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Strollerderby
So what if she can't dance, it's her dream!
Maybe don’t go over to Breed ‘Em and Weep, where you can read about blogger Jennifer Mattern’s dream-crushing tendencies. You might see yourself in her story and, if you do, you probably won’t like it.
Mattern hasn’t always known she was a dream-crusher, but her daughter was kind enough to point it out one recent evening. Continue reading »
The way play used to be: Mom lurked, but only to take a picture.
Here’s something to mull over: kids, in general, are engaged in so little self-directed, theme-less, purely from their own minds play these days that, in order to maybe try this kind of free play out, they need to be shown how to do it.
Kids need to relearn how to play, according to some child development experts.
A lot of us parents probably suspect this at some level.We know that we had a lot more freedom to roam during our childhoods compared to our kids’ childhoods. But we only sort of wish our own kids could experience that. We’re reluctant send them out the front door and tell them to come home by dinnertime because were worried for their safety, we fear we’d get arrested, and, anyway, the Kindergarten homework packet still needs to get done.
A convergence of trends in education, society restrictions and electronic games (designed by grown-ups) has left kids totally inept at … being kids. Continue reading »
The scales of justice in the hands of babies -- not such a stretch.
Nothing beats a story that ends with the bad guys getting their comeuppance: evil dictators getting deposed, bank robbers going to jail, Farkus suffering punches to the face by an unhinged, obscenities-spewing Ralphie in “A Christmas Story.”
What makes us root for justice to be served? Is this something we learn as children, after that satisfying rush of having told on someone? Or is it something we’re built to want?
A new study found that babies demonstrate a desire for retribution, leading researchers to think justice is yet another hard-wired human characteristic. But what’s particularly interesting is how young this tendency may emerge — around 8 months old! Continue reading »
Wouldn't most boys prefer to be outside playing than sitting in a desk inside a classroom?
A post over at Parenting.com titled “Why Are We Un-Boy-Ing Our Boys?” discussed a typical scenario found in schools all over: A fidgety boy is disinterested in the classroom instruction, and couldn’t care less about the current Phonics lesson. He is soon referred to a specialist who says he may be slightly delayed … or he might simply not be interested.
The author goes on to say:
I do not have a Ph.D. nor one of those satiny Technicolor sashes around my neck, but I know this much: he is not interested. I understand the teacher has a job to do, but the boy turned five in July. He cares about marshmallows and the Fresh Beat Band. He cares about chocolate and Halloween. He doesn’t care about vowel sounds.
She then point out how many girls of the same age will sit down in a desk and follow directions, but asking young boys to do the same is trying to un-boy them.
I agree ….but I disagree, too.
It can take kids an entire month to get back into school mode.
Either I hit the jackpot or I’m just that boring of a mom (my money is on option 2). Either way, my kids love school and heading back to the classroom, which they did two days ago, was no problem for us at all.
But not everyone picked crappy summer camps and unintentionally deprived their kids from regular contact with friends for almost three months. Not every child is begging for the first day of school to come a little faster. And it’s too late to suddenly become boring, which is the only tip I have to offer.
So how can you help kids make the transition from summer fun to school time? Continue reading »
Someone get this kid a stepstool -- and a drink!
The only thing youthful about this Russian city’s night club for tweens and teens is the age of the clientele. Everything else at the “Underground Garage” in Chelyabinsk, Russia, is rather grown up.
There are shot glasses, pole dances and some dripping wet, teeny-tiny tops — all of which make a stunning contrast to the prepubescent boys who can barely see over the bar to order drinks. Continue reading »
No training wheels? You didn't know she could do it!
We parents tend to think we’re our kids’ best teacher. But because we live with our little ones day in and out, we might actually not be encouraging them to learn new things at a pace they are capable of.
What their kids know how to do is, well, what they know how to do. Thanksverymuch, moving on!
Enter grandparents (or, if you ask me, babysitters, cousins, older kids). Continue reading »
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