Browsing all posts in "child".
The Sports Exclusion
Parenting pop quiz! In what era were children: Sent out to work in intense heat hours each day Pushed beyond the limits of their little bodies by taskmasters bent on getting the most out of them Routinely injured, puberties delayed, occasionally killed Often addicted to injurious substances just to get through their working days If [...]
I’m Serving Dog Barbeque. Anyone Coming?
After many years of experience with kids and pets, I have some basic advice: If you ever decide to get a pet, do it because YOU want one. Whether the kids want it or not is totally irrelevant. A pet is just a live version of a favorite toy. The ‘favorite’ part is relative. They [...]
I Want…
This, courtesy of Improbable Research. The good folks doing medical research have invented this lovely headset for delivery of nitrous oxide to pediatric patients. How much could a frantic mom do with a Nintendo-style, kid-friendly unit that “provides a calming influence over the children, monitors the child continuously, allows the procedure to be performed by [...]
A or F?
Last week, a fascinating study came out: Students taking an exam were given a test paper that had either an ‘A’ or an ‘F’ marked on the top of the paper (a control group had a non-significant letter at the top of the paper –like ‘J’). They were asked to copy this “exam code” onto [...]
Sensitive or Capable?
Years of pop psychology have convinced us that the goal of a parent is to raise a sensitive child. We want empathy, sympathy, caring. We are told that children who display these gifts are endearing, fun, interesting. And as long as their environment is totally stable, apparently, they do just great. But a new study [...]
Helpful Test-Taking Strategies for Parents
Not kidding. THIS was the title of the article in the Chronicle yesterday morning (You can read the whole article on the MomHouston blog). I was wondering when they were going to institute a parental competency exam. I can certainly think of a few women who should not, ever, have had kids. But that doesn’t [...]
Give Me Some Credit!
Actual conversation with The Grouch (18, going on 2, who was home for the holidays): Grouch: I can’t send in my credit card payment. I can’t find the envelope. Mother: You can send them in with any envelope. The address is on the statement. Grouch: You can do that? Mother: Yep. Grouch: (Holding his check [...]
Happy Birthday!
Today isn’t just Christmas. Today marks the birthdate of the greatest intellect in history. On December 25, 1642, Isaac Newton was born. When Newton was 25, he published the Principia, which laid out the laws of force and motion, gravity, and planetary motion. Newton invented calculus, proved that light is made up of a spectrum [...]
The Mother’s Holiday Gift Guide for All Ages
Everybody and their dog is writing holiday gift guides. Not to be outdone, I have come up with my own (which my dog did not help write. But she did complain about dinner while I was writing it, which sorta counts). Ages 0-1: There’s a fire sale on Baby Einstein videos right now. So what [...]
Your Child’s First…Speeding Ticket
Yep. It’s a milestone in every parent’s life. Some parents have great angst about their kids driving. I know some folks who delayed getting their kids into driver’s ed until they were nearly twenty. Not me. I am so tired of being my kids’ chauffeur that any kid even near 16 gets shoved out the [...]
