To text or to call?? The million dollar question.... My frustration explained !!!

Hello everyone, I would like to thank you for reading my posts and following my blog. Please feel free to comment and share with your friends and family. 

You might wonder the reason I am writing about social media! It has nothing to do with health? Health is not just the food we eat! Health entitles a healthy mind, a healthy way of living, healthy relationships and SOCIALIZATION with others.  The way social media is used nowadays is NOT healthy in my opinion.

Have you ever thought to yourself " I can't wear that dress anymore because I already have pics on facebook wearing it?" or " I gotta to that place because they took their kids there." " I thought she is getting a divorce , why is she posting loving pictures of her and her husband?"
Sometimes I see myself taking pictures just to post on facebook rather than enjoying the view. I also catch myself thinking about what my status will be today!  I keep checking and refreshing my instagram posts to see if I got new likes. Then I look at others' accounts and be like " how come they have more followers?" How the heck did she get 1.1 million followers or over a 100 thousand followers? I also noticed that people just get obsesessed with others' lives, pictures, etc... by reading their comments " you are so perfect, you are so beautiful, please follow me etc...."
Whatsapp and texting: I call my friends, they don't answer but then they text me or wanna chat on facebook messenger!! As a busy working mom, I am driving half of the time whether to or from work, to or from picking the kids up, to or from home, to or from music practice etc... you get the point? I can't text or chat, I can have a real conversation that will take less time than the text !!
Have you noticed cramps in your neck, shoulders and your arms??? Well, we are holding our phones pretty much 24/7, texting with both thumbs or in my case I am putting my daughter to sleep , trying to post or chat with one hand and rubbing her back with the other; so after she falls asleep my whole right side is numb !!
I realized how much I depended on my phone for directions when my phone died as we were in San Diego with our cousin from Chicago.  First, I couldn't find the way but somehow figured it out; meanwhile I felt free and enjoyed the view of the new streets I have never seen before.  Then, instead of snapping tons of pictures  of the kids in order to post ( while thinking of the caption...you know you do it :P ) , I enjoyed them playing and having fun... I also played and had fun with them. In addition, I started noticing the many moms sitting checking their phones while their kids played. So I remembered myself doing that: While at the park, kids are playing and I am constantly on my phone. 

Seeing others do it made me realize how much I don't want to do it coz it looks disturbing. These are my kids, I should pay attention to them playing and laughing not other people !!
When I started texting my friends less and calling more, I noticed how less people answer the phone and don't keep in touch with you simply  because your texts are short ...well I am trying not to get in a car accident.  

Maybe they don't care enough to take the time to call you and have an oral conversation.

Sorry Einstein, the day has come !!!

I am not writing this post to offend or judge anyone , I am frustrated because I care !!! If  you are my friend and you found what I wrote offensive and judgmental , please call me and let me know LOL

Facebook, Instagram, twitter, smart phones should be called UNsocial media.
I am a speech and language pathologist ( M.S-CCC, SLP) I work on pragmatics which includes socialization with some students so I know about this topic a little I can say ;)
Chatting and texting is NOT a two way communiction even though it appears this way coz the other person is responding!!! The other person may forget to respond or may not want to , so we are left with a one way communication. TALKING to YOURSELF ! 

Another point about chatting is :as human beings we read into everything, even the punctuation marks. We also make a big deal out of it " MMM she put a period , does that mean she does not want to talk anymore, what did he mean by this sentence? is she trying to be a bitch ? or is he tyring bla bla " Sometimes, we end friendships and relationships due to a misinterpretation of a text or an email" A friend told me " texting is easier."   I don't see it easy, I see it as you are not as important to me to bother calling you and hearing your voice for few minutes. I used to view it this way ( easy), to the point my sister and I got mom an iphone and taught her to text.  Texting can be important! My husband and I text , I text with my sister and mom but I still talk to them on the phone.  We have a family group on whatsaapp ( mom, dad, my sister, and myself) , we share pictures and thoughts coz we can't all have a phone conversation at once. You know what , if we try hard enough and don't make excuses maybe we can;)  My point is : we don't rely on that way of communcation, we still call or facetime ! My brother is in Texas; he loves to see the kids and we love to see him too. 
I am not saying let's stop texting and emailing....let's just do it less.
I am not saying don't check facebook, let's just do it less.
I am not saying don't tweet, let's just do it less.
Try to use the phone like it was originally created for : talking to people using your voice. I am not perfect but I am realizing my faults and working on them.  Let's use technology with moderation and not let it take over our lives.  Let's teach our children to look up while walking not down on the phone or ipad . 

Here are some tips that helped me and I sure hope they help you:

• Call people and leave them voicemails....If they don't end up calling me back after many attempts then to me they don't view me as a priority so I won't view them as such.
• Specify a time you want to check your phone for FB, IG, etc... I don't want to get up and check my phone first thing in the morning so my times are 8:00 AM, noon, 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. There are exceptions and I am not rigid; I am saying when I decreased the number of times I allowed myself to check social media ( or unsocial media LOL) I noticed that I automatically check it less.
• Specify a time when you want all electronics OFF and display it. YES! Write it down and hang it on the wall. Your kids' friends will see it too LOL We don't use electronics after 4:00 PM unless ipad is being used by my son for homework. He has to do 20 minutes of Math daily on the ipad.
• TURN IT OFF at night. If it's off, I am less likely to turn it on to check it. It's off. For example , it's 8:47 AM now and my phone has been dead...I didn't even charge it yet.  Try it, you will feel free.
• Forget it. Make the point of forgetting it in the house or in the car for just few hours and see how much your life changes!!!

Thank you so much for reading my post and please feel free to comment and let us know of some tips that worked for you to decrease technology and increase human interaction. 

Follow me on Instagram and tmblr: bzhealthymama; http://www.instagram.com/bzhealthymama Facebook: Healthy Mamas, Healthy Babies https://www.facebook.com/HealthyMamasHealthyBabies?ref=hl


All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.

The owner of bzhealthymama.blogspot.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

How to get your children to eat more fruits and veggies!

Hello everyone, I would like to thank you for reading my posts and following my blog. Please feel free to comment and share with your friends and family. 

As I was drinking my green smoothie during therapy , one of my students said "ewww, what is that?"

bzhealthymama on Instagram

 Then I realized, nowadays kids reach out for fish crackers, candy, chocolate bars, sugary cereals  etc...( the real "ewww") before fruits or vegetables.  I know some people who go on the whole day heck few days without fruits or vegetables....yup that was me few years ago. Then I would complain " why am I so constipated?"
Think about it, why would a 4 year old go for kale if he has candy on a daily basis?? Kale tastes horrible to them and they don't know that it is packed with vitamins and minerals. All they know is kale looks green and disgusting in comparison to the colorful lollipops packed with sugar, chemicals, dyes to name the few.
Since I started this healthy journey and educated myself, I became more open to fruits and veggies especially the vegetables.  My taste buds have changed and I enjoy eating and drinking greens.  Then I started looking at my own children and how much fruits and vegetables they don't eat.  My oldest is way more open to anything, he enjoys food ; however, my daughter is very picky.... At this moment, my son eat a variety of fruits and vegetables , a salad with dinner. In addition, my daughter eats more fruits and a salad with dinner. She also eats cucumbers!!! "Hooray" ( this is what she says LOL)  So here are the few tips that worked with my  kids, hopefully they will work with yours ( I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment or two ;) )

1. Lead by example: I didn't force my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. I started eating and drinking more fruits and vegetables. Then they were curious to try, sometimes they would like it and at times not.  My daughter saw me eat a huge salad for dinner daily for at least a year before she tried the lettuce but you know what now she eats a small salad every evening. Keep the dressing simple: our dressing is lemon juice, some sea salt, and grape seed oil.   
2. Make smoothies: Make smoothies for you and your kids. Drink with them and you will be surprised , they will drink theirs and yours ;) Make the smoothies sweet and add the greens.  Bananas and dates are so sweet, add some spinach or celery and blend; they won't even taste the difference.  We are a picky family , if we can handle green veggies in the smoothies, I think any person can :) P.S: Pineapples are strong too so if you add a variety of greens with pineapples , u will only taste the latter and barely the greens. 
3. Throw away the junk: if they don't have it available , they won't reach for it.... if they can't see it for a while they won't miss it anymore.  When they do ask for junk, educate and explain to them ( even If they are little, they will understand) why it's not allowed in your household. 
4. Keep your house abundant with all kinds of fruits and vegetables: after they get used not seeing the junk and consistently seeing the beautiful colors of fruits and vegetables they will start asking for them.
5. Pack them fruits and/or veggies for school: they may throw it away or give it to someone but if they see how consistent you are they will eat it...they are hungry and they don't have a choice ! They are not going to like cucumbers or radishes at first, but be patient, and consistent their taste buds will change. Some kids may take longer than others but they will get there if you hang in there and do not give in.  Example: one morning, it took my daughter crying for at least an hour ( I need to explain a little as some may think I am too "extreme"- the crying was on and off and it was the whiny crying not the running out of breath I am in danger crying...the seeking attention cry which can be tuned out and tolerable LOL), throwing a tantrum for another 30 minutes( also on and off, I really didn't time it here guys ) before she gave in and ate the fruits I gave her for breakfast. The bottom line is I was consistent and she saw that!  Am I a cruel mom? Maybe some people view it this way; however, I think cruel moms are the ones letting their children eat junk and not forcing some discipline and increasing fruits and veggies in the house.



Eating her veggies ~@bzhealthymama on Instagram

I am sure there are many articles talking about this subject and there are many more tips but the ones I mentioned are the ones that worked with my kids and my family.  I hope they will work for yours....try them out, you have nothing to lose :) Please comment if you have any tips that worked in your household !

I would like to thank all who follow and believe in my blog :) Please subscribe to my mailing list and invite your friends and family. 
Please feel free to share my blog with your friends and family. I would also love to hear from you , so please write me comments as I learn from each one of you :)

Follow me on Instagram and tmblr: bzhealthymama; http://www.instagram.com/bzhealthymama Facebook: Healthy Mamas, Healthy Babies https://www.facebook.com/HealthyMamasHealthyBabies?ref=hl


All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.

The owner of bzhealthymama.blogspot.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.