Winning a corner office vs. Nourish your soul: The battle over public school reading lists. Read NYT article for more -
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/what-should-children-read/?smid=pl-share
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving - Raising Thankful children!
Raising thankful children is an uphill battle against the generally selfish tendencies of children. But not all hope is lost. Parenting, like having a good jump shot, is a skill that can be learned through the right techniques and practice. Read for more..
http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/21/my-view-5-ways-to-raise-thankful-children/
http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/21/my-view-5-ways-to-raise-thankful-children/
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Benefits of early childhood music lessons
When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life.
Here is the complete NYT article:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/?smid=pl-share
Here is the complete NYT article:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/?smid=pl-share
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Raising successful Children
An interesting article in NYT talks about the secret of raising successful children. Here is the summary:
- This may seem counterintuitive, but praising children’s talents and abilities seems to rattle their confidence. Tackling more difficult puzzles carries the risk of losing one’s status as “smart” and deprives kids of the thrill of choosing to work simply for its own sake, regardless of outcomes.
- The happiest, most successful children have parents who do not do for them what they are capable of doing, or almost capable of doing; and their parents do not do things for them that satisfy their own needs rather than the needs of the child.
- The central task of growing up is to develop a sense of self that is autonomous, confident and generally in accord with reality. If you treat your walking toddler as if she can’t walk, you diminish her confidence and distort reality. Ditto nightly “reviews” of homework, repetitive phone calls to “just check if you’re O.K.” and “editing” (read: writing) your child’s college application essay.
- Once your child is capable of doing something, congratulate yourself on a job well done and move on. Continued, unnecessary intervention makes your child feel bad about himself (if he’s young) or angry at you (if he’s a teenager).
- But isn’t it a parent’s job to help with those things that are just beyond your child’s reach? Why is it overparenting to do for your child what he or she is almost capable of?
Think back to when your toddler learned to walk. She would take a weaving step or two, collapse and immediately look to you for your reaction. You were in thrall to those early attempts and would do everything possible to encourage her to get up again. You certainly didn’t chastise her for failing or utter dire predictions about flipping burgers for the rest of her life if she fell again. You were present, alert and available to guide if necessary. But you didn’t pick her up every time.
You knew she had to get it wrong many times before she could get it right.
- HANGING back and allowing children to make mistakes is one of the greatest challenges of parenting. It’s easier when they’re young — tolerating a stumbling toddler is far different from allowing a preteenager to meet her friends at the mall. The potential mistakes carry greater risks, and part of being a parent is minimizing risk for our children.
What kinds of risks should we tolerate? If there’s a predator loose in the neighborhood, your daughter doesn’t get to go to the mall. But under normal circumstances an 11-year-old girl is quite capable of taking care of herself for a few hours in the company of her friends. She may forget a package, overpay for an item or forget that she was supposed to call home at noon. Mastery of the world is an expanding geography for our kids, for toddlers, it’s the backyard; for preteens, the neighborhood, for teens the wider world.But it is in the small daily risks — the taller slide, the bike ride around the block, the invitation extended to a new classmate — that growth takes place. In this gray area of just beyond the comfortable is where resilience is born.
- There is an important distinction between good and bad parental involvement. For example, a young child doesn’t want to sit and do his math homework. Good parents insist on compliance, not because they need their child to be a perfect student but because the child needs to learn the fundamentals of math and develop a good work ethic. Compare this with the parent who spends weeks “helping” his or her child fill out college applications with the clear expectation that if they both work hard enough, a “gotta get into” school is a certainty. (While most of my parent patients have graduated from college, it is always a telltale sign of overparenting when they talk about how “we’re applying to Columbia.”)
- A loving parent is warm, willing to set limits and unwilling to breach a child’s psychological boundaries by invoking shame or guilt. Parents must acknowledge their own anxiety. Your job is to know your child well enough to make a good call about whether he can manage a particular situation. Will you stay up worrying? Probably, but the child’s job is to grow, yours is to control your anxiety so it doesn’t get in the way of his reasonable moves toward autonomy.
- Parents also have to be clear about their own values. Children watch us closely. If you want your children to be able to stand up for their values, you have to do the same. If you believe that a summer spent reading, taking creek walks and playing is better than a specialized camp, then stick to your guns. Parents also have to make sure their own lives are fulfilling. There is no parent more vulnerable to the excesses of overparenting than an unhappy parent. One of the most important things we do for our children is to present them with a version of adult life that is appealing and worth striving for.
You can read the complete article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/raising-successful-children.html?smid=pl-share
- This may seem counterintuitive, but praising children’s talents and abilities seems to rattle their confidence. Tackling more difficult puzzles carries the risk of losing one’s status as “smart” and deprives kids of the thrill of choosing to work simply for its own sake, regardless of outcomes.
- The happiest, most successful children have parents who do not do for them what they are capable of doing, or almost capable of doing; and their parents do not do things for them that satisfy their own needs rather than the needs of the child.
- The central task of growing up is to develop a sense of self that is autonomous, confident and generally in accord with reality. If you treat your walking toddler as if she can’t walk, you diminish her confidence and distort reality. Ditto nightly “reviews” of homework, repetitive phone calls to “just check if you’re O.K.” and “editing” (read: writing) your child’s college application essay.
- Once your child is capable of doing something, congratulate yourself on a job well done and move on. Continued, unnecessary intervention makes your child feel bad about himself (if he’s young) or angry at you (if he’s a teenager).
- But isn’t it a parent’s job to help with those things that are just beyond your child’s reach? Why is it overparenting to do for your child what he or she is almost capable of?
Think back to when your toddler learned to walk. She would take a weaving step or two, collapse and immediately look to you for your reaction. You were in thrall to those early attempts and would do everything possible to encourage her to get up again. You certainly didn’t chastise her for failing or utter dire predictions about flipping burgers for the rest of her life if she fell again. You were present, alert and available to guide if necessary. But you didn’t pick her up every time.
You knew she had to get it wrong many times before she could get it right.
- HANGING back and allowing children to make mistakes is one of the greatest challenges of parenting. It’s easier when they’re young — tolerating a stumbling toddler is far different from allowing a preteenager to meet her friends at the mall. The potential mistakes carry greater risks, and part of being a parent is minimizing risk for our children.
What kinds of risks should we tolerate? If there’s a predator loose in the neighborhood, your daughter doesn’t get to go to the mall. But under normal circumstances an 11-year-old girl is quite capable of taking care of herself for a few hours in the company of her friends. She may forget a package, overpay for an item or forget that she was supposed to call home at noon. Mastery of the world is an expanding geography for our kids, for toddlers, it’s the backyard; for preteens, the neighborhood, for teens the wider world.But it is in the small daily risks — the taller slide, the bike ride around the block, the invitation extended to a new classmate — that growth takes place. In this gray area of just beyond the comfortable is where resilience is born.
- There is an important distinction between good and bad parental involvement. For example, a young child doesn’t want to sit and do his math homework. Good parents insist on compliance, not because they need their child to be a perfect student but because the child needs to learn the fundamentals of math and develop a good work ethic. Compare this with the parent who spends weeks “helping” his or her child fill out college applications with the clear expectation that if they both work hard enough, a “gotta get into” school is a certainty. (While most of my parent patients have graduated from college, it is always a telltale sign of overparenting when they talk about how “we’re applying to Columbia.”)
- A loving parent is warm, willing to set limits and unwilling to breach a child’s psychological boundaries by invoking shame or guilt. Parents must acknowledge their own anxiety. Your job is to know your child well enough to make a good call about whether he can manage a particular situation. Will you stay up worrying? Probably, but the child’s job is to grow, yours is to control your anxiety so it doesn’t get in the way of his reasonable moves toward autonomy.
- Parents also have to be clear about their own values. Children watch us closely. If you want your children to be able to stand up for their values, you have to do the same. If you believe that a summer spent reading, taking creek walks and playing is better than a specialized camp, then stick to your guns. Parents also have to make sure their own lives are fulfilling. There is no parent more vulnerable to the excesses of overparenting than an unhappy parent. One of the most important things we do for our children is to present them with a version of adult life that is appealing and worth striving for.
You can read the complete article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/raising-successful-children.html?smid=pl-share
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Summer reading - What should they read?
For enlightening summer reading, students should pick up nonfiction that tells them about the world as it actually is. Here is a NYT article on this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/opinion/sunday/how-to-choose-summer-reading-for-students.html?smid=pl-share
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/opinion/sunday/how-to-choose-summer-reading-for-students.html?smid=pl-share
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Where does 'misfits' fit?
Why business needs people with Asperger’s syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia?
Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues.
Read on this interesting article:
http://www.economist.com/node/21556230?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/inpraiseofmisfits
Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues.
Read on this interesting article:
http://www.economist.com/node/21556230?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/inpraiseofmisfits
Friday, May 25, 2012
The power of example!
President Obama is a good speaker, probably, best in his generation. You may not agree to his policies but you will admit that he inspires strong feelings, some positive, some negative. He has a knack of conveying message through small stories. In his recent speech at Barnard College, he talked about something very important - The power of example. He said:
Never underestimate the power of your example. The very fact that you are graduating, let alone that more women now graduate from college than men, is only possible because earlier generations of women -- your mothers, your grandmothers, your aunts -- shattered the myth that you couldn’t or shouldn’t be where you are.
I think of a friend of mine who’s the daughter of immigrants. When she was in high school, her guidance counselor told her, you know what, you’re just not college material. You should think about becoming a secretary. Well, she was stubborn, so she went to college anyway. She got her master’s. She ran for local office, won. She ran for state office, she won. She ran for Congress, she won. And lo and behold, Hilda Solis did end up becoming a secretary -- (laughter) -- she is America’s Secretary of Labor.
So think about what that means to a young Latina girl when she sees a Cabinet secretary that looks like her. Think about what it means to a young girl in Iowa when she sees a presidential candidate who looks like her. Think about what it means to a young girl walking in Harlem right down the street when she sees a U.N. ambassador who looks like her. Do not underestimate the power of your example.
This diploma opens up new possibilities, so reach back, convince a young girl to earn one, too. If you earned your degree in areas where we need more women -- like computer science or engineering -- reach back and persuade another student to study it, too. If you're going into fields where we need more women, like construction or computer engineering -- reach back, hire someone new. Be a mentor. Be a role model.
Until a girl can imagine herself, can picture herself as a computer programmer, or a combatant commander, she won’t become one. Until there are women who tell her, ignore our pop culture obsession over beauty and fashion -- and focus instead on studying and inventing and competing and leading, she’ll think those are the only things that girls are supposed to care about. Now, Michelle will say, nothing wrong with caring about it a little bit. (Laughter.) You can be stylish and powerful, too. That's Michelle’s advice.
And never forget that the most important example a young girl will ever follow is that of a parent. Malia and Sasha are going to be outstanding women because Michelle and Marian Robinson are outstanding women. So understand your power, and use it wisely.
For more, read on..
https://barnard.edu/headlines/
In an unrelated event, a 5 years old boy wanted to find out if President's hair feels like his. President obliged:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/us/politics/indelible-image-of-a-boys-pat-on-obamas-head-hangs-in-white-house.html?smid=pl-share
Never underestimate the power of your example. The very fact that you are graduating, let alone that more women now graduate from college than men, is only possible because earlier generations of women -- your mothers, your grandmothers, your aunts -- shattered the myth that you couldn’t or shouldn’t be where you are.
I think of a friend of mine who’s the daughter of immigrants. When she was in high school, her guidance counselor told her, you know what, you’re just not college material. You should think about becoming a secretary. Well, she was stubborn, so she went to college anyway. She got her master’s. She ran for local office, won. She ran for state office, she won. She ran for Congress, she won. And lo and behold, Hilda Solis did end up becoming a secretary -- (laughter) -- she is America’s Secretary of Labor.
So think about what that means to a young Latina girl when she sees a Cabinet secretary that looks like her. Think about what it means to a young girl in Iowa when she sees a presidential candidate who looks like her. Think about what it means to a young girl walking in Harlem right down the street when she sees a U.N. ambassador who looks like her. Do not underestimate the power of your example.
This diploma opens up new possibilities, so reach back, convince a young girl to earn one, too. If you earned your degree in areas where we need more women -- like computer science or engineering -- reach back and persuade another student to study it, too. If you're going into fields where we need more women, like construction or computer engineering -- reach back, hire someone new. Be a mentor. Be a role model.
Until a girl can imagine herself, can picture herself as a computer programmer, or a combatant commander, she won’t become one. Until there are women who tell her, ignore our pop culture obsession over beauty and fashion -- and focus instead on studying and inventing and competing and leading, she’ll think those are the only things that girls are supposed to care about. Now, Michelle will say, nothing wrong with caring about it a little bit. (Laughter.) You can be stylish and powerful, too. That's Michelle’s advice.
And never forget that the most important example a young girl will ever follow is that of a parent. Malia and Sasha are going to be outstanding women because Michelle and Marian Robinson are outstanding women. So understand your power, and use it wisely.
For more, read on..
https://barnard.edu/headlines/
In an unrelated event, a 5 years old boy wanted to find out if President's hair feels like his. President obliged:
This photograph of a young boy, Jacob, feeling President Obama’s hair has been on view in the West Wing for years. David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s longtime adviser, has a copy framed in his Chicago office. He said of Jacob, “Really, what he was saying is, ‘Gee, you’re just like me.’ And it doesn’t take a big leap to think that child could be thinking, ‘Maybe I could be here someday.’
Read on...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/us/politics/indelible-image-of-a-boys-pat-on-obamas-head-hangs-in-white-house.html?smid=pl-share
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Comma mistakes!
There are some common grammatical mistakes made by children and adults alike. This depends on correct use of punctuation marks.
Rules about when to use and not to use commas are legion. But certain errors keep popping up. Read on..
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/the-most-comma-mistakes/
Rules about when to use and not to use commas are legion. But certain errors keep popping up. Read on..
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/the-most-comma-mistakes/
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Can you call a 9 years old a psycopath?
What are the warning signs that your child is heading towards 'evil path'? Child psychologists now believe fledgling psychopaths can be identified as early as kindergarten. The hope is to teach these children empathy before it’s too late. Read on..
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/magazine/can-you-call-a-9-year-old-a-psychopath.html?smid=pl-share
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/magazine/can-you-call-a-9-year-old-a-psychopath.html?smid=pl-share
Saturday, May 5, 2012
What makes Mormons successful?
What makes communities like Mormons successful? Same could be said about 'Parsees' and 'Jews'. Is this about taking responsibilty from a young age? It could be because of many different factors like exploring a world very different from their own, prople coming out of their comfort zone, having a purpose in life, strong support from stable family and tightly-knit community. Here is an interesting story from the world of business: 'The Mormon way of business'. Read on..
http://www.economist.com/node/21554173
http://www.economist.com/node/21554173
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Insights from the youngest minds
Elizabeth Spelke studies infants and toddlers to understand how the brain works by determining what, if anything, humans are born knowing. Did you know things like babies are born Accountants? Read on this interesting article...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/science/insights-in-human-knowledge-from-the-minds-of-babes.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/science/insights-in-human-knowledge-from-the-minds-of-babes.html
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Teaching self-control!
Rather than emulating the strict discipline of child-rearing in other cultures, it’s more useful to consider the science of successful parenting in all countries. Read on this NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/opinion/sunday/building-self-control-the-american-way.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/opinion/sunday/building-self-control-the-american-way.html
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Testing the teachers!
If you’ve got a student at or applying to college, ask the administrators how much the students there learn, and how they know for sure. A nice article on the worth of college education:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/opinion/brooks-testing-the-teachers.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/opinion/brooks-testing-the-teachers.html
Develop a love of reading!
Teaching English simply for test preparation rather than to develop a love of literature is a mistake. Read on this NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/taking-emotions-out-of-our-schools.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/taking-emotions-out-of-our-schools.html
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Are Left-handed better than Right-handers?
It seems that the image that left-handers have been persecuted in history is unfounded, as is the current tendency to associate left-handedness with creativity and leadership.
Read on NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/lefties-arent-special-after-all.html
Read on NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/lefties-arent-special-after-all.html
Advantage of Bilingualism
I am not just talking about those multinational jobs requiring knowledge of Spanish or Chinese in addition to English. It seems people knowing more than one language do have cognitive advantage over others who speaks just one language. So enroll your child in Spanish or Chinese immersion class preferably before 5 years of age.
Read this NYT article to learn more about the advantage of bilingual skills:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html
Read this NYT article to learn more about the advantage of bilingual skills:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Power of positive reinforcements!
How do you tackle a 3 years old who is not listening? I have received following tips from other parents:
1. Most of the kids crave for attention - acknowledge their positive behavior and ignore the negative ones! Instead of scolding your child for a negative behavior, redirect their focus - instead of throwing your car away, can you tell me what makes them go so fast? To stop unruly behavior at a grocery store, you may ask them to find things on a shelf with specific color or letter. Distractions are great too. Also, try to talk to them at eye level..they may have difficulty connecting to people who are taller to them :)
2. Three year olds want some control in a world where they don't have any! Try giving them 'two-choice' decisions as long as that involves getting your work done - you want apple or oranges? you want to put on your pant or shirt first? Make sure you don't give them many choices as it soon spirals out of control!
1. Most of the kids crave for attention - acknowledge their positive behavior and ignore the negative ones! Instead of scolding your child for a negative behavior, redirect their focus - instead of throwing your car away, can you tell me what makes them go so fast? To stop unruly behavior at a grocery store, you may ask them to find things on a shelf with specific color or letter. Distractions are great too. Also, try to talk to them at eye level..they may have difficulty connecting to people who are taller to them :)
2. Three year olds want some control in a world where they don't have any! Try giving them 'two-choice' decisions as long as that involves getting your work done - you want apple or oranges? you want to put on your pant or shirt first? Make sure you don't give them many choices as it soon spirals out of control!
Closed-book vs. Open-book exams
Which exams pattern is better - closed-book, open-book, take-home or project-work? A recent study recommends OBOW (Open Book Open Web). For more details, visit -
http://www.kueducation.com/sites/knowledgeu.com/files/bjet.pdf
http://www.kueducation.com/sites/knowledgeu.com/files/bjet.pdf
Developing healthy food habits
What do French parents knows about developing healthy food habits in kids that we don't...read on this informative article -
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/why-french-parents-are-superior-in-one-way/
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/why-french-parents-are-superior-in-one-way/
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Home remedies for treating cold and cough
Cold or cough is so common among infants and toddlers specially those who goes to daycare centers. We have struggled a lot of this front. We have used little ginger in the drinking water for treating cough, honey in the milk (1 year and above) and humidifer while sleeping. They do help.
Here are few articles which talks about treating cold and cough:
http://lifeisanovel.hubpages.com/hub/Home-remedies-for-cold-in-babies
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/cold-cough-home-remedies-children
Smacking?
This is very controversial topic. Parenting requires lots of patience. One of the things that has worked with my daughter is time-outs or taking away her favorite toy when she is being difficult. This works sometimes and not on other occasions. Anyways, jury is out on this and parents must use their best judgement to find out what works and what does not. There is nothing like a perfect parent or perfect child. Here are some links that talks about smacking and also its ill-effects:
http://drphil.com/articles/article/48
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6926823/Smacked-children-more-successful-later-in-life-study-finds.html
And, do watch Supernanny on TV. They have some practical tips on handling difficult kids.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Human capital
I am not politically savvy but I listen attentively when President Obama talks about American kids lagging behind their Asian counter-parts in education. Our future depends on how we grow 'intellectual capital'. There are nations like South Korea and Japan where there is severe shortage of natural resources but they have not let that come into the way of developing human resource..an article talking about what we can learn from South Korean schools:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2008-11-18-korea-education-usa_N.htm
Bad side of chicken nuggets
Chicken nuggets is a very popular snack among children. How bad are they?
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/chicken-nuggets-how-bad-are-they
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/chicken-nuggets-how-bad-are-they
Risky habits
We do few things out of ignorance and regret later. I found an interesting article on stupid things parents do that put their kids at risk. Do read...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/20/health/parents-kids-risk-empowered-patient/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/20/health/parents-kids-risk-empowered-patient/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Reading list for kids
Reading habit helps in building strong foundation for the future. so jump start your kids' imaginations through reading:
http://www.oprah.com/packages/kid-reading-list.html
http://www.oprah.com/packages/kid-reading-list.html
Edutainment
Now that your kid has started spending time on iPad, how do you channel their attention to something educational on iPad or iPhone? Link below lists some useful Apps for the children:
http://robin.hubpages.com/hub/Best-iPhone-Apps-for-Kids
Don't forget to read comment section of the above article, they mention some good information as well. I will continue adding more links once I come across any other useful App for the children.
http://robin.hubpages.com/hub/Best-iPhone-Apps-for-Kids
Don't forget to read comment section of the above article, they mention some good information as well. I will continue adding more links once I come across any other useful App for the children.
Kids and screen time
Electronic media has become the part of our everyday life. How does this affect a child's brain? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for
children under 2 and less than 2 hours per day for older children.
children under 2 and less than 2 hours per day for older children.
For more information, visit
The cause of education
With a pre-schooler at home, my attention has shifted to the cause of education. Parents are first teachers but social interaction with outside world plays a major role in child's learning. There is a saying in Africa that 'It takes a whole village to raise a Child'. A child learns more by playing with other children (than with the parents) as that provides for 'contextual learning' experiences - learning experiences in a context in which they are interested and motivated in.
How about the parents? How do we learn that will help our children?
In this blog, I am going to share information gathered from various online resources. I would like if this becomes a collective learning experience which will benefit us all.
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