I recently had 8 first-grade girls in my house for a play date. (Remember a few articles back when I said I was not certifiable or a loon? I may need to rethink that statement.) Since I also have an eight-year-old son, and have had as many as seven boys in my house at once as well, I wanted to dispel the myth that girls and boys are equal, the same, simpatico. Because I am here to tell you, ladies and gentleman, starting at a very young age, there are BIG differences in boys and girls.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying it’s a bad thing, or that we shouldn’t celebrate those differences. But trying to make girls like boys and vise versa is probably a very, very bad idea. And that is the point I am trying to make here. I have put together a chart to illuminate some of those differences as I see them in the kids. (Generalizing here, of course. There are ALWAYS lots of exceptions.)
Read More
You're doin' it right.
New research from UC Berkeley suggests that physical contact — everything from high fives to a pat on the back — communicates more of an emotional expression than words. And the more physical contact, it seems, the better. From the
Times:
The evidence that such messages can lead to clear, almost immediate changes in how people think and behave is accumulating fast. Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have found. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched. Research by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute in Miami has found that a massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship.
The lesson? Every little touch matters. Maybe giving your kids an extra hug or two might have a long-term effect on their development.
The whole thing at the New York Times. Photo by clover_1.
