Tag: parenting

Why You Can’t Have “Family Values” Without Valuing Fathers

Why You Can’t Have “Family Values” Without Valuing Fathers

When my wife was pregnant and I realized I would need to be home, I discovered that Time Warner had this strange policy under which anyone could get ten paid weeks, unless you were a man who impregnated the mother of a child. I went, in private, straight to [the Time Warner] benefits [department] and said, “I’m sure this is an oversight and you didn’t mean to exclude dads.” They wouldn’t give me an answer for months. Then my daughter was born in an emergency delivery, and eleven days later I’m home holding my four-pound preemie, messaging benefits, saying “Hey, I need an answer.” That’s when they wrote back to say that they would be unable to give me paid leave benefits. I decided to file a suit with the EEOC for gender discrimination.

…

Paid leave is not a law requiring businesses to pay you when you’re out. Paid family leave is an insurance system that would tax 20 cents for every $100 you make. Studies show that when people find out what paid leave is, they support it.

Grit Trumps Talent and IQ: A Story Every Parent (and Educator) Should Read

Grit Trumps Talent and IQ: A Story Every Parent (and Educator) Should Read

according to one Stanford colleague, and a leading voice in the effort to translate into the classroom ideas like hers that self-control and grit, more than talent and IQ, may hold the keys to a better life.

This leads me to wonder, how harmful is active and passive discouragement to growing minds? To what extent are bad schools and subtle prejudices the causes of failure?

Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs

Kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be restless, impulsive, inattentive and difficult to handle. Many are treated with drugs, but a new study suggests that food may be the key. The study’s author says a very restrictive diet can significantly reduce symptoms. From Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs : NPR

Joyless parents: You’re doing it wrong

Somewhere along the line, having a baby has stopped being an inevitable part of the life cycle and started to be one of those things-to-do-before-you-die, like climbing Machu Picchu or running a marathon. Basic aspects of the mothering experience, like labor and breast-feeding, took on a spiritual significance. Now, as we prepare to make the… Continue reading Joyless parents: You’re doing it wrong