Secrets of Highly Happy Children

The Importance of infant attachment

One of the first key developmental crisis for humans is to attach to a caregiver, primarily a mother. Sometimes that secure attachment doesn't occur, and then there are toddlers, children, teenagers and even adults still seeking for that security. New research found that infants who spent one night a week (or more) away from their primary caregiver (typically a mother) were less attached and therefore have an insecure attachment.

Childhood Injuries Caused by TV's

In 1990 there were 5,455 TV-related injuries. In 2011 there were 12,300 TV-related injuries. This is the result of a new study looking at TV-related injuries. I feel one just needs to consider how TV's are stored today compared to 1990. TV's in the early 90's typically sat on the floor, or on a sturdy table (atleast in my house), with all the weight resting on the table. In 2011, TV's are being mounted to walls or stands, where the point of connection is the piece between the TV and the wall. Sometimes it just takes a bump for TV's to become ajar from their mount and fall.  Better make sure if you have a little one, that the TV is stored safely!

Establishing Trust With Your Infant

According to Barbara and Philip Newman infants (birth to two years old) experience the psychsocial crisis of Trust vs Mistrust. A psychosocial crisis is a predictable life tension during a certain stage in life. Psychosical in this sense draws to the point that the crisis is due to societal and cultural influences as well as psychological. Crisis in this sense refers to a normal stressor instead of an extraordinary event.

It is a crisis, in that an infant will either develop trust like attributes or will develop attributes of mistrust. It is amazing that it is at this young age that this is when trust is first developed.

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Read the rest at Notes on Parenting

Why Doesn't Spanking Work

A professor from my Human Ecology days that I admire has made news again.  Joan Durrant has recently been involved in a study that was released that looked at why spanking just doesn't work.  Have a read of the article here.

Questions Parent's Fear the Most!

Has your child asked you a question that you don't know the answer to? I know for me there are many!  There are some questions that I hope my children will never ask.

Apparently, I am not alone.  We all have questions that we hope our children do not ask.  A study was recently conducted that revealed the Top 10 questions that scare parents the most.

Those questions are:

1. Why is the moon sometimes out in the day?
2. Why is the sky blue?
3. Will we ever discover aliens?
4. How much does the earth weigh?
5. How do aeroplanes stay in the air?
6. Why is water wet?
7. How do I do long division?
8. Where do birds/bees go in winter?
9. What makes a rainbow?
10. Why are there different time zones on earth?

Notice that they are pretty much all science and math related.  However, what jumps out to me is that half of them are astronomy related. The moon, the sky, aliens, earth's weight, and time zones.  Astronomy is one of my favorite subjects, so those particular questions do not scare me too much.

The best part is, I will be teaching an Earth in Space class through the College of the Rockies Continuing Education department in Cranbrook and Kimberley that will be answering some of those questions! Come check it out.

DADD: Dads Against Daughters Dating

Turns out you can buy this shirt on Amazon.

How Birth Order Can Influence Childhood Development

Have you ever wondered if the order you were born in impacted your development?  Do you think the birth order of your children impacts them?  What do you think would have happened if you were the oldest or youngest in your family instead of your current position?

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SpongeBob is guilty.... along with other shows

SpongeBob has become a victim of the "protect-our-children" movement.

A study performed on kids measured their problem solving abilities after watching SpongeBob, Caillou (an apparently "calm" show said the researchers), and colouring.

The kids who watched SpongeBob performed significantly worse compared to the other to categories.

Of course colouring will produce the better outcome.  What I can't understand is why Caillou was used.  Yes, I understand it is calmer in the sense that the screen isn't bouncing around.  However, the quality, while at times education, promotes whining to get stuff.

I admit SpongeBob is banned in our house, as well as Rugrats, Alex, and Caillou. For reasons Angeline Lillard, the lead researcher said, it isn't just about how much TV children watch, it is the quality.

Be aware of what you are putting on in front of your kids.

Dealing with a Peanut Allergy

Finding out that your child has a severe peanut allergy can be a very stressful concern.  From worries about what kids are bringing to school in their lunches to trade with your child to what is in the food you just ordered in.

Discovering that your child has a reaction to peanuts may happen intentionally or accidentally.  For my family, we learned my daughter was allergic when she got her hands on a delicious peanut butter cookie.  Her lips began to swell and she got spots.  Mom took her to the doctor immediately.

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Read the rest of the post at Notes on Parenting.

Children of Cohabiting Couples Fair Worse Compared to Married Couples

A recent study released showed that children of cohabiting couples have a greater risk for negative outcomes compared to children of a married couple.

The great question is why?  Most of the factors are similar between the two couples: living together, in a committed relationship, have children, sharing expenses, sharing wealth, etc.  However, for some reason because married mom and dad have a certificate of marriage their children are at a lower risk for having negative outcomes?  It is an interesting phenomenon.

I recall once having a University professor who called those who cohabit a different breed of human relationship expression compared to married couples.  It could be that cohabiting couples have a different way of expressing and showing love.

Now I am not at all saying cohabiting parents are terrible and married couples are exemplary.  Of course cohabiting couples can raise fantastic children, and married couples can corrupt theirs.

What to do when the power goes out

You are home watching a movie with your family when they power suddenly goes out.  You scramble to check to see if you blew a fuse. They are fine.  You wonder how long it will take to restore the power.  Your children are getting frustrated because they don’t understand that the TV isn’t working because the power is gone, repeatedly asking for you to turn the TV back on so you can finish watching your Netflix movie.

You scramble and find your 3G, 3GS or 4G device.  You huddle around your gadget and attempt to watch the rest of your show while waiting for the power to return.

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Read the rest at Notes on Parenting.

Where are the fathers in times of need?

Ever since the result of the Casey Anthony case, there seems to be a flash flood of mothers making the news because of the harm they have caused their children, as if the media is trying to find a new love affair.

For example, there was the woman who used her kid as a weapon on a Toronto bus, another tried drowning herself and her child in a river, another woman locked a child in her custody in a closet, and a woman in Perth who flung her child into random objects. All of these are sick and disgusting acts, all of which I am sure is related to some sort of mental illness or chemical imbalance.

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Read the rest here at the Battleford's News Optimist.

Stop Labeling Kids with Bogus 'Mental Disorders'

I came across this video and was very impressed by it. I have always been uncomfortable with how common mental disorders are being diagnosed. I sometimes feel that if all the aspects of an individual don't fit within the box that society creates, that those "appendages" labelled as an issue until it gets corrected within the proper realms of society. It's improper pruning of someones personality and traits. (Yes, I do understand that there are the "occasions" where there are chemical imbalances that influence the brain and medication is needed, but I am talking about labeling someone who is sad as extremely depressed, or a child who gets upset easily as bipolar)

Here is the video.

Schools Out For The Summer; Now What?

Exams are completed, graduations are coming to an end, and your children are now piling home for the summer. For nine months the home was yours, now your offspring and co. are invading your premises. It is a transition that comes every year, some parents dread it and are like the father in the Staples back-to-school commercial from years ago: ‘It is the most wonderful time of the year!’ Also, your children, who are used to having their planners filled from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., now have eight hours at their disposal and they aren’t 100 per cent sure of how to invest that time. School is out, now what do we do? All of us: children, students and parents need ideas.


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Read the rest on Notes on Parenting.

StarPhoenix:Storm brewing over gender issues

I have debated writing about this "gender-less" child Storm, but haven't figured out a way to say it.  Until today, when I came across this column, Storm Brewing Over Gender Issues in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

I just think it's funny that it got classified under "technology".

We're failing our most vulnerable

I found this article, We're Failing Our Most Vulnerable in the National Post today.  I felt it took a different spin compared to my blog post on Failing our Children.

While I agree with her last statement in this case:

The people and agencies who failed the youngsters have learned bugger all. Why are they still charged with protecting children when the guy in the trailer or apartment next door is better at it?

I do disagree that the fault is primarily the government, ministers and workers.  I do believe more responsibility falls on the families, if not the parents, than the uncles, aunts, grandparents, who usually when their sibling or child succumbs to addiction and can't raise the child rarely does anyone step up to the plate.

Nonetheless, it is an interesting read.

First Aid & CPR Training: Urgent Response

I need to recognize an organization since I am not running my transition to fatherhood course this year.  I have been in contact with the instructor of this group and need to do a plug for them.  This is a service I would have talked about in the class as a way to further prepare for baby coming along.

Urgent Response is a First Aid and CPR instruction institute.  They offer a wide variety of training to suit the needs of the participant.  Whether you need entry level CPR or child care worker type training, this place can offer it.

Go ahead and have a look at their website, and if you need training, sign up!

Finding Toys that Our Kids Will Play With

I sat down recently and watched the documentary “Babies” with my wife for an at home date night.  A mistake in selection for my wife, because I sat down to critique the movie. Now let me first say that documentaries usually contain bias, inaccurate conclusions, and paradigm shift materials. Keep that in mind when you watch the film, or any documentary.

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Read the rest of the post at Notes on Parenting.

The Importance of Relationships to our Children

I was recently exposed to Gordon Neufeld, PhD, a developmental psychologist from the University of British Columbia.  I was watching his Relationships Matter DVD with a colleague.  I am just going to touch on one of the many points Neufeld touched on.

Neufeld brought up a study where kids, who were sitting on their moms lap, had “hot spots” in their brain while learning math.  However, when these kids were learning math and sitting a lab assistants lap, there were no “hot spots”.  It was determined that these kids developed their “hot spots”, a spike in the spot of the brain showing an interest in the subject of math, because they were sitting with their mom, someone they trusted.  Someone they had a relationship with.  The conclusion was made that kids learn better when they are learning from someone they trust.

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Read the rest of the post on Notes on Parenting.