Feeding Our Children with ADHD

'As scientific reports go, it seems nothing but a statement of the obvious. A study from Southampton University has found that food additives can have " deleterious effects" on children.

Just look at the food dyes tested. "Allura Red", "Sunset Yellow" and "Carmoisine" and the like are all derivatives from coal tar, all banned in sensible countries like Norway and Sweden, all completely unnecessary. They just should not be in food at all, ever.

It's not only that they appear to be toxic, triggering HYPERACTIVITY in children. They are used to dress up foods - sweets, soft drinks, sauces, "dessert toppings" - that it would be better for nobody ever to eat anyway. Any food that has to be dyed to make it seem appealing is likely to be rubbish in any case.

As for the preservative sodium benzoate, the mere fact that it can extend the shelf-life of soft drinks to two years without refrigeration might suggest that it's not a good thing for children to swallow in large quantities.

The damage dyes and preservatives can cause has been known about for years. Yet the Food Standards Agency has again decided there's no need for a ban, while the manufacturers' organisation, the Food and Drink Federation, smoothly says there is no safety issue and it is already reducing additives.

It's not as though we urgently need to trick our children into eating more sweets or swigging more soft drinks. They may be illnourished but they are not underfed. Childhood obesity in the UK is growing worse every year, as children eat ever more convenience food.

Our children consume 30 times as many fizzy drinks as a child would have done in the Fifties and eat 25 times as much confectionary. Many just scoff garbage all day. In the years to come, the health consequences are going to kill, and effectively maim, a significant proportion of our population.

There are many reasons why our children take in so much trash, from the predominance of branding and TV advertising of food products; to the way that children are increasingly allowed to determine their own diets; to the dismal belief of many parents that real cooking is too difficult and time-consuming.

Children are treated now as though they need their own special foods, heavily processed, bedecked with cartoon characters, stuffed with fats, sugars and salt, brightly coloured with dyes and full of preservatives, too. It's absolutely crazy.

It's actually easy and cheap to prepare wholesome fresh food. But it's no use pretending that it's easy to insist your children eat it and, if they protest, get nothing else. There's such huge peer pressure to withstand.

The very least the Government can do to help is ban these dyes and preservatives outright. What's the contrary argument? What good do they do? None whatsoever, save for the profits of the companies helping to ruin our children.'
{London Evening Standard-7th September, 2007}

Dan 1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
Dan 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that
they should drink; and gave them PULSE.
Dan 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them KNOWLEDGE and SKILL in ALL LEARNING AND WISDOM: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

What was the 'PULSE' that Daniel and his friends ate?
'The Hebrew word, zeroin, here translated as "pulse", is built on the same root as the word "seed" in the record of creation, where it mentions "every herb seeding seed,"...In other words, the menu for which Daniel asked and which he received was made up of CEREALS, LEGUMES, FRUITS, NUTS, AND VEGETABLES....with the universal drink for man and beast, clear water.' {Daniel and the Revelation, p.24, 25}

The Powerful Influence of Reading

What shall our children read? This is a serious question and one that demands a serious answer. It troubles me to see in Sabbathkeeping families periodicals and newspapers containing continued stories which leave no impressions for good on the minds of children and youth. I have watched those whose taste for fiction was thus cultivated. They have had the privilege of listening to the truth, of becoming acquainted with the reasons of our faith; but they have grown to maturer years destitute of true piety and practical godliness. {AH 412.1}

The readers of fiction are indulging an evil that destroys spirituality, eclipsing the beauty of the sacred page. {AH 412.2}

The world is deluged with books that might better be consumed than circulated. Books on sensational topics, published and circulated as a money-making scheme, might better never be read by the youth. There is a satanic fascination in such books.... {AH 412.3}

The practice of story reading is one of the means employed by Satan to destroy souls. It produces a false, unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. It weans the soul from prayer and from the love of spiritual things. {AH 412.4}

Works of romance, frivolous, exciting tales, are, in hardly less degree, a curse to the reader. The author may profess to teach a moral lesson; throughout his work he may interweave religious sentiments, but often these serve only to veil the folly and worthlessness beneath. {AH 413.1}

Infidel Authors—Another source of danger against which we should be constantly on guard is the reading of infidel authors. Such works are inspired by the enemy of truth, and no one can read them without imperiling the soul. It is true that some who are affected by them may finally recover; but all who tamper with their evil influence place themselves on Satan’s ground, and he makes the most of his advantage. As they invite his temptations, they have not wisdom to discern or strength to resist them. With a fascinating, bewitching power unbelief and infidelity fasten themselves upon the mind. {AH 413.2}

Myths and Fairy Tales—In the education of children and youth fairy tales, myths, and fictitious stories are now given a large place. Books of this character are used in schools, and they are to be found in many homes. How can Christian parents permit their children to use books so filled with falsehood? When the children ask the meaning of stories so contrary to the teaching of their parents, the answer is that the stories are not true; but this does not do away with the evil results of their use. The ideas presented in these books mislead the children. They impart false views of life and beget and foster a desire for the unreal.... {AH 413.3}

Never should books containing a perversion of truth be placed in the hands of children or youth. Let not our children, in the very process of obtaining an education, receive ideas that will prove to be seeds of sin. {AH 413.4}...

Exciting Reading Makes Restless, Dreamy Child—Readers of frivolous, exciting tales become unfitted for the duties of practical life. They live in an unreal world. I have watched children who have been allowed to make a practice of reading such stories. Whether at home or abroad, they were restless, dreamy, unable to converse except upon the most commonplace subjects. Religious thought and conversation was entirely foreign to their minds. With the cultivation of an appetite for sensational stories the mental taste is perverted, and the mind is not satisfied unless fed upon this unwholesome food. I can think of no more fitting name for those who indulge in such reading than mental inebriates. Intemperate habits of reading have an effect upon the brain similar to that which intemperate habits of eating and drinking have upon the body. {AH 414.3}

Losing it with Our Children (Conclusion)

THE SOLUTION:
If your children are disobedient, they should be corrected.... Before correcting them, go by yourself, and ask the Lord to soften and subdue the hearts of your children and to give you wisdom in dealing with them. Never in a single instance have I known this method to fail. You cannot make a child understand spiritual things when the heart is stirred with passion. {CG 244.2}

Instruct them patiently. Sometimes they will have to be punished, but never do it in such a way that they will feel that they have been punished in anger. By such a course you only work a greater evil. Many unhappy differences in the family circle might be avoided if parents would obey the counsel of the Lord in the training of their children. {CG 244}

Mothers, however provoking your children may be in their ignorance, do not give way to impatience. Teach them patiently and lovingly. Be firm with them. Do not let Satan control them. Discipline them only when you are under the discipline of God. Christ will be victor in the lives of your children if you will learn of Him who is meek and lowly, pure and undefiled. {CG 245}

You should correct your children in love. Do not let them have their own way until you get angry, and then punish them. Such correction only helps on the evil, instead of remedying it. {CG 245}

To manifest passion toward an erring child is to increase the evil. It arouses the worst passions of the child and leads him to feel that you do not care for him. He reasons with himself that you could not treat him so if you cared. {CG 245}

And think you that God takes no cognizance of the way in which these children are corrected? He knows, and He knows also what might be the blessed results if the work of correction were done in a way to win rather than to repel.... {CG 245}

Do not, I beg of you, correct your children in anger. That is the time of all times when you should act with humility and patience and prayer. Then is the time to kneel down with the children and ask the Lord for pardon. Seek to win them to Christ by the manifestation of kindness and love, and you will see that a higher power than that of earth is co-operating with your efforts. {CG 245}

When you are obliged to correct a child, do not raise the voice to a high key.... Do not lose your self-control. The parent who, when correcting a child, gives way to anger is more at fault than the child. {CG 246}

Those who desire to control others must first control themselves.... When a parent or teacher becomes impatient and is in danger of speaking unwisely, let him remain silent. There is wonderful power in silence. {CG 247}

Never raise your hand to give them a blow unless you can with a clear conscience bow before God and ask His blessing upon the correction you are about to give. {CG 252}

Losing it with Our Children (Part 1)

THE PROBLEM:
When we give way to impatience, we drive the Spirit of God out of the heart, and give place to the attributes of Satan. {2SM 236}

Think of it this way. If I get angry with my child, where are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? They are not there. You cannot serve two masters, when you test yourself by the fruit of the Spirit. You could do much work and think you are really a good Christian, but if in your home you are irritated and unkind to your family, something is wrong. You may not know how to submit the heart to be controlled by God, or you may not want to. ~Margaret Davis.

We cannot be fretful and impatient, and still be Christians, for a fretful, impatient spirit is not the Spirit of Christ. {RH 8-14-1888}

Impatience brings the enemy of God and man into your family and drives out the angels of God. If you are abiding in Christ, and Christ in you, you cannot speak angry words. {HP 99}

You cannot indulge your own temper, and have your own way, and still remain the children of God. We shall have to struggle with our hereditary tendencies, that we may not yield to temptation, and become angry under provocation. {RH 10-11-1892}

The man who yields to impatience is serving Satan. 'To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.' {4T 607}

Parents, can you not see that harsh words provoke resistance? What would you do if treated as inconsiderately as you treat your little ones? It is your duty to study from cause to effect. When you scolded your children, when with angry blows you struck those who were too small to defend themselves, did you ask yourself what effect such treatment would have upon you? Have you thought how sensitive you are in regard to words of censure or blame? how quickly you feel hurt if you think that someone fails to recognize your capabilities? You are but grown-up children. Then think how your children must feel when you speak harsh, cutting words to them, severely punishing them for faults that are not half so grievous in the sight of God as is your treatment of them. {CG 280.2}

Many parents professing to be Christians are not converted. Christ does not abide in their hearts by faith! Their harshness, their imprudence, their unsubdued tempers, disgust their children and make them averse to all their religious instruction. {CG 280.3}

THE SOLUTION: See Part 2.........

A Child's Excitement with The Bible

Hey Parents!
Yes, I know, it's been a minute since I last posted up here. Life changes have taken me many places, and now preparing for a new life as a married woman, a pastor's wife, and locating to the USA, has really swallowed up any time I have for this ministry.

Today in this short nugget, I just wanted to share with you the blessing God poured out upon my daughter and I while we were going through her Bible History class. I post this because I want to encourage us to put our children on a Bible reading plan that they will go through daily in their own personal time with Jesus, for the fruits of such devotional time will surely pay off in the after years.

Our Bible History lesson is just that: Biblical history. In other words, we study the history of different countries, but from a biblical standpoint. On Wednesdays we study the book of Daniel, and today, in chapter eleven, we made use of the teaching tool: 'The Time of the End' booklet. As I read to her regarding the tribes of Edom, Moab and Ammon, we came across this verse which she told me she had read before on this page, but didn't see the connection:

Luke17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

We re-read it and the only connection that I saw with the three-fold symbolic tribes in Daniel eleven escaping the hand of the papacy (the three-fold division of modern Babylon in Revelation), and Lot escaping out of Sodom, was just that: an esacpe taking place prior to God's judgments. As I was saying this to Rachel, all of a sudden her eyes lit up in what I call 'light bulb moment mode'. Her wheels started turning as she explained how Lot's daughters had sons who were called Moab and Ammon, but these sons came as a result of the daughters committing fornication. She jumped up in her seat in excitement as she realised that the word 'fornication' is also used in Revelation regarding the sins of Babylon.

Oh and it didn't stop there, for she rushed to her Bible and eagerly tried to find in Jeremiah where she had read something in her Bible reading time that she has every evening. God had brought what she had read at that time to her remembrance when she needed it! She excitedly stood up in the middle of the room, as a child in a candy shop! Then she read the following verses how they link with the word 'fornication', in connection with Moab and Ammon, and Revelation 17:

Jer 51:7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
Jer 51:8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
Jer 51:9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

The expression of excitement and joy on a child's face when the Lord touches their hearts and minds through the Word....you can't put a price on it!

Indeed it pays to form early habits of Bible reading, for none of what they learn during those times are wasted. God will use His Word to mould and polish their characters, and furnish them with solid morals, as well as help them connect the dots in the prophetic Word, so that they will see the time they are in.

Sow the seed, and watch the Husbandman bring it to harvest!

Happy Homeschooling!

Teaching Phonics

The method you will use to teach phonics is quite similar to the way you would with Mathematics, for the learning is step by step. Just imagine teaching your child to add before they could even count! Or teaching subtraction before addition! The concepts of counting needs to be established first, correct? It just doesn't make any sense to learn the four arithmetic processes without laying the foundation. Children need to learn in small, gradual steps and it is the same when we are teaching them how to read.

There is order in teaching phonics just as there is order in how to teach math. However, there will be times that you do need to be flexible and be willing to flip back or forward a couple of steps, if this will help your child to understand. There'll be those rewarding 'lightbulb moments'when everything has somehow aligned up in your child's mind, and days or even weeks later, you see that expression on her face which says, "Ohhh...that's the reason why....I get it now!" That, fellow parent, is an excellent opportunity to praise the student's understanding, and that may mean, investing in some reward time for her, so that next time you re-visit that phonics rule, she will be more likely to remember it. It wouldn't be wise to pass by that, and just press on with the schedule as normal.

Here is a list of some phonics basics that you can google, which will help you see the big picture. Alternatively, you can find these basics spoken about in detail in the 'Teacher's Helps' section that I am about to add in our 'Homeschool Help!' Starter Info' Pack. This can be emailed to you for just $25USD. To order this pack, email us at:evergreenchilded@yahoo.co.uk.

Foundations of Phonics:

*Awareness

*Alphabet sounds

*Short Vowels

*Long Vowels

*Consonants

*Blends

In taking these rules on board, be sure to review the lessons frequently, and do not run ahead of your child's pace of learning. Also remember to look out for those 'lightbulb moments'. Above all, make it fun and not a chore!

Even the Humblest Tasks

'But all the work we do that is necessary to be done, be it washing dishes, setting tables, waiting upon the sick, cooking, or washing, is of moral importance... The humble tasks before us are to be taken by someone; and those who do them should feel that they are doing the work of God just as surely as was Gabriel when sent to the prophets.' {3T 79-80}

I read this in my morning time with Jesus, and it made such a deep impression upon my heart that after sharing it with my daughter, I just had to share this with you.

You know, it's so easy as mothers to get caught up in what Mrs.White calls, a 'mere household drudge'. Often there is just so much to do, and especially if you are a single parent, the joy of service in home responsibilities can be sapped out. This is one reason why I just love reading the book, 'The Adventist Home' (where this is also taken from), for I am daily inspired with courage when I feel that at times life is just weighing me down.

We also live in a society which places a low estimate upon the elevated calling of house work. So it shouldn't surprise us if we have struggle getting our children to do service in the home with a spring in their step, and with a right attitude.

It all starts with us parents gaining a right perspective on these things, and in turn it will have a ripple effect upon our young people.

I want to encourage you today that when we take up the dish washing, the ironing, the cooking, and all the things in the home that needs to be done, we are actually doing service for the King, just as Gabriel was when he ministered to the prophets of old. Please note that God didn't compare our work to the work of any angel in Heaven; but Gabriel. Do you know who this angel is? He is the one who is the highest angel in Heaven, besides Michael, which is Jesus. I mean when you see what errands he was sent on, you will see that he didn't just fulfil the general missions that are entrusted to the celestal beings. Gabriel was the one who visited Zechariah and announced the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. He visited Mary and told her that she was about to be he mother of the Messiah. When Jesus was about to be resurrected, Gabriel called Him, and said, "Behold Thy Father calls Thee." He was the angel who came down to help Daniel understand the twenty-three hundred day prophecy, which pointed to the Investigative Judgment, where our High Priest, Jesus would begin the work of atonement. So we see that Gabriel's missions were always on a grand scale, and in the examples given, pointing to Christ, our Saviour.

Bearing all that in mind, when we read now that attending to the humble tasks of the home is as surely doing the work of God as Gabriel did, it should cause us to see these things in a grand new light.

I shared this with my daughter, and as I was talking with her the thought came to my mind that before one is about to do any service for God, they pray, right? They ask God to use them to do this sacred work in a way that will glorify Him. They are completely dependent upon their Lord to empower them, so that no self is seen but Jesus' righteousness alone. Therefore, being as chores are much more than just house work, but God's work, shouldn't we seek God in prayer before we attend to them? It is so easy to get caught up in just getting things done, that self is doing it and we lose the joy of what really should be service for the Master. Atleast I know I do. However, I believe that if we pray before doing the housework, and be honest with God that we don't really feel to wash the dishes right now; we don't like ironing; or I am feeling a tad lazy, and then ask Him to change our attitudes so that we will do them with a merry heart, as unto the Lord, what a change of atmosphere would be wroght in the home!

Now, it begins with us. Our children need to see us parents calling upon God for strength and selflessness before and throughout our time doing the chores. We also need to teach them not just by example, but by sharing this wonderful truth with them too. Teach them to call on Jesus to make the work that they are about to do, enjoyable. If they are struggling to do their best, to be thorough, to complete their work on time, then teach them to bring these things before their Everlasting Helper, Jesus Christ. You will have to pray with them often in this line, so that it eventually becomes second nature.

Try it, if you haven't already, and we at Harper Bell Acaemy will love to hear your testimonies on the miracle of a changed heart and attitude that God is doing in your home! Please do share in the blog comment area below, or on our Facebook page: 'Harper Bell Academy'.

Happy Homescooling!