Children growing up alongside the rise of social networking websites may have a “potentially dangerous” view of the world, says a leading psychiatrist.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7487723.stm
I was tagged by TulipGirl with this meme. Read her answers here:
http://www.tulipgirl.com/index.php/2008/05/if-you-came-to-our-house/
I wasn’t sure whether to do this because I didn’t feel like my answers would be classy enough, but here it goes anyway. There is a big difference in whether I know you are coming or not… and whether you have children or not… so I will assume I know you are coming with your children.
“People who visit us get a taste of who we are, what we’re into, and what we’re like. I notice that my kids tend to show new visitors the same computer things they like, or play music for them that they love that our guests have probably never heard, and offer the same snacks.
Since there are lots of people I know via the internet who may never get the chance to visit us, I thought I’d offer a virtual glimpse of a visit to our house.”
If you came to our house. . .
You would see:
Well, first, you would HEAR our big mouth dog, and you might hesitate about getting out of your vehicle because she is so intimidating, but if you make it in the door, you would see my younger children peeking around corners… then you would see your children disappear upstairs with mine to play with all the toys… You would see my buffet cabinets with my Hummel collection, the fireplace Grandpa made, the huge painting Derek made, my antique pump organ…
We’d probably feed you:
Supper: Lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic fingers
Dessert: Chocolate fountain with éclairs, strawberries, pineapple, etc.
And offer you this to drink:
Real juice punch
We’d undoubtedly ask if you’d read:
I doubt I’d ask this. I doubt you read the books I read. I might tell you about what I have been studying regarding health and past traumas.
We’d want to play this music for you:
Classical background music
Oldies that are good for dancing (if you were good sports)
We’d want to tell you the latest about:
The expectant mothers in the family
How advanced the children are in homeschool while you roll your eyes LOL
We’d probably suggest a game of:
Actionary
We might show off:
Our school library, my great-grandmother’s cream/sugar/teapot that I received in 1978 and its picture in Victoria magazine
We might get on the computer and show you:
I doubt I’d do this
If it was a long enough visit, we might watch:
All the kids play the Wii
What would a visit to your house be like?
I am only tagging a few people, so if your name isn’t here and you feel like answering in the comments or on your blog, please go ahead!
~ Mica http://thechildspaper.blogspot.com
Posted with PICTURES: http://thechildspaper.blogspot.com/2008/05/if-you-came-to-our-house.html
~ Cara (Matt answered in the comments.)
~ Edith (answer in the comments?)
~ Leann http://academy252.blogspot.com
Posted: http://academy252.blogspot.com/2008/05/if-you-came-to-my-house.html
Edited to add: Folks were so cooperative and made such lovely posts, I wish I had asked more people.
I cleaned up my far right sidebar, getting rid of some unnecessary things and adding a few things that I hope will be helpful. More often than not, people search for things and land here only to click away immediately. I wish I could shout, “The answer is HERE! It is! That just wasn’t the right page!”
Any advice would be appreciated.
I suspect people don’t even notice that the first sidebar changes quotes and verses for each of my parenting essays linked at the very top of my site.
I wonder if anyone ever scrolls down to the Facebook updates on the bottom right.
If you link to me, please let me know so I can add you to my blogroll.
If you are interested in seeing my private posts, please register in the far right sidebar.
Remember these?
http://www.bspcn.com/2008/05/16/the-9-most-obnoxious-memes-to-ever-escape-the-web/
I hadn’t known where that familiar hamster dance tune originated.
I must get nervous when I comment on other people’s blog posts, because I seem to make a typo in almost every comment lately.
I have been blogging since 2001. I have gradually gone from being “more open” to being “more private” about my family, yet I continue to express strong opinions in regard to my values and beliefs about parenting.
I understand that when I blog publicly, you have the right to anonymously read everything I write. Even though that is the way of the web, I think it is very discourteous to lurk, particularly when you know me in real life.
Even though I cannot always tell who reads my blog, if I know you in real life, and you visit my blog, I can often gather enough evidence through my stats, your location, your page interests, real life coincidences, etc. to identify you. You may not be as anonymous as you think you are, so I encourage you to come out of hiding. I won’t bite.
Since coming back to the web, I have chosen to blog privately about all the “good stuff”. For the most part, readers must register in order to share my family pictures, the children’s cute sayings, family adventures, etc.
I understand that it is more bother for you to log in, and I know most people won’t even register, but I do feel it is the right thing for me to do at this time. I realize I would get more readers and make more connections if all my posts were open to the public, but choosing to be more private has helped me come back to blogging.
When I give you the privilege of “knowing” me and my family via private posts, then I do expect to receive feedback, even if it is simply showing you care with a “How are you doing today?” When I welcome you into my life, I expect it to be a two-way relationship. I can see myself dumping people who don’t comment for months on end, so watch out! 
If you never have anything to say to me, then reading my blog is probably just a waste of your time.
Actually, I would love to get to know you better. I want to hear about YOU. I also enjoy sharing things about my family with you. If you have the time to log in to read my personal posts, and if you will make a comment now and then, I encourage you to register in my right sidebar.
I am writing this because when I post private pictures like this one from our day at the beach yesterday, I wish I could share one of them with more of you! I think I will! 
I sincerely appreciate your warmth in welcoming me back to the blogosphere. Thank you for writing in the comments, and also for mentioning my site in special blog posts, like these:
http://thatmom.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/some-new-links/
http://www.tulipgirl.com/mt/archives/001470.html
http://conservativeintelligencer.com/parenting-dos-and-donts-thursday-hotlinks/200/
Some of you might be interested in my private posts that can only be seen if you are registered. They include pictures and stories about my family. At this point, there are 24 private posts. Email me and tell me about yourself if you want a username and password.
Also, please let me know if you add me to your blogroll, and I will add you to mine.
Welcome to my new website. All my blog posts here are NEW. Yes, I have been blogging to myself since January. My parenting essays at the top of this page have been updated. At this point, I did not carry over any old blog posts from my old website, although I may consider reposting some in the future.
