Green Oasis

Five Things

2009-07-01T21:02:51Z

I am grateful for…

… time off from work that reminds me that I am not my job (and takes me far enough out of my routine that I forgot to post one of these on Monday).
… time spent at the park with my family and my nice niece and her family.
… a clean house.
… girls who regularly astound me with how much they’re learning and the wonderful people that they’re becoming.
… the scary realization that people at work put a lot of trust in me.

Five Things

2009-05-11T17:16:38Z

Today, I am grateful for…

… the end of a semester that frees me to study what I choose at my own pace.
… healthy children.
… the mother of my children.
… my mother.
… my new-found positive outlook.

To Reward or Not To Reward

2009-03-07T01:10:00Z

I never tell my daughters “Good job!” or “You’re so smart!”

Am I a bad parent?

Instead of giving bland, meaningless praise, I prefer to say things like “That really looks like an elephant!” or “You’ve learned the alphabet!” so that we can celebrate their successes together. They learn to take satisfaction in what they do for its own sake rather than as a means to earn my praise. Being labeled smart as a child wasn’t an unqualified good in my life. It would have done me more good to learn to enjoy the fruits of achievement.

The New York Times has an interesting article about the current debate about whether rewarding children helps modify behavior in the long run. Rewards often work in the short term, but children seem to revert (or digress) once rewards are no longer forthcoming.

You can tell what I believe about rewards. We’ll see what the science has to say.

Five Things

2009-02-23T21:16:55Z

I’m grateful for …

… the chance to find a companion with whom I can share each day of my life, who has the strength and flexibility to stick with me through thick and thin.
… the opportunity to work with computers. I had no idea early in life that I would become a computer geek, but here I am.
… the chance to watch two brilliant girls grow up.
… a headache that seems like it will only last half of Monday.
… a job (perhaps I should leave it at that, but I’m also thankful for a job …) that lets me get up and take a walk when my brain gets fried.

Five Things

2009-01-19T18:26:30Z

I’m thankful that my wife and I have found a way to balance our differing religious beliefs. I have heard about many that haven’t been as fortunate. One thing that helped is the chapter on mixed marriages in Parenting Beyond Belief.
I am grateful for the warm sunshine on my face as I study outside.
I am grateful to be alive.
I am thankful for the time that I’ve been able to spend with my family this long weekend. I had a fun date with my wife and have this holiday to spend a little extra time with my girls.
I am grateful that we will have a new president tomorrow. I hope that it will represent a real improvement in national leadership.

3-2-1 Contact!

2009-01-09T00:39:32Z

It’s funny how television programs from childhood can embed themselves in the unconscious. I watch the 3-2-1 Contact intro and it’s as if the last 20 years never happened. I remember every snippet of the montage: the water drop, the kissed baby, the frog, the trampoline, everything.

(via kottke.org)

Five Things for which I Am Grateful Today

2008-12-16T18:27:33Z

I am thankful for the friendship that I share with my wife. This may sound kind of pathetic, but so be it. Lacey is my first real best friend.
I am thankful to be able to watch my children grow up, to share in their joys and pains. The experience has made me a more selfless, more caring person. It’s hard to overestimate how much of who I am now is a result of them.
I had a sore throat for a few days this week. Nothing too horrible, just enough to make sleeping uncomfortable. I would remind myself that the pain that I felt was a good sign that I was still alive. Sometimes this trick would work, and instead of focusing on the pain, I would focus on how grateful I am to have my turn in the sun. I’m happy that my turn isn’t over yet and thankful for aches and pains to remind me how lucky I am.
I am grateful for public libraries. Money is tight, and so is space in our humble house. Thank goodness for the public libraries that support my learning habit when I can’t buy books.
Thank you to all those who have sacrificed in the defense of my liberties. The road to human liberty has been long and there is still a journey ahead. Progress has only been made through the sacrifice and strength of others. I live freely because of those others who have sacrificed for our freedoms.

XO

2008-11-21T18:47:24Z

Shhh. Don’t tell them: we got our firstborn and a child in the developing world XO laptops for Christmas. The current economic situation made us think long and hard, but we decided that its a good investment in the children of the world. You get a laptop for yourself and give one laptop to another child. (Or you can just give a laptop if you don’t want one for yourself.) The laptops are specially designed for children to allow them to learn, create, and collaborate.

The one feature among many that set its hooks in this code geek father’s heart is that the child can view and modify the source code for the programs they use with a simple keypress. Be still my heart!

A community of enthusiasts stands ready to support others in using the laptop.

Zimi says thank you.

Children and Cancer

2008-09-26T16:20:06Z

The Big Picture shares heartbreaking photographs of children suffering from cancer in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Just last night we gave a pittance to the Make a Wish Foundation. Now I wish we had given more.

Reviews in 50 Words or Less: Parenting Beyond Belief

2008-08-25T20:29:21Z

As a newly minted atheist father, I worried about how to teach my children. Parenting Beyond Belief convinced me that teaching my children to be freethinkers was not only acceptable but preferable, even beautiful.