by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 14, 2022 | Education Materials
There are a few things my son has a tough time with. However, his disinterest and outright disgust with listening to music has been the most baffling.
His aversion to music of any kind has been a mystery over the years. One example sticks out in my memory.
When he was in kindergarten, I remember playing the song, “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me while in the car one day. His immediate response to the song was to ask me to turn it off because he thought it was sad. I explained to him that it wasn't sad and that he just needed to become familiar with the message.
I didn't turn off the music and as a result, my son started crying.
And he was crying because the song made him sad enough to cry; not because he was upset about not getting his way. At this point I began to realize that he has a special sensitivity to musical notes–something I am aware of because I have the same sensitivity.
Fast forward to today, I have been mostly unsuccessful with convincing him that music is something he can learn to enjoy. BUT
This year I am excited to say that enrolling him in the “20th Century Music Appreciation for High School” through “Music in our Homeschool,” has made a difference in his ability to better understand music–and to enjoy it!
In fact, just yesterday, my son told me that he realizes why he would cry at the end of a particular movie when he was younger. We were discussing an article I found about movies that traumatize children.
We were discussing some of the movies that I remember because of how sad they were, and nearly all of them are related to the music more than the events of the movies. He also said that he remembers a particular movie he used to like watching that always made him cry at the end. He realizes now that he was crying as result of the music rather than because of the way the movie ended.* Wow!
It's amazing what a few years and an awesome music course can do!
I honestly believe this discussion we can have about music is a huge step forward for him, and I can't help but think it's related to the class he finished last year through Music in our Homeschool.
Music in our Homeschool has an amazing variety of courses to choose from.
And these courses are not limited to high school level. And some courses are not specifically music. Also, she has memberships devoted to specific age groups. Free samples are available to give you a taste of what you will get. There is something for virtually everyone including moms.
For example:
- 10 Songs all Preschoolers Should Know
- 15-Minute Music Lessons for Elementary Students
- State Songs of the 50 US States
- Fall Music Lessons for Holidays and Special Days
- 10 Weeks of Shakespeare – Introductory Course for 7th-12th grades
- All Ages
- Beginning Sight Singing with solfege hand signs printable Set
- Use Music to Grow Your Faith (Moms)
- Purchase a License to Teach a Course at Your Co-op
So do yourself (and your family) a favor and check out all of the goodies she has to offer.
6 Reasons I'm thankful for Autism
Does Food Affect Autism?
4 Ways to Involve Kids with Disabilities in the Arts
*The name of the movie is “Harry and the Hendersons,” in case you're curious. 🙂
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 8, 2022 | Nutrition and Health
Food Hang-ups…Why Diets Don’t Work
When you’re on a healthy eating trend, do you call it a “diet?” Studies show that “diets” don’t work for the long term. Why? Because they look and feel like a temporary change. Our food hang-ups that we hold in the back of our minds see dieting as the means to an end which you can quit doing once you reach your goal.
Diet don’t work because we must change our mindset before we can adopt a healthy way of eating and living that doesn’t stop once we reach that number on the scale that we’re striving for or drop that pants size.
So, you do the “diet” and lose the weight.
You have the wedding or take the vacation that you worked so hard to get fit and fabulous for. Then your brain tells you, “Mission accomplished, now we can finally eat “normally”. And so, you fall right back into the “normal” way of eating– that is, the way of eating that you *think* is normal because it’s what you were brought up with.
So, if you were brought up to pile food on your plate and then eat it all… if you were brought up to ALWAYS have dessert after dinner… if a late-night snack of ice cream before bed was the NORM in your family… then that’s what you’ll lapse back into.
As soon as the “diet” is over and within months of returning to old eating habits, you’re right back where you started.
Not to mention, if you decide to make healthy changes in how you eat your meals, you'll inevitably be pulled back into your old ways by people and your family and friends.
So, what's the biggest boost you can give yourself in making healthy dietary changes that aren't just a diet but become a way of life? How do you break the cycle of your food hang-ups?
The very first step is awareness.
You don't have to judge or criticize your family or the people that you spend your time with for their food hang-ups, or bad habits, or whatever they do that could be standing in your way of good health. But you can simply observe and become cognizant of people's attitudes and behaviors around food and eating.
Become aware of how people conduct themselves at mealtime. For example, listen to what they say about food and eating, what their beliefs about food are. See if you can pinpoint why eating is often the focal point of their activities. This will help you identify what you want to change because you can clearly see that it isn’t working for them. Which means it won’t work for you – not if you want to be fit and healthy for the rest of your life.
Healthy Recipe Makeover: Pizza – Homeschooling Dietitian Mom
Need a little help getting started? Contact me and we will see what we can do together to achieve long-term success.
Click here to book a session with me and get an individualized bundle of goodies (value $425).
Why is it So Hard to Lose Weight?
Healthy Taco Makeover
Guiding Kids to Healthy Choices
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 4, 2022 | Getting Kids Moving, Nutrition and Health
5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Outdoor Exercise Plan Year-Round
Plan the length of your exercise routine based on what the weather is doing.
Running long distances for hours on end is great if the outdoor temperature remains mild. But in extreme weather, or in very cold or hot conditions, you’ll want to shorten the amount of time you spend exercising outside.
Exercising in extreme heat poses risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, sun stroke, and sunburn. Protect yourself by taking the necessary precautions. Bring a supply of cool water and refill as necessary. Apply sunscreen before heading out. Refuel with potassium-rich fruits such as a banana, after a run.
If you’re out in very hot weather, give yourself a cool-down every 20 minutes or so. Sip water, wring a wet cloth out over your head or even douse yourself with the garden hose.
What about exercising when it’s extremely cold?
If you're heading out for a walk or run, take care to protect yourself and limit your running time to 30 minutes at most. Also keep in mind that if you sweat but then hang around in damp clothing while being exposed to cold weather, you’re bound to catch a chill and that can lower your resistance to colds and flu germs. So bring a change of clean, dry clothing.
General tips for exercising outdoors:
Dress appropriately. They always say that people who run and exercise outdoors should layer up, and that makes the most sense. You can utilize materials that will wick away excess perspiration for the layer of clothing closest to the body. Then add layers for comfort and warmth.
If it gets too hot, strip down a layer or two. If you get cold, head back to your vehicle and grab your jacket or outer layer of clothing to add extra insulation.
Adjust your route.
Sometimes if it's raining or snowing you'll want to avoid those high and low spots where water can gather or where it may be slippery and you are likely to lose your balance. Plan your run according to what type of terrain you expect to encounter.
Stay close to civilization.
Extreme seasonal weather brings an increased chance of finding yourself in a dangerous situation. Anything can happen. That’s why it makes sense to run where people are.
Choose a spot where others go to exercise, such as a park or fitness trail.
Or if it’s night time, run through a well-lit neighborhood where people are likely to be coming and going. This way, if anything goes wrong, you can flag someone down.
Adjust your schedule to accommodate the weather.
If temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s, head out early for your morning jog to beat the heat. Or, exercise outdoors after 6:00 p.m. when the sun is lower in the sky.
If it's freezing, target the noon to 2:00 p.m. hours as the time of day to get out there and move your body in the sunshine. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference being in the sun makes when you’re outdoors on a cold, wintry day.
A Parent's Guide to Outdoor Safety
Online PE for Homeschool Kids
7 Tips to Exercising Outdoors Year-Round
