Get Your Family Outside…for your health!

It seems simple enough, but honestly families just don’t spend much time outdoors any longer. It’s true that the weather may be miserable where you are right now, but it’s not that way all year round. It may even be different tomorrow.

But why is it so important? Why do we push GYFO (get your family outside)? And why do we live it?

We’re not “tree-hugging.” We’re not entirely against television and electronics. We are, however, very active and spend most of our time outside, whether at home, a park, or a campground. If our boys had their way, we’d virtually live outside.

But those are just personal reasons we push GYFO. There are other very real health-related reasons as well. It has been proven that kids that are raised on farms or some other agricultural area have no or far fewer allergies than those brought up in cities or spend most of their time in the home, day-care, or some other building. It’s not because they’re genetically wired that way; it’s because their immune system was strengthened by early exposure to spores, dust, dirt, pollen, and the like.

This isn’t saying it’s too late if your kids are older, nor is it too late for you! Our immune system is constantly changing. Sometimes it weakens, other times it gets stronger.

Any exposure to the outdoors will help you feel better and generally stay healthier, not just because of those natural germs but also because the sun provides natural energy! And if you have a difficult time getting out of bed or waking up in the morning, open your window and let the sun shine in. Better yet, grab your cup of coffee, tea, or OJ and drink it outside. It’s not the harsh rays burning your retina that’s waking you up; the sunlight will actually have a chemical effect on your brain, naturally waking and energizing you to start your day.

Furthermore, there’s a chance that the air outside is less polluted than the air inside your home.

It should also go without saying that you are just more active when you’re outside, no matter what you’re doing. Sweeping that porch, weeding that garden, picking up after your dog (we know, not a great example, but you’re still moving!), pushing your kid on the swing, anything! Being outdoors gives your body healthful nutrients like Vitamin D (no more than 30 minutes without sunscreen though), which also provides energy (Vitamin D deficiency is a known cause of diseases and lack of energy), and it’s much better for your vision than watching the boob tube or looking at the computer monitor.

When you’re indoors, you’re either doing housework (not fun, but not necessarily a bad thing either) or you’re stationary. You’re more likely to get active if you’re outside. That laundry can wait until the kids are asleep. We’ve perfected the wash-dry-throw-on-the-bed-and-fold-later routine. We figure it takes little time to sort laundry and either put it in the washer or transfer it to the dryer (the boys have fun helping me too); the tedious part of folding can definitely wait–family comes first, and daylight is only available for a certain number of hours.

By the way, your kids will do what you do. You remember the first time your child said that four-letter word and you gasped in horror (I know I did!). He either picked it up from TV, another adult, or you. He’s only saying what you said or he heard; he doesn’t necessarily know it’s cursing. So if you get outside and get active, not only will you get more energy, lose weight, or have fun, but so will your children.

When we go to the playground, our kids always asks why the other mommies/daddies aren’t going down the slide with their kids. And if only we had a dime for every time we’re playing follow-the-leader on the playground cat walk and some kid stops us to say, “I wish my Mom would come up here, like you,” and then join in our game.

They want and need you to be involved. But if you’re just sitting on that bench, typing or talking away on your cell phone or toying around with that iPad, then your child will begin to lose interest in physical activity too. However, if you put down the electronics and get active, your child will always do the same. He or she will want to watch Sponge Bob and play video games far less often, if at all. There really is more to do and see outside, and before you know it you may even stop hearing about the TV and computer, Play Station, and so forth. Our boys beg to go outside!

Finally, there’s really such a thing as Nature Deficit Disorder. Although not (yet) recognized by the medical community, it’s a hypothesis that humans–especially children–are spending more time indoors and less time outside and in nature, resulting in behavioral and health issues. The blame lies not only in widely-available electronics; parents also have a fear of germs, dirt, bugs, and many other all-natural elements. Whether or not this hypothesis is correct, the fact it’s now given a label is quite disturbing.

These are just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of why you should GYFO. Next week we’ll get into some other reasons why you and your family should spend more time outside.

Stay healthy,

Family Bandage

Homeschooling An Only Child: What About Socializing?

Bandage Mom met the mother of a beautiful 2-year-old girl today. Her daughter is an only child and may not be able to have any siblings. She mentioned that she was interested in one day homeschooling her little girl, but she was concerned that it may not be possible if she’s an only child. She was concerned that her child would not know what it’s like to play, learn, or socialize with other kids.

She focused especially on the “s” word: socializing.

With two boys, we can’t tell you about homeschooling an only child from a first-hand perspective. However, from the outside looking in, we can most-certainly say that it’s not only possible but probable to successfully homeschool an only child. Our sons have met other homeschooled only children, and they’re just as capable of playing, learning, and socializing with other kids as those who have one or multiple siblings.

With that said, it’s important to properly define “socializing” and understand why homeschooled kids generally have better social skills than kids who attend traditional, charter, or private schools. We’re not putting down those who attend schools or their social skills. After all, Bandage Mom and Dad both attended public school. Just stick with us here to see what we’re getting at.

Depending on where you get your definition and how the term is used, socialize means “to mix socially with others” and “to make one behave in a way that is acceptable to others or their surroundings.” Generally, schools focus on the second definition; they socialize children with others their own age and train them to act as they deem appropriate. Thanks, but we’d rather not.

Homeschooling enables kids to be socialized according to the first definition. Homeschooled kids mix and mingle with children and adults of various ages, intellect, gender, background, ethnicity, profession, and so on. This can take place at the playground, the library, a zoo, a science center or museum, at the post office, in the grocery store, on the bus… Socializing takes place anywhere and everywhere!

So why does that “s” word always pop up as a concern for homeschooled kids?

For some reason, a homeschooled child generally equates to a loner and somebody kept away from the rest of the world. Seriously?!

Homeschooled kids–whether an only child or one of five children in a family–tend to go to, experience, and see more than traditionally-schooled kids. Need any examples?

Our boys have been to Target at 10am on a Wednesday and had the chance to mingle and socialize with a bus-load of elderly and handicapped ALF residents that were there on their weekly trip to the store. We were only there to pick up a couple of things, but our boys spent about an hour talking to and joking with almost every one of those individuals. Our boys put smiles on each of their faces as well as their own!

One of our boys’ favorite things is construction. We like to pack a picnic lunch and head out to watch roads getting repaired, buildings being erected, and carnival rides getting put together. We can do this any time of the day, and more often than not they get to meet the foreman or supervisor and ask tons of questions. And by the way, we’ve never met anybody that didn’t want to answer their questions or be watched while they work.

We’re fortunate that Bandage Dad’s job enables him to have every other Friday off. Weekdays are the best time to visit places like museums, zoos, sanctuaries, and such. The crowds are slim because most kids are in school and parents are working. We take advantage of having every other Friday available to go to these places…and that’s when we usually run into other homeschoolers!

As far as playing and learning well with others, that happens naturally so long as they’re given the opportunity to visit the library, playground, park, and such. Kids with siblings get along with other kids no better than only children. The only difference may be the frequency with which an only child is with others. The solution really is simple: take your child to the library story time or arts-and-crafts; visit the mall or store for more than just shopping (better yet, go without the intention to buying anything); find out about local homeschool groups in your area, but don’t feel obligated to stay with just any one; attend community events and gatherings; check out community centers for programs and sports; randomly start up conversations with other parents–you never know who else also homeschools and is looking for a connection!

There are endless ways to get your child “socialized” and give him or her the chance to play and learn with others. Don’t focus so much on the age or gender, as is the case in school. It’s true that a 3-year-old and another preschooler may play together more easily than a 3-year-old and a 12-year-old, but give it a chance. After all, when your child turns 18 and eventually gets a job, he or she won’t be working strictly with other 18-year-olds! Did you?

Yes, an only child can be homeschooled! There’s no limit to what he or she may be able to do, learn, or accomplish…unless you limit them. But that’s part of the reason to homeschool, right? Don’t let that “s” word scare or intimidate you. Be proud of how you socialize your homeschooler, and be grateful he or she isn’t socialized the way schools do!

With an open mind,

Family Bandage

Wekiva Falls KOA and Groupon go together nicely!

We cashed in another Groupon over the weekend, this time at Wekiva Falls KOA in Sorrento, FL (near Sanford, north of the Orlando area). Not only was the Groupon more than worth what we paid, but if Wekiva Falls is any indication we discovered why KOA is so popular!

Our experience was amazing!

Check-in was a breeze and all of the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, not only escorting us to our campsite (they do that for everybody) but also taking the time to warn us about the family of black bears that live in the area, so we’re not to leave food or garbage out.

Our Groupon was for 3 days/2 nights, a two-hour canoe ride, a $10 credit at the tiki bar, and late check-out (7pm!)…and we’re all in agreement that we would have loved to have stayed much longer!

The campground isn’t for those who want to rough it, although there are some primitive campsites there. This campground is for those who want to experience camping in a convenient and simplified manner. Although Bandage Mom and Dad prefer roughing it, we know the campground made it that much easier to keep the boys happy and entertained.

You can find out all of the amenities at the campground’s website (provided above and on our website), so we’re not going to list everything here. Instead, we’ll go through what we did.

We arrived around 3pm on Friday (check-in is 2pm). Once we got set up and returned from a quick trip to the local Walmart for an additional drinking hose (the sites are full hookup and the hose we had couldn’t reach the faucet), we met one of our neighbors (another family of four who also got their reservation deal via Groupon) and then went exploring.

Our boys quickly fell in love with the playground, which was a lengthy-but-comfortable walking distance from our campsite. Located near the playground is the campground’s convenience store, which sells just about everything you could want or need during your stay–and they didn’t exactly gouge you with their prices ($1.50 for a 16-oz bottle of soda, $18 for a 25-foot RV water hose, $16 for a 12-pack of cans of beer, ice cream sandwiches and treats for $1.50, just for a few examples). The closest Walmart is 15 minutes away (Publix and Ace Hardware are 10 minutes away), so depending on your mode of transportation and how much gas it consumes, you may be better off buying what you need at the KOA store.

After we ate dinner, it was pretty dark, so we grabbed our flashlights and went exploring. We found the boat launch and canoe rental location…which is also at the tiki bar. Across the way from the tiki bar is the bon fire, where karaoke was taking place (both that evening and the next). We also found a nature trail and decided to walk that before returning to the bon fire and karaoke. Although we opted not to torment others with our singing (dis-)abilities, our boys had loads of fun dancing to just about every song.

Once we returned for the evening and the boys were asleep, Bandage Mom and Dad lit the camp fire (above-ground contained fires are welcomed, although pits are not provided, so bring your own; we have a small charcoal grille that we bought last year at Walmart) and admired the amazing surroundings, beautiful sky, and cool weather.

Just before 5am the next morning, our oldest son woke up to use the bathroom. Bandage Dad was then working on him falling asleep again while Bandage Mom returned to the screen wall of our bed (our travel trailer is a hybrid and we sleep in the fold-out tent bed). Mom noticed a couple walking their two large dogs about 20-25 yards away…when suddenly the dogs started barking, the couple started retreating with their dogs, and the woman started screaming, “Oh my god! Somebody help us!” Of course, Bandage Mom sat up with a start…only to see a very large black bear charging towards the couple and their dogs! Now, the bear DID NOT attack the couple or the dogs; she was scaring them off to protect her cubs. Of course, Mom’s excitement woke up the boys and we all stared out looking for the bear. Only Bandage Dad saw it; the boys were disappointed.

The next day, the campground was all buzzing about the bears that had been out until almost 8am! The ground’s staff was busy cleaning up from the garbage cans that had been knocked over, the very large piles of bear feces, and the tree limbs and leaves that had come down from the oak tree that the bears used as their bed and gymnasium the night before and that morning.

After breakfast we decided to try swimming at the sulfur springs. Brrrr! While the water was a chilly 72 degrees–and didn’t smell that great–it was beautiful! We had a lot of fun swimming, splashing around, and chasing fish. Our oldest son even attempted one of the two large water slides situated in the center of the water…only to freeze up when he hit the water because of a combination of the frigid temperature and his uneasiness with the enclosed slide.

After we were all pretty chilled, we went to the much-warmer swimming pool, located at the club house…directly across the street from our campsite. Bandage Mom then returned to the trailer to make lunch and then we all went for another walk around the campground. (Hiking is one of our favorite things to do.)

We ended up walking the entire campground, making a complete loop from our site, around the perimeter, to the tiki bar and boat launch, back up to the playground, up and around the creek (which leads to the spring), and back to the campground, collecting firewood along the way.

The boys made fast friends with the 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy in the site next to us, and while we chatted with their parents, the kids all played together. After we all ate dinner, the eight of us decided to take the night walk to the tiki bar together. We still had our credit to use, as did they.

On the way to the tiki bar, we heard something in one of the trees we had just passed. We turned around in time to see a bear cub sliding down from it…only feet from us! Although he was more afraid of us than we were of him, the kids were all still pretty startled. Regardless, we continued to the tiki bar, where we used up our credit and enjoyed the nearby bon fire and karaoke. On the way back we watched a parade of paper lanterns getting released into the air at the club house lawn by the KOA residents. It was their way of celebrating Halloween together.

We returned from the lantern show and decided to roast marshmallows with our neighbors at their travel trailer. At some point, Bandage Mom decided to walk towards the oak tree that had housed the bear family early that same morning. Mom noticed something dark on the ground below it. When we shined a flashlight in that direction, we noticed it was one of the garbage cans…already knocked over! Then everybody heard a rustling sound high up in the tree. Sure enough–the mother bear was up there. After awhile, she climbed down, ran down the embankment, crossed the creek, and joined one of her cubs on the other side. In that one evening, we saw three bears!

The next day we joined our neighboring family and we all went canoeing. It was a beautiful and very leisure trip. We saw dozens of streaked-head turtles sunning themselves on logs, and we found an alligator drifting in one of the marshes, apparently trying to look like a floating log. The water was calm, clean, and beautiful, and the weather was amazing.

We finally departed around 5pm, although our checkout wasn’t scheduled until 7pm. Our neighboring family left shortly before us, as did the couple that was behind us (a very nice couple from the same county we live in). The couple on the other side of us are permanent residents, living there in their beautiful class A RV for two months now.

Although we never ventured into the clubhouse during our stay, it appeared to always be busy. If you don’t want to camp at this KOA, you can visit for the day. There are many picnic tables surrounding the land that overlooks the swimming lagoon, and whether they were KOA residents, weekend campers, or daytime visitors, everybody was friendly and appeared to be having an amazing time.

Again, this is not a campground for those who wish to rough it and find things to do on your own. If your family would like to experience camping for the first time, this is a wonderful way of easing into the hobby. There are cabins for rent as well.

Wekiva Falls KOA is a very clean, laid-back, fun-loving “kampground.” We would definitely recomment them, especially if you can get a deal through Groupon or Half Off Depot.

Whatever you do though, don’t leave out food or your garbage. There really are bears there!