elephant Adaptations
The elephant has several adaptations that help it survive in its natural habitat. To stay comfortable in the heat, an elephant can flap its ears and create a cooling effect. The large molars in the elephant's mouth are used for chewing and grinding very fibrous plant materials. An elephant's trunk has many uses including picking up food, drinking water, and communicating with other elephants. Elephants also have very low-pitched sounds that allow them to communicate with each other.
Elephants & the Ecosystem
Elephants are a very important part of the ecosystems they inhabit. By dropping seeds with their dung, they are helping to create new plant life. Their large bodies can also knock down small trees and other obstacles so that smaller animals can get through to find food. If there is some kind of water drought, elephants will dig to find water deep beneath the ground surface.
Elephant Family Life
Elephants are very family-centered animals. They travel together under the supervision of a female called a matriarch. The matriarch of a herd has knowledge of food and water sources and is responsible for helping her sisters, cousins, and other family members to stay safe and healthy. When it's time to reproduce, the female elephants mate with bull elephants after a period of courtship. The female stays pregnant for 22 months while her baby elephant grows and develops inside of her. During labor, the pregnant elephant is given help by another female elephant. Once a baby elephant is born, it may drink its mother's milk for up to four years and will be cared for by everyone in its herd.
Elephants & Society
Elephants have had a number of key places in society. Asian elephants have been used as work animals for many years and often haul heavy loads from one place to another. They have been also used as a method of transportation in Asian and African countries. Some elephants are taken out of Asia and Africa to travel with the circus and provide entertainment. Still others are used for their tusks so that ivory products can be made. Other members of society have revered elephants and worked to protect them from harm.

Read More..