Over at Babble, David Shenk has “4 Ways to Guide Your Child Toward Excellent,” or better put, tips for parents to help their kids succeed. The advice isn’t too specific, but I think it’s intentionally ambiguous so it can be applied to whatever part of your child’s life needs parental support. Here are the four steps and some excerpts from Shenk:
1. Believe
“Rather than wonder if their child is among the “gifted” chosen few, parents should believe deeply in the extraordinary potential of their children.”
2. Support, don’t smother
“Early exposure to resources is wonderful, as is setting high expectations and demonstrating persistence and resilience when it comes to life challenges. But a parent must not use affection as a reward for success or a punishment for failure.” Read More
I think we can all agree that the expectations we have of kids today is tremendous, but just how dangerous is it to their psychological health? Seeking to answer that question is a new documentary called Race to Nowhere, which looks into the pressures on students to overachieve. Watch the trailer below. Via ParentsAsk.
Race to Nowhere is a new documentary about the dark side of America’s achievement culture. Watch the trailer here.
The administration of Sacred Heart, a Catholic pre-school in Boulder, CO, expelled a student for having gay parents, citing the Catholic churches stern views on homosexuality.
“To allow children in these circumstances to continue in our school would be a cause of confusion for the student in that what they are being taught in school conflicts with what they experience in the home,” said the Archdiocese of Denver, in a formal statement.
Growing up, I went to a private Episcopalian high school. I was not Episcopalian, and many other students were of different denominations and entirely different religions. While I understand that Boulder’s Sacred Heart is there to serve the Catholic community, I think by not accepting students of different backgrounds undoes much of what the Catholic church stands for.
When parents push their kids to succeed — whether it’s academically or athletically — there’s a careful balance of nurturing a will to do his/her best and not forcing your kids to do something just because the parent is living vicariously through them. It’s tricky. In her column for the Los Angeles Times, Sandy Banks talks about how that tension can strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.
It took years on the soccer sidelines for me to learn to walk away, to honor my daughter’s wish that I please, please not embarrass her by becoming one of those parents who strides out onto the field to pick a fight with the referee.
I only recently realized that she was honoring my wish by strapping on those shin guards every week. She got tired of playing long before I let her quit.
I spent weekends with my daughter, traveling to games and tournaments. And if the love of soccer didn’t stick, well, the closeness between mother and daughter did.
The truth is I was surprised to find out that there was something scientific wrong with Eric. And I was shocked that it had a name.
I had secretly thought that his problems were my fault, and if only I had been making ABC photo books for Eric like I had for Paul, Eric would have been reading already. I had been so proud of myself for not comparing him to Paul. But I thought Paul was a genius, so Eric must just be average. And I was proud of myself for accepting that! But now I had to admit that Paul might be average and Eric was, perhaps, below average.
Is Tim Burton’s reimagining of Alice in Wonderland appropriate viewing material for kids? Burton is known for his dark, violent films like Sweeney Todd, but also bizarrely yet kid-friendly fare like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Over at Babble, Erika Milvy thinks that Alice falls in the latter category. And not only is it OK for children, she thinks it’s just a straight up good movie.
She writes, “This is a film you’ll want your daughter to see instead of Hannah Montana… Like Where the Wild Things Are this is a film about childhood as well as being a film that will enchant children. If your kid isn’t old enough, see it alone.”
Kids movies that aren’t just for kids! And I thought only Pixar could do it. Anyone seen Alice in Wonderland yet? Movie trailer is on YouTube, because embedding is disabled.
This week’s Momversation deals with sexual abuse — not a fun topic, but an important for parents to think about. The question was pitched by our friend Asha from Parent Hacks.
Earmuffs are also the most appropriate way to celebrate a Super Bowl victory.
Over time, loud concerts and sports events will damage your hearing, but how do you slow down that process? Taking measures to protect your one’s ears as early as possible. According to the Times, parents don’t take enough measures to preserve their children’s ears.
The article compliments New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for putting earmuffs on his one-year-old son during their Super Bowl victory celebration. Those earmuffs might look dorky, but they’re extremely cheap ($20ish) and can make a big difference in protecting your child’s hearing. They are also better than ear plugs and aren’t a choking hazard.
Interesting fact: sales of Baby Banz earmuffs, designed specifically for infants six months and older, rose 40% after the Super Bowl.
There are many important considerations when preparing your child for elementary school. After Kindergarten, they will have developed new skills to help prepare them for the next step, first grade, and it’s a big step that you can help them with. Ultimately they must take those steps themselves, but you can support and guide them as much as possible. Read More
In response to a piece by Nona Willis Arononwitz, Allison Stevens of WomensRadio answers why parents aren’t more aware of the political landscape: it’s simply a matter of time. Parents are already stretched thin with their responsibilities, and since basic needs, like taking care of the family, come first. But Allison isn’t saying that parents should give up on staying informed.
“But mothers can’t job this out, however tired we may feel,” she writes. “That’s why I have decided to take the time–or make it if I have to–to fill this space with coverage of motherhood and politics. Even as I write this our baby, Owen, is screaming in the background as his father tries to put him to sleep (an especially difficult task for the breastmilk-less parent of a breastfed baby). It’s the price we’ll pay as a family to stay informed and active.”
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Over at Babble, David Shenk has “4 Ways to Guide Your Child Toward Excellent,” or better put, tips for parents to help their kids succeed. The advice isn’t too specific, but I think it’s intentionally ambiguous so it can be applied to whatever part of your child’s life needs parental support. Here are the four steps and some excerpts from Shenk:
When parents push their kids to succeed — whether it’s academically or athletically — there’s a careful balance of nurturing a will to do his/her best and not forcing your kids to do something just because the parent is living vicariously through them. It’s tricky. In her column for the Los Angeles Times, Sandy Banks talks about how that tension can strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.
The truth is I was surprised to find out that there was something scientific wrong with Eric. And I was shocked that it had a name. 
In response to a piece by Nona Willis Arononwitz, Allison Stevens of WomensRadio answers why parents aren’t more aware of the political landscape: it’s simply a matter of time. Parents are already stretched thin with their responsibilities, and since basic needs, like taking care of the family, come first. But Allison isn’t saying that parents should give up on staying informed.
