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

I wish we could all be made this happy, so easily

Take my life, for example: I have a house full of kids, and yet I’ve found ways to streamline my life, to find peace and happiness among the chaos. How is this magic trick accomplished? Nothing magical, actually, but just little things that have simplified my life over the years.

The main magic trick, however: making my family my top priority, and choosing only a small number of priorities in my life. If you have too many things you want to do, or need to do, your life will become complicated. But if you choose just a few things that are important to you, you can eliminate the rest, and simplify your life greatly.

What follows is a list that might seem complicated to some — 25 items! Trust me, I could easily double this list, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Instead of trying to tackle everything on this list at once, choose a few things that appeal to you, and give them a try. Bookmark this page and come back to it from time to time to try out other ideas. Best yet, they might inspire new ideas of your own!

1. Self-sufficiency.

2. One calendar.

3. Toy bins.

Full story: 25 Ways to Simplify Your Life with Kids

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

Here’s one simple way to keep your children healthy: Ban the bedroom TV.

By some estimates, half of American children have a television in their bedroom; one study of third graders put the number at 70 percent. And a growing body of research shows strong associations between TV in the bedroom and numerous health and educational problems.

Children with bedroom TVs score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking.

Full story: A One-Eyed Invader in the Bedroom

Oh What A Beautiful Baby!

Make sure you keep a box of tissues handy. Because I cried when I watched this.

I kept thinking, “Oh God, please let this be a happy ending…”.

Before you whine one more time about your kids not listening to you, watch this video.

And then share the link to this page with your friends.

Parents of cranky babies take comfort: they can turn out to be star students in Grade 1 if they have a healthy dose of good care, according to new research.

Professors at two U.S. universities analysed data involving 1,364 children, starting at six months, and concluded that infants who cry more, are hard to settle down and do not respond well to new people and situations can develop stronger academic and social skills than babies who are easy to get along with from the start.

“Parents who have these babies who are hard to deal with can become very discouraged,” said lead researcher Anne Dopkins Stright, a psychologist at the University of Indiana.

“The results of this study suggest they should not give up, they should stick with it and their child can do very, very well, in fact better than those easy babies that they probably wish they had.”

Read full story: How good parents can turn cranky babies sweet

A Teenager Writes:

I have a major problem. I’m afraid of everything, and I do mean everything. I’m 16 and everyone else has their driver’s license but me because I am absolutely terrified of cars. I can’t eat in the lunchroom at school because I fear people more than anything else. I can’t help it. I want to move far away after college but I’m afraid of planes and the place I want to live is across the country. I also have separation anxiety, so I might not be able to move at all. I can’t enjoy being a teenager because I’m too scared to do anything. I can’t give a speech in class because I feel like I’m having a heart attack while up there in front of everyone. I can’t go swimming at a lake because I’m afraid of fish. I have a huge fear of gaining weight, so I’ll just not eat for a day. I have so many more fears not mentioned. Please tell me what to do to get over these fears so I can live my life.

What would you do as a parent?

Check out the full story: “I’m afraid of everything”

“There is little question that parental behaviors influence adolescent alcohol use,” added Michael Windle, Rollins Professor and chair of the department of behavioral sciences and health education at Emory University….

Researchers examined data from 4,731 adolescents (2,402 males, 2,329 females) and their parents (87% with data from both parents, 13% with data from only one parent), gathered through an ongoing Finnish population-based, developmental twin study of health-related behaviors and correlated risk factors. Parents were asked about their frequencies of alcohol use and intoxication, as well as their lifetime prevalence of alcohol-related problems. Adolescents reported on perceptions of the parenting that they received, as well as their own prevalence of alcohol use and intoxication at 14 and 17.5 years of age.

Full story: Parental Drinking And Parenting Practices Influence Adolescent Drinking