Even though this short video supposedly is about ADD medication, Jonah Lehrer answers
another question – whether mild forms of ADD actually are a benefit to the creative
process. What do YOU think? Via The Daily Beast
Even though this short video supposedly is about ADD medication, Jonah Lehrer answers
another question – whether mild forms of ADD actually are a benefit to the creative
process. What do YOU think? Via The Daily Beast
Parents of teens know how difficult it is to get them to bed at a reasonable hour for school – looking something like this -

We’ve heard how important sleep is for academic focus – it just makes sense. But, as importantly, numerous studies have shown that it’s simply a biological fact that teens’ brains re-adjust to prefer those nocturnal hours over the early-bird ones.
Polytechnic High in Pasedena, California, decided to delay classes one hour and made it work logistically to not just accommodate, but to enhance learning. Last year my daughter had PE as her first class of the day and loved it (wonder if this
could work for schools that just can’t manage this time shift).
This year it’s Math as the first period. Let’s see how that goes . . .
Breaking News: Liz Bowen, The Baltimore Sun, reports that a group of Arundel mothers deliver petition for national legislation.
What do YOU think??
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
WOW – quote from Canadian research study, People for education:
“Parents do more to help their children succeed in school
by chatting about what they learned today
or asking questions about a TV show they watched together
than by “drill and skill” homework sessions,
endless nagging,
or racing off to a meeting at the school.”
One of the reasons why we developed MyDayVu – a super-easy platform that
can make conversations about school and learning more fun and interesting.
Let us know what you think -
-Catherine J.
Via a PBS Parents tweet
Where students learn how to learn, how to teach, how to research, and how to ask questions.
Check out video – what do you think about The Independent Project?
“MyDayVu can take an insurmountable day to a child – and break it down into little
manage-able bits – and enable this same child to take control of his or her learning, and learning experience.”
Kids have a lot of things going on in their head – so they may not have the time to tell you what’s happening – in their life or at school. As importantly, your child may be on a different time-table when he or she wants to . . . really . . . talk about what’s really going on. So why not have a platform for your son or daughter to do that? So that when you have a conversation later at dinner or that evening, you can understand so much more?
Whether it’s a bully, or something that has happened with a teacher, or even friend troubles?
Sure, we all would like to talk about the family dinner conversation like we all can do it so perfectly, or during the car drive, or whenever we think families should (especially those who have no children or “perfect lives” schedules — THAT is ONE of the reasons why MyDayVu was created.
But not the only reason. Even parents or grandparents or caregivers who ask about the school day may not be asking the RIGHT questions. Or, allowing kids to ask the questions. Or, allow for a real conversation. the day in manageable bite-size pieces so that a child can evaluate and reflect.
“We are underestimating the power of the parent-child conversation.“
Then I started reading more and more of the major research about what the most successful kids had in common – such as a huge study by the Harvard Family Project and the OECD PISA study- and learned that they connected with their parents about their school day. They were more motivated, were higher achieving and had higher emotional well-being overall.
I read William Jeynes’ book, “Parental Involvement and Academic Success,” which also supported the premise that PARENTS and parental engagement are the critical factor not only for achievement but also “has a profound effect on student BEHAVIOR (Jeynes,2005b;2007b)” such as being less likely to be involved in drugs and other negative behavior. Hmm. . . .
“Studies show that even TEENS want to talk to parents MORE, not LESS.”
So, with this blog, we hope to share more findings, along with resources and solutions – and moral support(!) and to hear from you.
Do check out our main site over at MyDayVu. MyDayVu is a very cool service and tool (go mobile, too!) to help spark conversations with your kids and track patterns that are affecting their health and well-being. It’s really quick to do and very powerful. You get colorful info-graphics – kind of like personal paintings of your kids’ school experience – instantly.
Video Below
Great tips from Rachel Simmons, author of “The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Girls with Courage and Confidence,” in this interview by Huffpo’s Amanda Fairbanks.
What do you think?
It seems not a week goes by without another conversation with a parent about the struggle
with decisions related to ADHD.
Here is an excerpt from, “Are Americans More Prone to A.D.H.D.?” Ethan Watters,
author of “Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche:”
“There’s a particularly Western style of anxious parenting with high expectations for achievement
and assumptions that sex differences should be meaningless in terms of behavior. There is the
juxtaposition of traditional school activities with the modern tsunami of flickering electronic
distractions.
There is the virtual demise of the extended family and connections to deeply rooted communities.
There’s the rise of diets with increasing levels of sugar, fats and salts.
There is the decline in exercise and the domestication – the penning – of children in ever smaller
and more elaborately padded artificial environments. I could go on.”
– CJW
Co-posted The Daily Riff w/minor edits
Editor’s Note: What a great find – from How To Be a Dad
- C.J. Westerberg
“The American Indians used to say: to see the tracks of an animal is to see its life.
To know its day. And, at some point along the trail, to know what it had for breakfast.
Okay. I just completely made that up, but it sounds really good, you have to admit!
In any case, it’s important to know how to spot tracks and “sign”
(outdoorsman speak for poop) and familiarize yourself with
the wild animals you’ll encounter as a parent, YOUR CHILDREN.”
- “The How to be a Dad” guys
From their site:
“How To Be A Dad is a not so much a “how-to”, but a “how-not-to” blog
for dads, moms, soon-to-be parents and even those with no plans of procreating,
whatsoever. Follow bloggers Andy Herald and Charlie Capen, two sleep-deprived
friends with nothing left to lose but their sanity as they learn to be dads and try
to look smart doing so. They’re not experts, but that isn’t gonna stop them from
pretending. You’ve been warned.”

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