Posts Tagged ‘education’

Highlights from the boards for the week of June 9th – June 15th:

Adapt to Lower Cost of Living so Parent Can Stay-at-Home… (177 Replies)
Why don’t more people adapt to a lower cost of living so one parent can stay at home? I see so many people on UB say that they can’t afford a SAHP. Well, what if you made the choice to live in a smaller, less nice place…eat homemade soups & stews…take your kids out of activities and just do free things in the city…buy secondhand furniture and clothes. How many people would choose a life with no iPad, no smart phone, no vacations if it meant someone was home with the kids every day?

Benefit of Private School Education… (108 Replies)
What is the benefit of a private school education? Looking at a small sample size of my friends and acquaintances who went to Dalton, Nightingale, Spence, HM, Fieldston, Riverdale, and other Northeast private schools/boarding schools, many of them went on to decent colleges (Wisconsin, BU, UVM, Binghamton) and I wouldn’t say they’re any “smarter” or doing any better than my public school friends.

Book Recs to Discuss Being Inter-Racial with DC… (25 Replies)
Any parents of inter/multi-racial kids have suggestions for books to read about discussing race with your child? Our four year old seems very aware of and comfortable with other people’s races, but he gets upset when DH talks about his being Latino.

Smaller Classes Always an Advantage?… (55 Replies)
I can’t believe anyone is disputing the advantage of smaller class size.

Miscellany

Should Kids Have After-School Job? (32 Replies)

Best Book You Ever Read (267 Replies)

DH Monopolizes DS & I Feel Left Out (8 Replies)

I Will Not Repeat My Moms Parenting Mistake (55 Replies)

Highlights from the boards for the week of Feb 17th-Feb 23rd:

Was Life Better Before Kids?… (74 Replies)
Does anyone feel as though her life was a lot better before kids?

10 Yr Old Texting Boyfriend… (65 Replies)
My 10 yr old DD has a “boyfriend” in her class, they’re texting each other ” I love you”, “miss you”…I’m surprised at this especially since she’s denied even liking boys, says they’re all “so annoying”…Feel sad she doesn’t confide in me…what to do?

Teacher Chimes in on Why Kids are Bored in Class… (62 Replies)
I used to be a teacher and have taught k through 3rd grade. Parents seem to think that kids get bored in school because they are too smart for the class. I promise you, in all of my years of teaching, the brightest, most advanced kids are never the ones who are bored. They find something to be interested in and curious about no matter what is going on in the classroom. When kids complain about being bored, it is more often an issue of self control and focus, not intelligence.

Would You Choose School so DC is Big Fish in Little Pond?… (38 Replies)
Anyone deliberately enroll a very bright/advanced dc in a school that’s know for less rigorous academics, in the hopes that dc could be a big fish in a small pond?

Diversity in Education Trumps Single Sex… (53 Replies)
I truly believe diversity of all sorts enrich a students experience immensely, particularly in elementary school. That is the main reason why I dislike single sex education in elementary school.

Miscellany

Strong and Beautiful Girl’s Name (151 Replies)

UB Grammar Police (110 Replies)

Parenting Pet Peeve? (32 Replies)

Should Nanny Shovel Walkway? (15 Replies)

When we think about our children writing, images of crayon scribbles on the wall and older ones texting ‘brb’ at rapid speed might first come to mind. We might secretly harbor dreams of them growing up to be the next Hemingway or Bronte but lack the tools to steer them. The Write Start: A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories provides the basics of writing for kids and information on how to support your young writer at any stage.

Author Jennifer Hallissy is an occupational therapist, mother, and blogger who has made it her personal mission to help “catch” kids before they fall into poor writing habits with lack of proper skill. In The Write Start she shares 52 writing exercises, games, and crafts to help children build confidence in their writing including: Sand Writing, Eat Your Words, Handmade Books, Family Tree, and Listmania.

She believes that it is essential to connect early skill with effective communication and identifies four major categories of young writers: Scribblers, Spellers, Storytellers, and Scholars.

The Write Stuff includes:
* “Ready or Not Checklist” to determine if your child is ready to write;
* Valuable “DIY” and “FYI” boxes that share ideas and information;
* Templates to use at home; and
* List of Writing Resources including curriculum guide and publishing opportunities for children.

“More than ever, in this “age of information,” children need to take ownership of all the knowledge surrounding them. And writing remains the very best way to do that.” Jennifer Hallissy

Available at Amazon.com

Highlights from the boards for the week of Oct 21st – Oct 27th:

Ask Nanny to Get a Flu Shot… (35 Replies)
Should I ask my nanny to get a flu shot? I feel like with our young dcs I would prefer it—happy to pay for it as well but also aware I can’t demand she get the shot. How do others deal with this issue?

Bullied in Preschool… (25 Replies)
What do you do if your DC is being bullied in preschool? Pushed, hit and kicked. The teachers see certain children doing it and they are punished, but it doesn’t seem to stop the behavior. My DC is small, but I am thinking of teaching DC to fight back physically.

Picky Eaters a US Generated Problem?… (20 Replies)
Calling all parents who were born outside of the US. If you keep in touch with other parents from your home country, do they complain about picking eating among their own kids? Or is this a US-generated problem? Obviously, you won’t find picky eaters where food is scarce. But what about in households where that isn’t a concern? Are the kids just as picky all over the world?

No Holidays for Preschool… (25 Replies)
DD is one of two students in her class who has American-born parents. The preschool had a meeting and said that it is their policy to not do any Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas activities, decorations etc. etc., but invited all the parents to bring in something or lead a class in a celebration of our own rituals, customs, language, culture, etc.

Model Marriage?… (10 Replies)
Do you feel like your marriage is providing a good model for your dc? Do you feel your parents marriage was a good model for you?

Playground Playdates… (22 Replies)
Why do some moms suggest playdates at a playground? The kids don’t really play together and the moms can’t really talk because they’re too busy looking after their child.

Miscellany

We Love a Random Poll (23 Replies)

Tis the Season - Worst Gift Given and Received (38 Replies)

Mad Men Moms (14 Replies)

Education Worry (39 replies)

Too Young for Brow Shaping? (15 Replies)

Are we, as parents, completely misguided when it comes to, well, being parents? Are our assumptions leading our children astray?

According to NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, “Many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked.”

“Childhood obesity might be the result of not enough sleep. Moving the argument to another room might be the worst thing parents can do. Babyspeak DVD’s may stunt your child’s verbal development (since those eight wasted hours per week weren’t spent doing something productive). How about this one: children lie more often to permissive parents than they do to parents that set rules and guidelines.” - Hugh C. Howey

In her review, Alicia Van Hecke provides a good list of basic topics covered in the book, including “The Inverse Power of Praise” and “The Search for Intelligent Life in Kindergarten.”

During the fall of 2009 the authors wrote over 90 columns for Newsweek covering such topics as “Kids’ Food Allergies are Skyrocketing – Is the Spike Real?” and “Why Going to a Diverse School Doesn’t Lead to Diverse Friendships.”

Let’s Start the Discussion: It’s a dense book with meaty topics regarding parenting and education. We encourage UrbanBaby members to read this book over the course of the next few weeks and then come back to the UB boards to discuss in detail. We’ll announce a date for a guided board conversation. Will you read it?

A genuine eye-opener.

At first a statistic gleaned by a study at the University of California, Davis, sounds alarmist: children of parents who graduated college are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than the children of high-school drop outs. White kids are more likely to be diagnosed. So are the children of older parents. OMG, does being well-educated, pale, and old cause autism?

Of course not, concluded the researchers, who also found no link between pollution or exposure to chemicals. The researchers instead suggest that the higher rates are simply due to these parents’ persistence in obtaining diagnoses for their children.

Study author Irva Hertz-Picciotto told NPR “It doesn’t necessarily mean that higher education causes autism It gets you the diagnosis more frequently.” That NPR story is illustrated with a map of the autism “clusters” identified by researchers in California that neatly outlines the richest and most metropolitan areas of the state.

Lee Grossman, president and chief executive of the Autism Society of America, told BusinessWeek that the study was “interesting but said that, in his experience, autism cuts across demographic and socioeconomic lines.”

BusinessWeek also teased out another interesting fact: In December the Center for Disease Control said that autism is now diagnosed in 1 out of every 110 children.

A Swedish research study which looked at 13,376 women born between 1952 and 1989 has found that the more educated a girl’s family is, the more likely she is to develop an eating disorder.

The study, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology’s September 1 issue, tracked hospitalization for eating disorders with the level of education of her forebears, as well as the girl’s own performance at school. Researchers found that girls whose parents attended college were about twice as likely to be treated for an eating disorder. Girls whose maternal grandmothers had a college education were six times as likely. And girls with the highest grades at age 15 had double the risk of developing an eating disorder when compared to the group of girls with the lowest grades.

What does all this mean? Lead researcher Jennie Ahren-Moonga speculates that high-performing families create pressure to succeed and conform; this might play into the obsessiveness that fuels many eating disorders. In addition, girls who grew up in a competitive environment and succeed (as evidenced by higher grades) may themselves have qualities such as drive and perfectionism, that are often twinned with dysfunctional eating.

With so many great children’s books out there, how do you pick one that’s engaging, educational and age-appropriate?

What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child — and All the Best Times to Read Them guides parents through the process of finding that perfect book for any child at any moment. Award-winning educator and literacy advocate Pam Allyn offers an annotated list of more than 300 titles, broken down by childhood themes (from friendship to divorce), age and stage, and type of book (pop-ups, tactile, books for the bath). Family-oriented tips, like how to create a comfortable reading place in the home, will help foster a lifetime love of reading.

Available at whattoreadwhen.com.

Are you a helicopter parent? Of course not — but maybe you have a “friend” who is. Pass along these tips on making a smooth transition back to school, courtesy of Ken Haller, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

1. Encourage your children to discuss their problems, but let them come up with their own solutions. Problem solving is a great way for children to learn and grow.

2. Steer clear of battles such as disputing your child’s grades, discipline, placement on a team or squabbles with friends. Instead, enable your child to properly deal with his problems by asking him what should be done and offering possible solutions.

3. During homework time, be available to answer questions and clarify instructions. Avoid giving the answers or doing the work yourself, even if the assignment seems too difficult. Remember your job is to create a situation where your child can succeed. Provide the necessary supplies, create a quiet and well-lit study area and set aside time for homework.

4. Respect teachers’ schedules by making appointments and using e-mail. Your child’s teacher will be happy to meet with you, but she also needs time to teach and prepare for class. If you want to be involved, ask your child’s teacher how you can contribute to the classroom.

5. Teach your child to respect the authority of teachers and coaches. While it’s OK to question teachers and coaches, do not bad mouth them, break their rules or make excuses for your child.

6. Hold your children accountable and let them suffer the consequences of their actions. Especially by middle school, it is important to make your child responsible for studying, bringing homework home and turning in assignments.

7. If you’re concerned that your child is the victim or bullies or peer pressure, discuss your concerns with your child. Brainstorm appropriate responses, but try not to interfere at school unless your child is in danger.

8. Remember that your job is to prepare your child to be a responsible and capable adult, so decrease your involvement over time and let your child live his or her own life.

Whether it’s French, Mandarin or your family’s oft-neglected native tongue, knowing another language is a skill many parents want their (obviously brilliant) tots to have under their belt.

Author and linguistics expert Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D., delves into the various reasons behind bilingualism in her new book, Raising a Bilingual Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents. Below are some of her tips for getting started.

Start young if you can. You want your language habits–in two languages–to be well established by the time your child is aware of choices.

Keep it fun. Children have to speak one language, but they must want to speak another one.

Praise, praise, praise. Remark often how wonderful and special it is to speak two languages. Praise the child’s (and other people’s) bilingual abilities.

Make time for the minority language. You don’t need extra time for it, but in the course of the activities of daily life, some routines should take place in the “other” language–consistently, routinely, and over a long period of time.

Don’t do it all by yourself. Language is a group activity. Find others to be language models for your child–other children are often the best motivators. Take advantage of immersion schools, camps, playgroups and travel opportunities.