There are always those studies released that say that we should all eat organic and local, and even more studies that show that putting your kids on a special diet will help them with this disorder and that disease. A few years ago it was stressed that parents of autistic children put their kids on a reduced-gluten, soy based diet. Needless to say, specialized diets are expensive, especially when there is just one kid in the house who may benefit from the decision. While browsing through StrollerDerby this morning, I came across an article that discusses pesticides and ADHD, which struck me much more than usual.
As an intern at Speakaboos, one of my many job requirements is helping find new ways to manage the website’s social media and networking accounts, many of which I personally use for sharing information with friends or followers. Growing up during the MySpace age, I can tell you my mom was nervous that I’d get myself into some trouble and after having seen a couple bad news stories, asked me to delete the account. I protested that it was the only way I could stay in touch with my friends. At 13, that was my main concern.
Recent studies now question just how Facebook, MySpace, and other competing social networking sites can benefit – not harm – your teen’s development. (Read more…)
April 11-17th will be National Environmental Education Week (or, EEWeek). With the ongoing debate over global warming and climate change, it may be a good way to help teach kids about our earth and what they can do to help out. As a kid, I remember going to the local nature center on field trips, assemblies where nature conservationists brought animals like skunks or hedgehogs, and even bird trainers came to show off their eagles’ tricks. Middle school biology consisted of going into the ponds and finding tadpoles, and elementary school was the time I saw the caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.
Though curriculum and lesson plans have a lot of other requirements, it’s important to remind today’s kids of just how precious our environment truly is. Water and energy consumption in developed countries is astronomical, particularly in the U.S. Over 1.1 billion people in the world have inadequate access to clean water, for personal hygiene and consumption. As Americans, we often forget just how fortunate we are to have virtually limitless access, save for the drought periods that sporadically affect communities. Ask your kids, or students, to consider how much water they use. Ask them if they let the shower run for a bit longer or if they turn the faucet off while brushing their teeth. Every little action adds up.
Energy awareness is equally as important. How much time does your child spend on their computer or in their room with the lights on? In terms of personal economics, parents could benefit from encouraging their children to spend more time outside playing than sitting indoors watching T.V. or playing video games. Spend a day outdoors with them and show them just how much they can accomplish. For parents with teenagers, remind them that carpooling is normally more cost efficient and helps reduce carbon emissions. Though one car won’t make a difference, their suggestion may be influential on their friends and the community as a whole. Recycling is still key and should be practiced in the home and classroom. If it takes bribery, tell your kids or students that for every bottle or can they collect, they have an opportunity to earn a little – ok, admittedly, very little - cash on the side.
There are tons of nature and environment centers around the States, even for New Yorkers. Encourage parents to go to the local nature center and spend some time there with their kids. We all have to set an example for the future generations, and EE Week is a great place to start.
For more information and resources on National Environmental Education Week, check out the official website at : http://www.eeweek.org/
A study from Reading University in the UK says that toddlers are more likely to try unfamiliar foods if they’ve seen pictures of them already. Definitely an interesting hypothesis–if you’re having trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, picture books could be the solution. Has someone told the publishing companies about this yet?
For details on the study check out the story at Telegraph.co.uk
Then, scare your brain silly with the online Halloween Word Search Game, and print-out instructions for some creepy arts and crafts: make your own Witch Hat and Monster Ooze (PDF printouts).
Encourage your young ones to read this summer with Speakaboos storybook videos—use our handy summer reading list to make sure you get the most out of the summer hours!
I first learned about computers in elementary school on MS DOS – everything was 5″ floppy disks, C:\, <dir>, and coded commands that I have long since forgotten. The concept of teaching technology is ever-changing, but former teacher Cindy Donaldson has compiled a great list of basic but crucial tech skills that every teen (and maybe younger) should have:
Ok, well, they didn’t call the site creepy, just Crispin Glover’s reading. We happen to love Mr. Glover’s unique interpretations of “Little Miss Muffet” and “Jack and Jill,” and hope that parents out there get a kick out of them too, but we were a bit miffed that author Alex Leo chose to highlight Charlie’s Angels as Mr. Glover’s “best-known” work. In any case, we are honored to be featured in such a quality publication, regardless of context.
You hate the parent who sends a noticeably sick kid to school… but it might not be that parent’s fault when your kid comes home sick.
An article by Dr. Perri Klass in the New York Times challenges popular notions of contagious illness–just because a kid is showing symptoms of illness like runny nose, cough and sneezing does not necessarily make him more contagious than one who seems perfectly healthy.
She argues that schools are so filled with germs from kids who didn’t get sick or are already over being sick that it doesn’t make sense to focus only on the noticeably sick children.
So what is a concerned parent to do?
Lots of handwashing. And of course, keep your kid home if he/she has a fever or is generally not feeling well enough to go to school.
Dr. Klass admits herself that as a working parent, she is much more motivated than some to send her kids to school, but also the Times is on a big “expose your kids to germs” kick lately as per this article. Stay tuned for news about schoolyard epidemics in NYC…
A lot of families equate eating healthy with spending more money–here’s a great article from Nationwide Children’s Hospital that provides some money-saving tips from a medical perspective:
