The Science Of Spanking: What Happens To Spanked Kids When They Grow Up? You know what the most annoying thing in the world is when you are a parent? Other people telling you what to do as if they know better. Backseat parenting drives me crazy. Until I'm the one doing it. I have dear friends who spank their kids, and I always try to talk to them about the science of it. They always respond with, "I know what's best for my kids, just like you know what's best for yours." However, during those discussions, I'd say there is science that backs up doing something other than spanking. The biggest takeaway for me? Click the image to see it in closer detail. Click image to Zoom For those of you who spank your kids, let me just declare: I am in no way attacking your parenting skills or blaming you for anything. Maybe it's what you grew up with. I think we can all agree that we want what is best for our children.
Raising a Moral Child Photo What does it take to be a good parent? We know some of the tricks for teaching kids to become high achievers. For example, research suggests that when parents praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and become more motivated. Yet although some parents live vicariously through their children’s accomplishments, success is not the No. 1 priority for most parents. Despite the significance that it holds in our lives, teaching children to care about others is no simple task. Are some children simply good-natured — or not? Genetic twin studies suggest that anywhere from a quarter to more than half of our propensity to be giving and caring is inherited. By age 2, children experience some moral emotions — feelings triggered by right and wrong. Many parents believe it’s important to compliment the behavior, not the child — that way, the child learns to repeat the behavior. But is that the right approach? Continue reading the main story
Rape in South Africa: Desperately seeking a political champion Five years. That's how long it took for President Jacob Zuma to make more than a passing reference to rape in a State of the Nation speech. Until two months ago, he had successfully steered almost entirely clear of what experts have called a crisis in our country. So what changed in February 2013? Anene Booysen. The 17-year-old's horrific death at the hands of her rapists proved to be the tipping point for a country and a government that seemed numb to the epidemic. Statistics vary – and under-reporting affects what we know – but most agree that South Africa is the rape capital of the world. In February, South Africans echoed the outrage over Indian rape victim Jyoti Singh-Pandey's death two months earlier, and our politicians were finally moved to say something and, more importantly, do something. Read more: Rape in SA: Resolve, tenacity must prevail against the noise It didn't last long. Steering clear Yet it hasn't always been like this, particularly in the country's ruling party.
untitled 25 maneras alternativas de preguntarle a tus hijos cómo les fue en el colegio... Saber cómo les fue realmente en el colegio a tus hijos hoy es un tarea que actualmente se ha convertido en toda una odisea. Si les preguntas directamente ¿cómo estuvo la escuela?, lo más probable es que te contesten: “bien”, “nada especial”, “aburrida”, y si tienes un poco de suerte, superarán la barrera del monosílabo y te dirán un corta frase como: “la profesora me regañó”. En el siguiente listado, aparecen interesantes preguntas que pueden ayudar a saber un poco más sobre la vida de tus hijos en el colegio. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. La manera en que las preguntas están planteadas le da a los niños una forma tranquila y no amenazante de expresar algunas cosas, por lo que se puede conocer en mayor profundidad la vida de tus hijos en la escuela, y así, trabajar a favor de los problemas que sutilmente podrás detectar. Visto en Huffington Post
10 Common Mistakes Parents Today Make (Me Included) | Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis When I became a mom, I got lots of advice on how to love my child. But not until a few years ago did someone actually point out that loving a child means wanting what's best for them long-term. When my four daughters were young, long-term didn't resonate with me. Back then it was about survival, meeting daily needs and keeping my head above water. Now that my kids are maturing, however, the fog is lifting. These days, I put more thought into long-term. A while back I came across some interesting articles and books that dig into what psychologists today are seeing: a rising number of 20-somethings who are depressed and don't know why. One reason given is that parents today are too quick to swoop in. One article mentions incoming college freshmen known to deans as "teacups" for their fragility in the face of minor problems. Here's psychiatrist Paul Bohn's response, as paraphrased in the piece: Why am I sharing this information? Mistake #10: Worshipping our children. Like Us On Facebook |
South Africa: Rape - the South African Scourge South Africa has a reputation for the world's worst sexual violence rates against women, men and children. Amid confusing data and complex causes, what is it that makes South Africa unique? Pinning down the statistics is hard. They often come in an inconsistent and context-free form: one person is raped every 17 seconds, or 26 seconds, or 36 seconds, or 65 seconds, depending on whom you believe. Such formulations are good for sloganeering, but say little about the reasons behind this cruel crime and even less about how to solve the problem. Some surveys find statistics a hundred times higher, but official South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics claim 95 rape cases per 100,000 of the population in 2011 - 12, a slight decline from a peak of 100 cases per 100,000 in 2009 - 10. But there is concern that data compiled by police officers, whose own performance is under evaluation, may be unreliable. The Medical Research Council (MRC) estimates that only one in 25 rapes is reported.
Breaking is Not So Bad When it Comes to Engineering We asked leaders in the engineering field to share with us why and how they fell in love with engineering. Here's what Michelle had to say. I love engineering because... it lets me build solutions to help solve some of the world’s biggest issues such as how to provide clean water or how to make renewable energy. The one thing that people don't know about engineering is... it's not all about wearing hard hats. The moment that I knew that engineering was my "perfect fit" was... when I found out that as a failure engineer, I was allowed to break things and never put them back together! I think more kids would get excited about engineering... to remember that you can engineer with food, too. What do you do? About Michelle Michelle is a passionate researcher and teacher with a love of science and engineering. Tell us about your love for engineering and how we can get more kids excited about the field in the comments below. #FortheLoveofEngineering Series
Are you raising nice kids? A Harvard psychologist gives 5 ways to raise them ... Richard Weissbourd, a Harvard psychologist with the graduate school of education, and the Making Caring Common Project have come up with recommendations about how to raise children to become caring, respectful and responsible adults. (The Washington Post) Richard Weissbourd, a Harvard psychologist with the graduate school of education, and the Making Caring Common Project have come up with recommendations about how to raise children to become caring, respectful and responsible adults. Richard Weissbourd, a Harvard psychologist with the graduate school of education, and the Making Caring Common Project have come up with recommendations about how to raise children to become caring, respectful and responsible adults. (The Washington Post) Earlier this year, I wrote about teaching empathy, and whether you are a parent who does so. I know, you’d think they are or that parents are teaching that themselves, right? “Children are not born simply good or bad and we should never give up on them.