Parenting and family stuff
good stuff from around the internet on raising good kids, building a family, etc.
sari and
Parenting and family stuff
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Marshall Duke and Dr. Robyn Fivush developed a measure called “Do You Know?” It had a series of 20 questions, including: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know an illness or something terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth? It turned out that having the answers to these questions was the single best predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness. Children who know more about their families tend to do better when they face challenges, be more resilient, and moderate the effects of stress. Our family’s story—our history—is linked to our own personal identity and knowing that we belong to a larger family. “Children who have the most self-confidence have . . . a strong 'intergenerational self.’ They know they belong to something bigger than themselves,” said Dr. Duke…
Punishment and appeasement are both short-term, reactive solutions as opposed to long-term, proactive solutions. Regardless of whether the parent or teacher chooses punishment or appeasement, the child misses countless opportunities to build competency in crucial life skills such as self-discipline, self-control, and conflict-resolution.
Samantha Joy • Discipline as Encouragement
I imagine some mythic women in floral dresses who simply slide into motherhood, goddesses unbothered by the smell of poop, at home in any damp cave. These are the “naturals”: the mom on a transatlantic flight handling three small children, or the unwashed breastfeeding mom who says she wouldn’t mind “another one.” But then there are others, such as... See more
Annihilation | The Point Magazine
Lies We Tell Kids
paulgraham.com
Imagining such a scene made me laugh:
Why does it bother adults so much when kids do things reserved for adults? The idea of a foul-mouthed, cynical 10 year old leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth is very disconcerting. But why?
Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.
— C. S. Lewis, “On Stories” https://t.co/wGA8Ixcmye