Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Cost of Gas and Education

A few weeks ago I was traveling back from West Virginia and I decided to check the accuracy of the gas gauge in my car. On the control panel is a button to push that tells me how many more miles I can travel before I run out of fuel. I was on that long stretch of I-68, East of Cumberland, Maryland , where there were no gas stations. So, I pushed beyond my comfort level.

Finally, with only 20 miles of gas left, I pulled off the highway in search of petrol.

I drive a late model Jeep Wrangler with a six cylinder engine. Filling it up that day with a near empty tank cost around $74. Shocking! I was unprepared for my first experience of $70+ for a tank of gas.

As gas approaches $4 per gallon in Delaware, it helps to keep our costs in perspective. At least we’re not Dutch. According to GTZ, The German Technical Cooperation, gasoline in the Netherlands costs $9.54 a gallon this April. In the UK, if you were renting a car while waiting for the royal wedding this week, you’d pay the equivalent of $8.29.

You want cheap gas? Go to Venezuela for $.09 a gallon. In Nigeria it’s $1.67 and in Saudi Arabia it’s only $.67 a gallon.

No thanks. I’ll pay whatever the cost, right here in the USA.

We all know that while gas prices go up, stressing the family budget, many other things we need begin to cost more as a result. Unless we grew it in our yard or built it from home grown products, there is nothing we buy that isn’t affected by the cost of gas. Most everything is trucked into our area and petroleum was likely used in some step of its construction. As we prepare to pay more for food and consumer goods, we have to be prepared to pay more for the education of our children as well.

We begin each day by bringing them to school in the big yellow taxi. Those who can’t walk to school and choose not to ride the bus, often are brought by family members in petroleum dependent vehicles. Once they get to school, they may have a nutritious breakfast, which will no doubt cost more. In class they’ll need books and paper and pencils and markers and computers and lights and heat and air conditioning and all the usual things. Most, I expect will be costing more due to some connection to oil.

So, expect it.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Screen Free Week

“Turn that thing off and go outside!” I seem to remember my mother barking at me.

We had just one black and white TV and 3 channels that came to us via the antenna strapped to our chimney. Back in the 60s the “boob tube” could mesmerize us and turn us into carpet spuds in spite of the limited shows and 1st generation special effects. Is it any wonder that now, with all the channels and variety of programming, not to mention video games, computers and even cell phones that will show videos, that we have a childhood obesity problem?

On April 18-24, children around the world will be asked to celebrate Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) by turning off televisions, computers, and video games and turning on the world around them. Given the links between screen time and childhood obesity, as well as other health and social problems I’m asking parents and grandparents and guardians of all kinds to get on board.

According to Susan Linn, Ed.D., Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School preschool children, on average, spend over four and a half hours a day consuming screen media, while older children spend over 7 hours a day. Excessive screen time is linked to a number of problems for children, including childhood obesity, poor school performance, attention span issues and psychological difficulties. And it’s primarily through screens that children are exposed to harmful marketing. That’s why interventions like Screen-Free Week – which get children actively playing with peers and spending quality time with their families – are more important than ever. Reduced screen time can help prevent childhood obesity and lead to better school and health outcomes.

At the risk of stating the obvious, parents need to model for their children just how to do this. Don’t announce from on high that there will be no TV, video games or computer games; then proceed with your own routines. Give them some options and join in with them if you’re fit enough.

Just what do you do? First, make sure homework is done and if the computer is necessary for doing homework, it should be allowed. But only for completing assignments.

Then consider going low tech. Do you have some old board games? Scrabble? Checkers? Chess? Parcheesi?

Teach them a game from your childhood – does anyone play jacks anymore? It’s great for eye-hand coordination.

Go outside. Bird watch. Throw a Frisbee. Play kickball. Take a walk. Ride bikes. Plant a garden.

Oh, here’s a good one – read! Set aside a time for everyone in the house to read. It doesn’t matter what – magazine or novel, comic book or cookbook. Just read.

Screen Free Week starts April 18. Get to know your family again.