The Pokemon Go Craze Has Reached New Levels

When my sister, who is 10 years younger than me, told me last week that there was a new app called Pokémon Go and it was the new hotness on social media, I blew her off.

What adult in their right mind is going to play Pokémon? My kids collect Pokémon...they're kids. All I thought was, "Eh, she's 10 years younger than me...none of my adult friends will be drawn to a kids app..." WRONGO.

Two days after I first heard about this new app, I actually had adult friends playing it and it really is all over social media. Here are a few memes that I have seen in the past week....

Did you notice that these memes all have adults in them?

Is anyone disturbed by this? At all?????

I can't figure out if this app is genius or ridiculous.

I have friends who are going out to parks and playing with their kids. It's great that kids are getting off the couch and the app is resulting in fun family time. When was the last time technology caused this type of activity? Probably with the invention of the Wii.

I recently saw a debate on adults using this game and one person said her church was using it as a way to reach out to people.

When I see stuff like this I can't help but think, "Yeah, this app is pretty cool."

But then I get forwarded military information bulletins centered around Pokémon Go and the dangers that come with this app. Let me say that again...THE. US MILITARY. HAD. TO. TYPE. UP. A. BULLETIN. WARNING. ABOUT. POKEMON. GO...the US military that is currently fighting terrorists had to take time to warn military personnel about the dangers associated with AN APP!

It warned of the dangers of walking and looking at your phone. The dangers of criminal activity already being used through the lure module feature. The police receiving a surge in suspicious persons because people are trying to catch Pokémon while trespassing on private property.

In the news, major vehicle accidents have already occurred because drivers are playing while driving. Two men walked off a cliff in California and a teen walked out on a highway and got hit by a car. All the people survived, but hello is this not a wake up call?

Seriously, where has common sense gone? Just because you have fun playing games doesn't mean that you get a free pass on adulting and using your brain for goodness sake.

If an app has to come with several warnings, is the app really worth it? All you're doing is catching virtual fictional characters. I'm not understanding the lure and reward of walking around using up phone data in-order to play a game, especially when there are so many other important things that need to be done daily.

I'm just guessing here, perhaps adults are drawn to this game in-order to forget about their adult responsibilities????

I can already hear the argument of parents who let their kids play this app. They'll say that it's good because kids are being active. Let me remind you of the damage done to kids when they spend too much time using technology. As an educator, I can tell you that there is a big difference in school performance between kids who have unlimited screen time and those who go home after school and have limited technology use.

Unlimited screen time results in attention problems, sleep disorders and obesity. Doctors recommend 1-2 hours daily for all screens. That includes TV, tablets, computers, phones, and handheld devices.

So is it beneficial to allow kids to play Pokémon Go because they get outside and moving? I'm thinking no because of the dangers listed above.

Furthermore, this is the perfect opportunity for child predators to lure kids to them using that handy lure module feature...has that occurred to anyone?

I think for now I will pass on this app and instead I'll sit down a read a book with Opal and Mae...

The original blog post was edited to add to the list of accidents caused by the stupidity of Pokémon Go users as of 7/15/16. I'm sure more accidents are waiting right around the corner.

The Puberty Talk...Here We GO

Since the Lord has blessed us with two girls, the puberty talk falls on me, their mother. My husband gladly threw up his hands and passed that ball to me the day they were born. As they are getting older I've found myself panicking over how to tell them they get the privilege of having Aunt Flo visit monthly. How do I approach this topic? When do I approach this topic? Should I tell both of them together or wait until Mae is a little older? These questions have seriously plagued me and all we are talking about is puberty.

So as a good teacher and lifelong student I did my homework. I talked to family and friends with older girls and asked how they introduced the Giant Red Monster! I found that most of my friends already had the puberty talk with their daughters with the youngest being six. Holy Cow did I feel behind in this area.

Did you know that many 10 year olds are having their period now? Opal will be 10 this month. After I found this out I called up family members on both sides to see when they started their cycles and the age range was varied. We need to have this chat and soon. I do feel a little assured that puberty won't approach as soon because Opal hasn't reached 100 pounds yet. She's not even 70 pounds and it seems the general consensus is that 100 pounds is the point when girls will start their cycles.

In light of how behind we are in this life lesson, we decided this summer we will introduce Opal to world she's about to enter for the majority of her adult life (unless she hits menopause early). The next problem we faced was when to tell Mae? I really waffled over this. If I tell Opal and then tell her she can't talk to her sister about this, she'll probably blab and Mae will find out anyway. So we agreed that we'll make a science lesson out of it with both girls.

But how do we approach this? Opal has a major issue with blood. She doesn't even like saying the word blood or veins for that matter. How do I tell her she's about to deal with blood month after month? My family and friends had some interesting suggestions, here's what they did:

Say nothing and let them figure it out on their own...

I found that many of the older generation family members said nothing at all to their daughters about body changes. They just let them learn on their own and let them think they are dying if they never heard through the grapevine about the menstrual cycle.  One family member said she thought she had cancer and was mortified when AF showed up.

Read a book and journal about it...

A few friends said they purchased growing up books and a journal for their daughters. The mom would read up on the chapter, write some questions in the journal and then the child would read and respond in the journal. The child could talk to the mom if she wanted, but the journal provided a talking route that didn't include an awkward face to face.

What book was suggested the most you ask? American Girl The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls. This book goes through everything from pimples and body odor to mood changes and the cycle. Plus, who doesn't love American Girl?

Read a growing up book together...

Other friends read the book together with their daughters and talked about what they read. I see this working in very open relationships between parent and child. One friend said she even sat on the toilet fully clothed, put underwear around her ankles and showed her daughters how to put on a pad. This is definitely a must for visual learners and a good way to teach them. She said they all were laughing at the end of the lesson.

Make a coming of age basket...

I know one family member that put together a coming of age gift basket for her daughter. She included all the things her daughter would need in the coming years like training bras, pads, chocolate, heating pad, etc. I'm assuming they chatted about why the child would need these things in the future.

So where do I go from here?

I got the American Girl book along with the second book for older girls. I think I'm going to read it to both Opal and Mae and I like the idea of the journal to write down questions. I think when the time comes I will do the fully clothed pad tutorial and I might do the coming of age basket as well. The only suggestion I'm steering clear of is the say nothing and let them figure it out route. That one seems traumatizing.

I'd seriously value other suggestions! Did you use another method that wasn't mentioned?

Sometimes parenting is so hard!