the little travelers * travel blog

some international trivia

These stats are found here http://emfjournal.com/cell-phone-ban/ and are dated Oct, 2009.  So many more countries have followed suit since then.  In the meantime, the US is amping up its campaign for 'family plans' and continue to market phones to children.

Countries ban use of cell phones by Children

• · India - No use in children under 16 years of age (also it is an illegal offense for an expecting Mother to use the cell phone)
• · Israel - No use in children under 12 years of age
• · Russia - General limitation; no use under 12 years
• · France - No long calls, no use under 16, banning of advertising to children under 12, mandatory earphones with all cell phones
• · Japan - General limitation under 18 years of age
• · Tajikistan – in Central Asia bans mobile phones from schools and Universities (11MAR09) to boost education. If caught carrying or talking on a cell phone, they will be fined.
• · United Kingdom – General limitation under 12 years of age
• · Toronto‘s public health department has recommended children under eight should use a cell phone only in emergencies.
• · Health warnings for children and the use of WiFi in the classroom have also recently arisen out of Germany.
• · Dr. Devra Davis, Healthy Child Advisory Board Member and Director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA quotes:

Last year, 46% of US children aged 8-12 used cell phones. Children under the age of 12 should not use cell phones unless in an emergency situation. If they must use cell phones, make sure they connect using a headset.

Me again.  Did we all get that JAPAN has banned cel phones under the age of 18?!?!?!  If this is not a sign I don't know what is.  The average Japanese child watches more TV than any other in the world, and here they are with a 'general ban' for all under 18!  The makers of  more phones than anyone else and probably the country with the most to lose financially for a ban of this kind.  And they've done it.

Most of theses countries also have a ban on wi-fi where children are concerned.  Major cities have taken it out of schools and libraries while our schools proudly boast school-wide wi-fi.  Libraries, coffee shops & hotels brag the same. 

And how about India?  Illegal for pregnant women to use!  wow.  But those countries do not stand to profit from illness the way our American system is set up- so it's a win/win for the corporations.  sigh.

On an up note, our cities still do have some local power as recently expressed by San Francisco's ban on Happy Meals (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/02/business/la-fi-happy-meals-20101103). 

Though I'm not really in favor of bans and laws and all of that, it is kinda nice to see the tables turned for once and have the big boys have their profit grubbing hands slapped. 

 

Who's in control, anyway?

We recently purchased Relaxing Rhythms (formerly Healing Rhythms) software program and have been having a blast using it! I love using it with the girls. We love to try to taunt each other out of our relaxed states once we've reached a consistent level of relaxation. I like to nag at them in a tone I do not usually use with them for an even greater challenge. As of yet, they have not quite yet been able to maintain their level of relaxation while under a verbal barrage by me.

We also switch places and I will move into a state of relaxation and they will begin tapping me and start a non-stop crescendo of "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" all the while tapping harder and harder (the tapping is my biggest challenge!) I'm not sure if this is anything to brag about but so far I can successfully tune them out! haha... They feel quite annoyed at this, but I tell them I've had 11 years to practice. And then I remind them that I have given birth!  There is no initiation into the realm of 'mind over matter' than giving birth without the use of drugs.  I encourage them to keep practicing so someday soon they will be able to tune me out.

Now, I realize I may be shooting myself in the foot here, but in the end, don't we really want children that don't blindly follow directions and can manage their own body and emotions?  Wouldn't it be great if our children could teach themselves how to be responsive to a situation rather than reactive?  I've run into so many adults that are a complete mess when a stressful situation arrives.  I've encountered hysterical (literally) adults in jammed elevators, car accidents, earthquakes, getting fired, fire evacutations and I'm sure there are others.  Once when I was very young and working at the YMCA with little kids, there was a small earthquake.  One of the teachers moved into complete hysteria- she:  fainted, hyperventilated, cried, thought she needed to vomit and carried on for a few hours after the light tremmor.  In this situation we were suppost to move the children to safety on the field, but this one teacher required the attention of most of the other teachers and I alone as a high school helper was asked to mind the 30+ small children and bring them out to the field.   Developing conscious control over our bodies can really have far reaching, long-lasting consequences.   About 25 years after this incident I still think of this woman and wish I had her address so I  could send her this program!  haha.  I often wonder how she's fared through the rest of her life.

Teaching your children how to successfully ignore you as a parent is definitely an advanced parenting task! You can't still be in the place of, "I wish he would just listen to me and do what I tell him!" and wanting to control your children. But I guarantee that if you use this software together with an open mind, both wanting what's really best for each other- a whole new level of cooperation will emerge. When our children feel supported by us rather than controlled by us, everything becomes easier.

To see us in action here is a little video: Some other fun uses- We try it while listening to brainwave entrainment cds, while watching certain shows on TV, while playing electronic games on the iPad, after hard physical exercise- the options are unlimited! I'm not going to give away all of our findings here because each person is so individual.

As the holidays are approaching and so many dollars will be spent for childrens' products that are steeped in violence, destruction and disconnection, wouldn't it be great to give a child in your life a gift that could impact the entire family for a lifetime? No one needs to be told that our society is overrun with stress these days and to give our children a tool of knowing that they alone are responsible for and capable of managing their own state is truly invaluable.

I should note here that this is not designed as a children's game. It is definitely designed for adults but can absolutely be used by children very successfully. So if you have an adult that is still externalizing his or her stress then this could make an excellent gift for them as well and is actually used by fighter pilots and others with very stressful jobs. I really can't recommend this product enough. The impact of gaining control of our own vibration and what we're putting out there and what we're doing to our own bodies could literally impact our future world. But most definitely can impact every aspect of a growing child enormously. To go to their website, click here.