This week, I read a cross section of parenting articles that brought to mind how we, as parents, are responsible for creating balance in our kids’ lives. In today’s world, that can be very difficult with so much scary news from mass shootings to the threat of war. So, how can we as parents create a counterbalance to these very real world problems so that our children don’t live in fear? One expert says, practice the four S’s — solace, security, service and support. And, read expert tips for how to recognize when your child’s anxiety is no longer normal.
Finding this balance is even more difficult for those parents and children navigating childhood cancer. One article I read this week provides guidance for parents and caregivers dealing with this frightening reality right at home.
Elsewhere in parenting news, is it possible that our own trauma can change our children’s biology? Neuroscientist Ali Jawad is on a quest to find out. And while we are on the topic of biochemistry — turns out personality traits such as kindness and cruelty are innate, but not inevitable, and this is where nurture and nature battle it out.
Thankfully, not all the news is bad these days. Check out how 10 middle-schoolers are inventing new ways to change our world for the better. And lastly, a little boredom will do your kids good this summer, according to a recent BBC report which says the more we prevent our children from being bored, the more they come to rely on being entertained. And if they’re really bored — I found 16+ outdoor math activities that will camouflage this classroom activity in summertime fun.
Here are my picks for the top Parenting for the Future stories this week:
Talking to kids about El Paso, Dayton shootings? Use the 4 S’s to discuss cruel violence
Talking about acts of violence like mass shootings with your children is not easy. If you have to have that difficult talk, remember the four S’s.
What It’s Like to Parent a Child With Cancer
A guide for parents and supporters of families coping with a childhood cancer diagnosis.
Your Child’s Anxiety: When to Worry and When to Relax
How to know when your child’s anxieties are no longer normal.
Parents’ emotional trauma may change their children’s biology. Studies in mice show how.
University of Zurich physician and neuroscientist Ali Jawaid is looking to orphanages for answers to the disturbing possibility that the emotional trauma of separation from parents can also trigger subtle and lasting biological alterations—even for generations that follow.
Kindness Vs. Cruelty: Helping Kids Hear The Better Angels Of Their Nature
Turns out, kindness is one of those human traits that straddles the lines between nature and nurture. While we are born with the wiring for both kindness and cruelty, neither is inevitable. Instead, kindness is a skill and a habit we have the power to nurture, and when our kids are young, this responsibility lies with parents, caregivers and other authoritative figures.
These 10 middle-schoolers are inventing new ways to change the world
Meet 10 middle-school students recognized for their inventive solutions to global issues.
Your Children Need to be BORED
Boredom is essential for creativity, according to a recent BBC report and Dr. Teresa Belton who shared that the more we don’t allow our children to be bored, the more they come to rely on being entertained.
16+ Summer Math Activities for Kids
Take math outdoors this summer and camouflage this classroom activity in summertime fun.