Chronicles of a “Mr. Mom”

Like most schools these days, Edmonton’s Vernon Barford junior high lived by the modern ethic: more homework produces smarter kids, better marks and happier parents.

But that changed in 2006 when the school decided to buck the trend and reduce the load of assignments sent home in the book-laden backpacks of young teens.

The result? Even better marks, happier students and more creative projects, says Principal Stephen Lynch.

Full story: Less school pressure, more results

In many ways, pediatricians do know more than parents. When your doctor says your newborn needs to ride in a rear-facing car seat, don’t argue. When he says your 2-month-old with a 105-degree fever needs to get to the doctor’s office — and fast — you’d better listen.

But there are far more areas that are gray and have no science, or not very good science, to back them up, says our panel of pediatric experts. They say that sometimes, this means your pediatrician is giving you his or her opinion, not medical fact.

Full story: When it’s OK to question your pediatrician’s advice

For a few decades, it’s been noted that a large percentage of all gifted students (those who score in the top 10 percent on aptitude tests) severely underestimate their own abilities. Those afflicted with this lack of perceived competence adopt lower standards for success and expect less of themselves. They underrate the importance of effort, and they overrate how much help they need from a parent.

When parents praise their children’s intelligence, they believe they are providing the solution to this problem. According to a survey conducted by Columbia University, 85 percent of American parents think it’s important to tell their kids that they’re smart. In and around the New York area, according to my own (admittedly nonscientific) poll, the number is more like 100 percent. Everyone does it, habitually. The constant praise is meant to be an angel on the shoulder, ensuring that children do not sell their talents short.

Full story: How Not to Talk to Your Kids

It took the free spirit of the 1960s to revive Montessori education in the United States. Montessori herself had died a decade earlier, but her emphasis on children’s “absorbent minds” and their capacity to teach themselves aligned with the era’s rebellion against school’s traditional strictures.

Montessori classrooms, with their silver candlesticks (for polishing), beautiful toylike cubes, and child-size shelves and bins, seemed like the perfect romantic alternative to boring workbooks and rows of desks. They still do.

Mothering Magazine, my own barometer of granola parenting gone too far, calls them “magical” and filled with a “sense of wonder.” On the 100th anniversary of the 1907 opening of Montessori’s first school—in the slums of Rome—5,000 schools devoted to her method dot the United States, with another 17,000 worldwide. Many are preschools, but some are for older kids as well.

Full story: The Cult of the Pink Tower - Montessori turns 100—what the hell is it?

New York, NY (February 1, 2007) — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, the seventh and final book in the best-selling series, has been scheduled for release at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007, it was announced today by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.

In making the announcement, Lisa Holton, President of Scholastic Children’s Books said, “We are thrilled to announce the publication date of the seventh installment in this remarkable series. We join J.K. Rowling’s millions of readers – young and old, veterans and newcomers – in anticipating what lies ahead.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book, was released on July 16, 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history, selling 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been number one bestsellers in the United States, the U.K., and around the world. There are currently over 120 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print in the United States alone.

Scholastic will publish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (ISBN: 0-545-01022-5 ; Price: $34.99) in hardcover under the Arthur A. Levine imprint with interior and cover art by Mary GrandPré, who has illustrated the previous six books. The deluxe edition (ISBN: 0-545-02937-6; Price: $65.00) and reinforced library edition (ISBN: 0-545-02936-8 ; Price: $39.99 ) will be published simultaneously.

Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children’s books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company’s Internet site, www.scholastic.com

As life unfolds, we get married, have kids, and
watch them grow up, one thing that is most precious,
is the memories.

I can’t tell you how I long for my 7 year old
daughter to be 2 again. Of course, when we are
frustrated with our kids, we sometimes wonder
if they are *ever* gonna grow up!

And then, we quickly regret that thought and spend
the rest of our lives wishing they hadn’t grown
up so fast!

One thing I never miss out on, is taking pictures
of my kids - and thank god for digital camera’s,
I no longer worry about missed moments — or wasted film.

I got my Canon Elph 4 Mega Pixel just one day before
my son (now 2 1/2) was born. Don’t do the same
mistake and buy it at the last moment - you don’t
want to be distracted from the most joyous moments
of your life by something trivial, like having to
go to a store and stand in line!

I buy almost all my electronic items from Buy.com,
because I have researched a lot of online stores,
and usually nobody ever beats their price - and they
even have free shipping on many items.
Check out their various “shakin’” deals - they usually
list the best deals on this page.
In a future post, I will tell you how to set up
a free online album - you’ll need one, because
the last thing you want is to not be able to send
friends and family pictures of your little one(s).

Browse Baby Names Book from Amazon .com

Baby Boomers Using Google and Yahoo to Find Assisted Living and In-Home Care for Aging Parents

Ashland, MA (PRWEB) January 16, 2006 — ElderCarelink, the nation’s leading provider of internet referrals to eldercare providers, reported that almost all of the one million people who visited their site last year found the site from Google and Yahoo search engines. The ElderCarelink site offers a free consumer service that helps families find assisted living, nursing homes, adult day care, in-home care, and other elder-care products and services for their elderly parents.

“Finding the right eldercare provider for your loved ones is not an easy process,” says Robert Brooks, ElderCarelink’s CEO, “Baby boomers who are faced with important decisions regarding their parents care are more comfortable using the internet to research and explore their options. That’s where Eldercarelink comes in. With our large and growing nationwide network of providers, we are able to match close to 90% of all completed needs surveys with qualified providers.”

In 2006, the first wave of baby boomers is turning sixty. At the same time, their parents are advancing into their eighties and nineties. While some small percentage of the elderly parents have made provisions for their own care, many of the most important care decisions are being made, or at least heavily influenced by, their children.

Data from the ElderCarelink website in 2005 indicates that the majority of assisted living service requests are being completed by women looking for an eldercare residence for their mother or father. “As one might guess, daughters, typically youngest daughters, outnumbered sons as primary caregivers two-to-one.” says Brooks. “We also noticed a stronger demand for in-home care providers this year, which supports a growing trend of seniors wanting to stay in their own homes and live independently for as long as they can.”

Families today are facing difficult and emotional issues in deciding how to provide the best care for their loved ones and how to finance it. Unlike medical care, which can be covered by Medicare or health insurance, most long-term care services are only available on a private pay basis. Unless an individual has long term care insurance or qualifies for public assistance such as Medicaid, they must pay for these services out-of-pocket.

Adding to challenge of finding good eldercare is that many families put off these decisions until something happens - a parent falls, or becomes partially incapacitated by a stroke. ElderCarelink reports that over half of the service requests that it receives require immediate action within the next two weeks.

When faced with all these stressful decisions, baby boomers are turning to their comfort zones –that means hitting the internet at Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines to gather information about care options and providers. ElderCarelink assisted over 80,000 families in their search for qualified providers in 2005, and expect that number to continue to grow substantially in 2006.

About ElderCarelink

Founded in 2004, ElderCareLink is an internet-based referral service - free to consumers — that specializes in helping families find everything from assisted living, in-home health care professionals and visiting nurses to care managers, and in-home products and services. The ElderCarelink network includes over 1300 providers across all 50 states, with more and more providers joining the network daily.

For more information, visit ElderCarelink or call 508-881-0831.