MOPS

If you are a mom who…


• Is pregnant or has a child newborn thru pre-kindergarten

• Desires to make new friends

• Wants to share the challenges and joys of motherhood

• Is looking for opportunities for personal growth through trusted

resources

Come and join us in exploring all the facets of being a woman and a mother.

Every 2nd Wednesday September thru May, 9:00 to 11:30am

First meeting September 8th, 2010

Hosted at Mission Baptist Church

Free childcare is provided with registration

To register go to missionbaptist.com and click on the MOPS link, or come down

to the Osan BX Saturday August 28th and September 4th

10:00am to 2:00pm

For more information contact us at

mops.mbc@gmail.com

Parent Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting

Parent Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting

Tues., Aug 24 at 10:00
Where:  Youth Center

Topics include: Upcoming events at the CDC, SAP, Youth Center, Youth Sports and Teen Center; Current status of the Part Day Enrichment Program; and more.  There is a seating area that will have a movie playing for kids if needed.  Ouestions?  Email: eswoodley@yahoo.com

Prenatal care: kick counts

Here at Osan, it's a little more difficult than it is in the U.S. to get immediate and high quality prenatal care if anything out of the ordinary happens, and we need to take responsibility for our own care, for our sake and that of our unborn children. Delivering a stillborn baby is one of the most horrifying things we can imagine, but it happens to seventy U.S. families every day, or once in approximately 150-200 deliveries. By contrast, SIDS claims about seven infants a day in the U.S. The good news is that like SIDS, the risk of stillbirth can easily be dramatically reduced.

A recent study found that 50% of moms that delivered stillborn babies noticed a decrease in movement in the days immediately prior to the death of their babies. Many stillbirths can be prevented with a simple test you can do at home: the daily kick count.

A daily kick count is just what it sounds like: a daily count of fetal movements. The count enables you to get to know the normal pattern of movement for your baby, so you can tell if the movements decrease, signaling fetal distress. There are a couple of ways to do kick counts, but here is an easy and effective one:

Pick a time of day when your baby is active; evening is generally good.

Time how long it takes to feel ten movements; record it.

Repeat every day; learn your baby's pattern.

If there is a significant decrease in movements or something else concerns you, get in for care immediately. Don't be afraid to kick up a big fuss to get what you need. Your baby is counting on you, too.

For more information, see the Baby Kick Alliance.

Make your own Play-Doh and other fun stuff

Here are some fun recipes to make with your kids.

Everyday Playdoh

Mix 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring to boil 1 cup of water, one tablespoon of cooking oil and a few drops of food coloring. A little flavoring essence could be added, too. Pour hot mixture into flour mixture and stir. Add more flour if necessary.

Kool-Aid Playdoh

Add a packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid to boiling water in Everyday Playdoh recipe to strengthen the color and scent.

Self-Hardening Playdoh

Mix 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of flour, and add cup of water. Use the same day, air dry for about 48 hours, and paint if desired.

Peanut Butter Playdoh (edible)

Mix together 1-cup peanut butter and cup honey. Blend in powdered milk until mixture is not sticky, and a playdoh consistency. Double the recipe if necessary.

Fudgy Chocolate Playdoh (edible)

Mix together 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1/2 cup white corn syrup, 6 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 cups powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup powdered milk. Knead well.

Finger Paint

Pour about a tablespoon of liquid tempera on laminate surface or large piece of shiny paper. Add a few drops of mild dish soap.

Pudding Finger Paint (edible)

Add food coloring to prepared vanilla pudding, and finger paint on a paper plate.

Egg Yolk Paint

Separate the yolk from the white of an egg. Put the yolk in a small cup, and save the white for another use. Mix a few drops of food coloring and teaspoon water with the yolk. Make several colors with more yolks. Use a small brush or cotton swab to paint. This paint dries with a glossy finish on paper. It can be used to paint cookies before they are baked.

Buttermilk or Condensed Milk Paint

Mix drops of food coloring with cup buttermilk or condensed milk. This creates pastel colors. Corn Syrup Paint Mix drops of food coloring with a small amount of corn syrup. Mix in small glass cups to see the translucent colors. This is sticky and glossy.

Bubbles

Mix together equal parts of water and Joy dishwashing soap. Make a wand by twisting a pipe cleaner into a circle with a handle.

From http://www.everythingpreschool.com/recipes/index.htm

Heather, Guest Blogger

Food your kid will eat

Yum Yum Rainbow Pasta:

3 C uncooked pasta (I use half whole wheat rotini spirals and half veggie rotini spirals)
2 C veggies (examples: mixed veggie pack, broccoli, etc. Whatever you have on hand works)

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbspn butter
1/4 C flour1
1/4 C milk
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C grated cheddar cheese (packed)
1/2 C butternut squash puree

Topping:

2 tbspn fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbspn fresh bread crumbs

Butternut Squash Puree:

1. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds
2. Place halves face down in a pan and cover with an inch of water
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour - be sure the "shell/skin" puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash "meat" out of the shell
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. I freeze in 1/2 C jars and then put one in the fridge the day before I want to make this.
6. I heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it is ready to use.

Directions:

1. Preheat to 350 degrees if you want to bake
2. Boil pasta according to directions, drain, mix a tiny bit of oil in to keep from sticking, and set aside.
3. Steam veggies, when done be sure to dry out with paper towels to keep pasta from getting soggy.

Sauce:

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour to make a paste, stir over low heat for 1 minute.
2. Gradually wisk in milk, bringing slowly to a boil on medium heat, cook until thickened, stirring constantly with a wisk.
3. Remove from heat and add butternut squash, nutmeg, and cheese (stirring after each addition).

Final Directions:

1. Pour pasta back in the empty pot, mix in veggies and sauce. From here you can serve if your child is starving. But I think it is better baking.
2. Pour into greased casserole dish
3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

Laura, Guest Blogger

Temporary Duty: Why Me?

It must be the holiday season because it's TDY time again. And this time, well, it's the same as usual. The house looks like a laundry bomb hit it as my husband "packed" for the trip. The kitchen shows signs of "going away" meals and the last bits of Thanksgiving clean-up. The kids are zooming around on the typical sugar-high and I'm on my own!

Sometimes I complain that I'm a single-parent at times like this, but this offends my husband. I suppose he has every right to be offended because it makes him sound like he's run off on an adventure without any care of what happens back at home. I understand that this literal fact is not true, but on the other hand, when the kids start throwing up, the homework needs to be done, the dinner needs to be cooked, professional responsibilties need to be tended to, the house needs cleaning, and the clothes are all dirty and need washing, for all intense purposes, it is true. I've got no back-up and, for some reason, TDY is often the time when the car starts falling apart or the kids need a middle-of-the-night ER trip. The main difference is that it is, thankfully, temporary.

As military spouses and parents, I think we do live a double-life. We have the life when our spouses are home and the life when they are gone. And, I think, they are two very different lives. Complete and incomplete. I stress out over upcoming TDYs and then stress out about settling back in when they are over. Just when you get the hang of things being one way, it's time for a chance.

While I'm amazingly blessed that Osan provides a unique support system unlike I've ever seen in my many years as a military spouse, the best support system in the world doesn't really change the fact that someone has to get up at three in the morning to change the sheets or if I'm having a spectacularly bad day, there's no relief and that can be a lonely place to be.

On the other hand, TDY time is also when we really find out what it means to be a support system. While we can't always fix every problem and be there for each other in the middle of the night, I know that, if I asked, someone would come and that helps. When I was talking to a new Osanite recently, she was concerned about what would happen if a medical emergency happened while she was so far from her family and I was able to say, without a second of doubt, that there would be help.

Sometimes I wonder how I can be so weak and dependant, then other times I'm amazed at how much strength I have at just "getting through". And, surprisingly, I do always "get through". Sometimes better than others, but always with new lessons learned and a new appreciation for the love and support around me.

More Cold Weather Indoor Fun

Before we know it, even colder days will set in, and you might not be inclined to take (or let) your children outdoors to play. How do you keep them entertained during the interminable days that seem to run into one another?

Here are some suggestions (stock up quickly!):

Play-doh

Markers

Water colors and/or tempera paints

Crayons

Construction paper

Coloring books

Brown paper bags

Cardboard boxes (for coloring, cutting, or making forts)

Glue

Scissors

What to do with all that stuff? Try That Artist Woman (http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/) for both seasonal and general crafts.

For particularly educational board games, try Guess Who, Cadoo, Hullaballoo, and Guesstures, which require children to speak in full sentences. Puzzles, bead kits, and other handiwork are great ways to work on fine motor skills for younger and older children.

For some indoor physical activity, try Twister, Kids Yoga DVDs (just search at Amazon and you will find a wide variety), or even Wii Fit.

And, you may even want to allow pillow fights and plenty of blanket-and-dining-room-chair forts to break up the monotony.

Also, remember that when you do go outdoors, skin protection is still important. Don’t forget sunscreen on exposed skin (at least moisturizer with SPF for your face) and sunglasses, even in the winter!

Kids & Money – International Currency

One of the advantages of living overseas is the educational opportunity for children and adults alike. When you come to Osan (or any other OCONUS), you are dealing not just in U.S. dollars, but the currency of the country in which you now live.

When our son asked if he could have “one hundred cents” from my husband’s bureau, we decided it was time to teach him about money around the world. Like most military families, you may have kept souvenirs of your travels in the form of local currency.

We pulled out our collection of international currency and our globe (if you do not have a globe, a map of the world will work too).

The money was separated by country and then we held up the different types of coins and bills against the countries that minted them. We compared the appearance of the money to that of other countries, noted similarities and differences, and talked about their values versus the U.S. dollar.

If exchange rates confuse you as much as they do me, try these websites for lesson plans and ideas for teaching children:

For younger children -

http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/international-currency-exchange-lesson-plan/

For older children –

http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Economics/ECO0201.html

The Allowance Question

As your child gets to a certain age, you might begin to ponder the question about allowance. When this question came up in our home recently, my husband and I asked ourselves the following:

• What is the purpose of paying an allowance?
• Should it be attached to household chores?
• Who manages the money?

We know that we both felt it was time to teach our child about money management, spending and saving. We felt that our child had gotten to the age where it was time to transition from giving into the “May I have’s” (when we felt it was prudent) to the “Well, do YOU have enough of your own money to buy what you want?” stage.

In my research, I found a variety of answers and wide range of diverse responses on the allowance question. We were able to make the decision that fits best with our views on how a family and household should work (and as this is new territory for us, I cannot know yet whether or not that decision is the one that will work for us in the long term).

I thought I would share my research with other parents, so families can decide what works best for them when they face this question.

Tip Jar – a child is given money based upon age (a young child may receive pocket change; an older child may be given dollar bills). The “tips” are based on work and merit. That is, a standard rate is placed in the jar for the child doing chores as he is told to do them, and a bonus is given if the child does the chores on his own (without being asked).

Here & There – a child is given a quarter here and there for good behavior, having a good day, doing various chores in the home, etc.

Chore or merit-based – a child is given an allowance based upon chores. This ranges widely as follows:

• Allowance for set chores in home
• Allowance for picking up after oneself
• Allowance for doing school work
• Bonuses earned for good behavior, extra work, not whining, etc.
• Allowance cut for misbehavior

No Allowance – this is fairly common; many parents feel that the home is shared and therefore all who live there are expected to clean up their own messes, regardless of any monetary incentive.

Extra Pay for Extra Work – in both the “no allowance” and “allowance” homes, children often earn extra pay for doing work above and beyond their normal chores. For example, they might be expected to keep their room clean and pick their toys up out of the living room in the normal course of things. However, to lend a hand with the laundry or washing dishes (if that is not one of their normal chores) would result in a bonus.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to deal with allowance and household responsibilities, and some of these methods are often combined with others.

An interesting book on the topic is First National Bank of Dad by David Owen, which actually suggests setting up a “bank account” for your child to help teach money management. The premise of the book is that the parents run a “bank” for their child(ren), with simple terms and strong incentives to save (a generous “interest rate”). It also suggests giving the children the freedom to manage their own money and learn from their mistakes. This is also something to consider even if you handle the allowance very simply – as parents we must decide if it is it better to bite our tongues and watch children blow a few weeks’ of hard-earned money on something cheap, breakable, or that will provide momentary pleasure (such as candy), and to let them see that earning more money takes a while, or if we should manage their money with a strong hand until we think they are mature enough to understand the system of earning, saving, and spending.

There is also the FDIC Money Smart program, which is a free financial education program on CD aimed at youth ages 12 to 20. I tried to order it, however the order form does not accommodate APO addresses. I used the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the FDIC website, which led me to a Customer Assistance Form, to express my disappointment and ask them to accommodate overseas military family orders. I received a response that they will be making this change to their website. However, if this is a program you think you would like to order, please do not hesitate to contact FDIC and remind them that there are more military families serving overseas who would like to be able to order it!

Hopefully each and every family will find the balance that works best for them!

Wendy, guest blogger

The ROK rocks

You might not have noticed that we have a great variety of rocks to check out right here on Osan Air Base. There are big ones, like the ones right out in front of Hallasan Tower, all the way down to small ones used for landscaping at Turumi, at the swimming pool, and in the little stone pagodas scattered around base. Almost all kids love rocks!

To start with, right in front of Hallasan, there are some nice big gneiss (pronounced 'nice'), which is a common metamorphic rock. You can see the mineral bands that have been curved as a result of tremendous heat and pressure inside the earth.

Also in front of Hallasan Tower are some nice chunks of igneous rocks, probably diorite. They are located around the mailbox. The benches in the entryway and the ones on the playground are made entirely of two different types of highly polished igneous rocks, probably diorite (the darker ends) and granite (the lighter bench portion).

And, don't ignore the little rocks! Pumice can be found in many places around base, like around the base of the electronic sign at Turumi. Many of these will float, at least for a little while, until the air holes fill with water. Nice smooth white Quartzite can also be found at Turumi: look near the bike racks as you come out of Rickenbackers. The smooth gray rocks in the pagodas are also probably a variety of quartzite. The small rocks are great for learning about rocks, but they also make awesome math manipulatives. Just put them back when you're done!

If you want to learn more about rocks, minerals or geology, check out these sites:

Kids OLR

Kidsgeo.com

Kidinfo.com

Breastfeeding: Getting off to a good start

There's no question that breastfeeding can be a little bit tricky, especially in the beginning, but the bottom line is that almost everyone can be successful at it. You might have to look around a little, but there are plenty of helpful resources available right here at Osan. Here's how to get off to a good start before the baby is even born, and how to find help if you need it.

First, get a good breastfeeding book and read it before the baby is born so you have some idea of what to expect. There are some at the OPN parenting library at the community center available for checkout, and the Osan Breastfeeding Support Group has a bunch of great books to share, too. Email osanbfsupport@gmail.com to ask about their library. If you want to buy a book, 'So That's What They're For', 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding', and 'The Breastfeeding Book' are excellent choices. These books have everything you need to know to get started and address all the common problems new moms face. If you are having a problem, you can be sure that many moms before you have had them too, and almost any nursing problem can be solved. Most moms find that their problems are pretty much resolved and breastfeeding is going smoothly by about six weeks, so give it a little time!

When you get to the hospital, tell the staff you will be breastfeeding and that you don't want your baby to have any artificial nipples, formula, or glucose water. The 121 is pretty good about helping new parents out, and you can read a firsthand account of one new mom's experience here. If you are looking for alternatives to the 121, check out the 'resources' tab at Birthing In Korea.

Once the baby is born, try nursing as soon as possible. Newborns tend to have an alert period for an hour or two right after birth, and this is the best time to get started. Some babies will latch right on and never look back, but don't expect a lot right at first; some babies will just nuzzle or lick on the first try. To start, gently guide his or her head to the nipple while supporting the breast. The baby's mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip in the pouty position. If it hurts, don't be afraid to ask for help right away; problems are easily corrected if you address them immediately, but the longer they go on, the harder they are to fix. Probably the biggest worry most new moms have is whether the baby is getting enough milk. In most cases, the answer is yes. Click here and here for some things to look for to make sure.

Nurse on demand for the first few months. This means whenever the baby wants, for however long they want, day or night. Don't waste your valuable energy trying to get on a schedule. Babies often will drift into some sort of predictable schedule with little or no effort on your par, and if yours isn't one of them, you can tackle it a little later when you're getting more sleep. Avoid introducing a bottle or pacifier until nursing is well established, and skip them entirely if it suits you. Some babies will quickly develop a preference for an artificial nipple, because the flow is faster and takes less effort. If this happens, it can be difficult to reestablish nursing.

Korea is a great place for breastfeeding; you may have noticed nursing rooms at the shopping malls and rest stops, and you won't be made to feel uncomfortable nursing in public. If you're on any military base (or any U.S. Government facility of any kind) you are expressly permitted to nurse anyplace you are otherwise authorized to be, so nurse away! At Osan, moms often use the BX dressing rooms or the furniture department to nurse if they prefer a private area.

Contact osanbfsupport@gmail.com or join the yahoo group to find out about meetings and other resources. Here are some good online resources:

La Leche League

Kelly Mom

Breastfeeding in Combat Boots (especially for active duty moms)

Happy nursing!

Open letter to an Osan family

The military is a hard life. For the active duty member, for the spouse, and especially for the kids, who didn't choose this life. There are ton of generalizations you can make about military kids- some of them are positive, some are negative. On the positive side, they are great at making friends and adapting to change. You can drop them off in a foreign country and they'll fit in in a flash. On the negative side, military kids are often troubled by constant moves, loss of friends, absence of a parent, and fear of loss. To make matters worse, military parents may resist getting help for their kids, because they think it appears weak, because they don't realize there's a problem, because they don't trust military assistance, or maybe even because they're worried they might not get an overseas clearance for their next assignment. These attitudes are understandable, but potentially very harmful to our children and our families.

This afternoon, I chanced upon a kid peeing in the stairwell in Hallasan Tower. I was so shocked that he was able to take off before I could even figure out what to say. I didn't recognize him, and my efforts to identify him have apparently failed. I know he's not unique, because a friend of mine saw a kid relieving himself on a slide at the Hallasan playground a few weeks ago. Lest you think I'm overreacting, this kid was at least eight, and likely ten; not a toddler or pre-schooler who couldn't make it to the bathroom, as was the one my friend saw. Because I am concerned about these kids (and because I don't care to live in a place where I have to wade through human waste to get to the playground or mailbox), I'd like to share an open letter to the parents of this kid and other kids who are like him, who are showing signs that they are seriously troubled. If you think you might know who the kid is and just don't want to say, please at least reach out to the family and offer your help.

Dear Parents,

I'm worried about your kid. I saw him peeing in the stairwell, and that tells me he likely has a serious emotional problem. Maybe things have been slowly getting worse at your house for a long time, and now they've been so bad for so long that this seems normal. Sure, kids of all ages do all kinds of ridiculous, thoughtless and messy things, but acting out in this way is NOT normal behavior. Click here to see some of the characteristics of troubled children. They include inappropriate aggression, and peeing in the common areas of our community definitely belongs in this category.

If some of the signs look familiar (aggression, age-inappropriate behavior, deteriorating performance/behavior, attention issues), please seek help for your family right away. While it can be difficult to get the help you need here, there are things you can do. Family Advocacy has resources that can help, or look for some online assistance at Military One Source, or other online communities such as MilitarySOS.com. Talk to his teacher to see how he acts in school; maybe a counselor or school nurse could provide some help. Try the chapel or a pastor at one of our local off-base churches. Google for information, or order some books, or ask a trusted friend or family member to assist you. Don't be afraid to break the silence; the stakes are high, and your kid is depending on you to help him. Nothing is more important.

I'm not just a community member disgusted and annoyed by pee outside my door; I'm someone who is worried about your child. He is crying out for help. Please listen.

Anna, guest blogger

Fall Nature Activities around Osan

Fall has come to Korea! The pumpkins are in at the commissary, the leaves are turning color, and the gingko stinkberries are covering the ground. We are still getting some nice days to get out and get some fresh air, so take advantage of the pleasant weather while you can! It was really cold and windy by the end of October both last year and the year before.

Here are some fun ideas:

Do a fall nature walk- make a list of things to find and give each kid a bag. Even the littlest ones will love to collect things. Leaves of different colors, pinecones, bugs, and rocks are easy to find. Even stinkberries, if you're brave! Take a sketch pad and draw pictures of what you see: birds, trees that are losing their leaves, tree barks with different textures. Click here, here and here for some more ideas.

We don't have a lot of places here where we can really get outside, but here are a few you can try: the garden (located behind the hospital and in back of the PDE/School Age building), the lawn in front of Turumi, the MVV playground and surrounding areas, and the little park by the pool.

And for those days when it IS too cold to go out, get a bag of the mini-pumpkins at the commissary and let the kids go crazy decorating them with markers or poster paint, then make some hot chocolate and popcorn and enjoy the indoors!

Babywarming

Winter is almost here! It's hard to believe when it's been so beautiful, but the cold weather is probably only a few weeks away. And if you haven't been here for a winter yet, you might be surprised by how cold and windy it gets. If you wear your baby on your back, you can keep him or her warm for practically free with a do-it-yourself toasty baby sack. The instructions below were originally posted last winter and several of our Osan moms loved them!

Maybe you’ve seen Anna Jane and Jane tooling around lately in a fabulous new black and green coat. What you might not know is that Anna Jane made the coat during a single naptime with a coat she got at the thrift store! The thrift store will be open this Saturday, and there are plenty of coats still available, as well as fleece jackets and pants that can be cut up to add the baby sack. Choose a contrasting color for a fun visual effect, or make it match. Veteran Osanites tell me we’re probably in for weeks or months of bundling up weather, so don’t worry about having to put your coat away too quickly.

Here is a link to the directions, and here are Anna Jane’s tips after successfully completing the coat:

• Definitely use a coat with a silky lining so the baby slides through easily!
• Measure out where your baby's head will actually come out of the coat. I pinned it a few spots and tried it on without Jane, but with the "image of where she'd be" in my mind until I got the hole for the head in the right place.
• Make sure the fleece "stretches" width wise not length wise so that the baby is hugged when you put it on.
• Stretch the top panel taut when you sew it so that the back of the coat is more snug.
• Stroll around ‘town’ showing off your toasty tot and your sewing skills!

OPN info

OSAN PARENT NETWORK (OPN)

www.osanparentnetwork.com

Check out our website or contact osanparents@gmail.com for more info!

OPN offers:

Regular playgroups

Puppet Group

Breastfeeding support group meetings: contact osanbfsupport@gmail.com

Parenting library: free checkout on tons of great titles at community center (front room next to the fish tank). Contact osanparents@gmail.com for more information

Regular swap parties: Get rid of our old kids clothes, gear, toys, household items and more, and get great new to you stuff for free!

Communication network:

· Join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osanparentnetwork/ for tons of great Osan info and to connect with other Osan parents

· Join http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OsanBFSupport/ for breastfeeding support

· Join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osanswapmeet/ for our online swap meet. Buy, sell and trade with other Osanites

We hope you enjoy our community blog for all kinds of Osan news, tips, parenting information, kids activities and more. Contact osanparents@gmail.com if you are interested in guest blogging!

Homeschooling: A Brief Primer

Reasons for and styles of homeschooling are as unique as each individual military family. There are several homeschooling families at Osan. Chances are you have encountered one of us, whether you realized it or not.

I would like to address some popular misconceptions about homeschooling, and share a little about why and how it might be done.

Misconceptions

1. All homeschoolers do so for religious reasons – very untrue. Religion does not always factor into the decision, nor are all homeschoolers conservative Christians. We are also Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Agnostic, and Atheist, just to name a few possibilities.

2. Homeschoolers deprive their children of “socialization” – absolutely not. We are always on the go along with the rest of society. We run errands, meet in co-ops and support groups, go on field trips, visit the library, meet for playdates, scouts, sports, and more.

(Personally, I’m still waiting for someone to prove that children who go to public school somehow benefit socially from sitting in silence or standing quietly in line for several hours a day.)

3. Homeschool families have many children – our families come in all shapes and sizes. We happen to be an adamant only child family, while others feel the more, the merrier.

4. Children who are homeschooled are prodigies or geniuses – we wish! Homeschooled children range in abilities and talents. Also, many parents find that homeschooling children with learning disabilities or autism is more beneficial than placing them in public school. One on one attention can work wonders for all children.

Reasons for Homeschooling

I can only address our personal reasons. For me, I simply feel that the one-size fits all system of education is inadequate. The current way of doing things in a typical classroom puts boys at a disadvantage (check out The Minds of Boys by Michael Gurian if you want to learn more).

This isn’t to say that boys in public schools can not thrive; they certainly can and do!

But public school fails to take the needs of the individual child into account. They are simply incapable. Thus some parents choose to take their child’s education into their own hands.

My husband’s reason is that he is tired of schools teaching children what to think as opposed to how to think. This lack of acceptance of critical reasoning skills in public school is his main reason for wanting to homeschool our son.

Reasons can be varied and numerous, or simple. They can be religious or academic, social or practical. The reasons may be based on the child’s or family’s needs, lifestyle, morals, or ethics. If you want to know why someone homeschools, ask them. It will give you insight into their choice, but it will not be the same response for every family.

Style, Method, Approach

Perhaps you picture homeschool families sitting around a table, doing their work, or at little desks in a homemade classroom. Maybe you think we get out of bed at 5 or 6 a.m., like a family preparing for a public school day.

These scenarios are possible, but not the most likely. Homeschooling takes various forms. Some words you might see or hear are classical, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, or unschooling.

Some methods are academically rigorous, which others are child-led. Some focus on reading and language, while others focus on nature study.

Homeschoolers may get up early in the morning or sleep in, get to work immediately in the morning or take their time accomplishing educational tasks.

One thing many homeschoolers seem to agree on is that our “school day” is far shorter, yet richer, than that of a public school day. Within 4 hours, we can complete lessons for math, reading, writing, poetry or literature, science, history, art or music, and foreign language. This often includes nature study outdoors, rather than through books, computers or television, a visit to an historic site, and/or a trip to the library.

This sort of one-on-one academic attention leaves plenty of time in the day for a trip to the beach or playground, a picnic or time with friends, a concert or visit to the theater, and so much more.

Homeschooling is experiential more often than not, which is what tends to give our children their academic edge. They are not sitting in a classroom hearing about a subject, but often exploring the subject with all their senses.

In the end, we are doing the same things as any public school family – that which we feel is best for our child(ren).

If you're interested in learning more, ask us at osanparents@gmail.com and we can put you in touch with some Osan homeschooling families and resources.

Wendy, guest blogger

Cloth Diapers??!?!

What are you, crazy? Cloth diapers? No one uses cloth diapers!

It might surprise you to learn that there are quite a few families here at Osan that use cloth diapers. If the only cloth diapers you've ever seen are those white rectangles that you pin with big sharp pins and cover with plastic underwear, you will definitely be surprised to see the new cloth diapers. Here's a post from the blog of one of our ex-Osan moms describing her first experience with clothies. Just so you know, she is now a cloth diaper ADDICT.

Cloth diapers can save a significant amount of money. Check out this post for some real-life calculations. They are better for the environment, and they save me from having to take the garbage out twice a day. I've definitely noticed a reduction in my garbage volume, too.

I know, I know: You are thinking, 'But they're so gross! What about the poop?' But you know what? It's just not that big of a deal. I have been doing it for about a year and a half, and perhaps twice I have been briefly disgusted. I use a flushable liner and just toss the poop in the toilet, liner and all. The liners are pretty sturdy and I rinse out the ones that are just wet and reuse them.

So maybe you want to give it a try. The first thing you will find out is that it can be very confusing on first glance. There are several different types of cloth diapers with varying costs and advantages. Here is a link that describes the various types. And here are the basics:

Prefolds- prefolds are the cheapest diapers. They are the old-fashioned type rectangles that are fastened with pins or a snappi. They require a waterproof cover.

Fitted or contour diapers- a shaped diaper that fastens with velcro or snaps. Also requires a waterproof cover. Motherease and Cricketts are popular brands.

Pocket diaper- a diaper shaped pocket with waterproof material on the outside and a soft skin-friendly layer on the inside. An absorbent hemp or microfleece pad is placed inside. Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heinies and Bum Genius are popular choices.

I use pocket diapers, mostly Happy Heinies (nice because they are one size fits all and you can use them for a newborn and a toddler), Swaddlebees and Green Acre Designs. I have about 30 and I wash them about every three days. I keep the dirty ones in a closed hamper in the laundry room. To wash them, I do a rinse cycle with vinegar, then a hot wash with oxi-clean and a small amount of gentle detergent, then an extra rinse and a hot dry cycle. The water here on base has something in it that builds up on the diaper inserts, making them less absorbent, so every couple of washes I use some baking soda to strip it out. Too much detergent will also build up on the inserts and make the diapers smell with use, so I use just a little bit.

For wipes, I use squares of flannel moistened with a mix of water, baby wash, vegetable oil and tea tree oil, which I keep in an empty glass juice jar. Here's some 'recipes'.

Of course, cloth diapers cannot be purchased here and must be bought online. The BX does sell the Gerber brand of white rectangles but those are good for nothing except dish towels. Here are some online stores Osan parents have had good luck with:

Jillian's Drawers
Nicki's Diapers
Barefoot-Eco

If you want to learn more, email me through osanparents@gmail.com or check out the links below.

Diaperpin.com
Dirtydiaperlaundry.com
Real Diaper Association

Anna, guest blogger

Got Pinkeye?

The pinkeye is going around AGAIN. Or still. Whichever. At my house, it always seems to start up on Friday evening of a long weekend. Even if I can get the ointment or the drops when we need them, it would be more fun to poke my own eyes with a stick than to try to get them in my kids' eyes.

This last time, I tried some natural remedies and had good luck. There are many common things you can try: tea bags, apple cider vinegar, and breast milk just to name a few. The kids even had fun with it. It's not 'medicine', and it's not every day you can put tea bags on your eyes or whip up your own tonic in the kitchen. And, there are similar effective remedies for many other common ailments.

Here are a couple of links with pinkeye remedies, or try a web search for 'natural remedies conjunctivitis' or 'alternative treatment pink eye'.

Home Remedies For You

Natural Cures

Saying Goodbye to Friends

Well, you can tell from the moving vans and the happy faces around base that PCS season is here again. This is the first time my kids (4 and 2) will be old enough to miss friends that are leaving.

Surprisingly, I could only find a limited amount of information on helping small kids through the loss of their friends. What is available is geared mostly towards older kids (like this) and about helping kids prepare for moving themselves, but I wasn't able to find anything about preparing little kids for their friends moving away.

Here is a nice article from military.com that includes some tips and a list of kids books that might be helpful if you are PCS'ing:

Military.com article

If you're staying here, like we are, share your tips in the comments for helping your kids say goodbye to the good friends they've made here.

Anna, guest blogger

Get your kids to do what you want!

'I don't wanna brush my teeth!'

'YOU pick the toys up!'

'I'm bored!'

Are they driving you crazy? Here's an idea for a sneaky way to get them to do your bidding and LIKE it:

Get some index cards or other small pieces of paper; even an old deck of cards will work.

Write down the tasks you want done, one on each card. Make them fun (pick up all the blue toys, all the toys with wheels, all the hard toys, all the soft, toys, all the red toys, all the toys that make noise, etc.).

They'll love picking a card and doing what it says. Try a deck for whatever you have trouble with- the morning routine, getting ready for bed, or clean up time.

For a 'boredom' deck, think up some things you don't usually do that would be easy. Make lemonade, get out some scarves and play animals, blow bubbles in the bathroom, make a fort out of boxes. A physical activity deck could help them expend some energy: jump up and down ten times, run down the hall as fast as you can, spin around in circles, throw balls into a container.

The sky's the limit!