Page 10 – Kidzu

Reading the Way with Your Kids

Doug

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January 2, 2022

We get it, you get it, everyone gets it: kids today are glued to digital screens and the addiction is only worsening.

The problems associated with excessive screen time are well-known, so we’re not going to regurgitate them here nor guilt you into feeling like a terrible parent because your child is pretty much like every other kid on the planet.

What we are going to suggest, however, is that there’s a reasonably easy and mutually beneficial way to reduce some of that screen time: namely by reading the way with your kids.

Ok, it’s a silly play on words. But you read it (hint, hint) and maybe it’ll stick with you long enough to take root? If it does, you and your children will benefit. A lot.

Watering Young Sponges

It’s been said kids are sponges because their fast-growing brains literally soak up enormous amounts of information – information that will go a long way in determining the nature and characteristics of their adult lives.

Reading benefits children in countless ways, especially as they grow older.

Their biggest influences across those early years: mom and dad, of course.

So if mom and dad spend gobs of time staring at TVs or smartphones, the kids learn that what’s in those boxes is far more important than anything else the world has to offer.

Now imagine that mom and dad are regularly reading physical magazines or books. That same curiosity now wonders: ‘What is it about those words that so fascinates mommy and daddy?’

The benefits of reading – especially for young minds – are seemingly endless, and include stronger or improved:

Vocabularies
Self-esteem
Academic performance
Focus
Imagination and creativity
Critical thinking skills
Relationships with others

Parents Benefit Too

Let’s not forget that reading is good for mom and dad too. Reading aloud to your child, for example, isn’t just good for your children, it builds stronger bonds with your kids. By reading aloud, you’ll connect with your child on unforeseen levels and even learn new things about them.

Furthermore, adults who regularly read enjoy:

Reduced chance of developing dementia
Lower stress levels
Improved focus and concentration
Greater empathy
Stronger vocabularies
Better sleep habits

So there you go, mom and dad, start reading – to your child, and yourselves – and reap the myriad benefits that come with it. Your children will thank you, if not now, later in life.

Sports Parents Now Spending More on Girls Than Boys

Doug

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January 11, 2022

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Sports Parents Now Spending More on Girls Than Boys

Although the participation rate of girls in youth sports remains lower than that of boys, those girls’ parents are now spending more on those sports than are the parents of boys.

In its survey, the Aspen Institute’s Project Play team found that parents on average are spending $228/year more on their daughters than their sons. Those expenses include travel lodging, lessons, and camps among other things.

Specifically, the organization found that “29% of families with a girl in sports dedicate more than 1% of the family’s gross annual income to sports, compared to 23% of families with a boy in sports. Even the largest amounts of spending tilt slightly toward girls. About 3% of parents of girls reported allocating more than 10% of their family’s income to sports vs. 2% of parents of boys spending that much.”

While registration and equipment fees remained relatively similar for both girls and boys, parents spend more for travel and lodging for their daughters.

Why the difference? For starters, some girls’ sports – including volleyball, gymnastics, and tennis – are pricier than traditional boys’ sports (football and baseball). Additionally, parents of female swimmers spend far more on the sport than do the parents of boys ($1,033/year vs. $385/year).

Additionally, parents only recently started exploring the idea of athletic scholarships for their daughters. As the study’s lead author, Dr. Travis Dorsch, stated, today “parents are seeking and providing sport opportunities for their girls with the same vigor that they traditionally have for their boys.”

All of which makes sense given that beginning as far back as 1996 there were more women’s teams competing in NCAA-sanctioned activities than those of males. That figure has only increased in recent years, with 2019 showing 10,660 women’s teams versus 9,226 men’s teams.

That said, athletic scholarships for males still outpace those of women, largely due to the huge roster sizes of tackle football teams.

The increase on spending for girls’ sports also comes with a more significant downside: the greater the level of parental spending, the more likely kids of all ages and genders are to report feeling pressure from mom and dad and less enjoyment from the sport.

Measuring a Baby's First Years, Financially

Doug

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January 27, 2022

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Measuring a Baby's First Years, Financially

An important new study suggests that a very modest guaranteed income (roughly $300 per month) for poor mothers fundamentally improves the brain development in their infants.

Although scientists are careful to note that more research needs to be done, they do suspect that something significant is going on.

“This is the first study to show that money, in and of itself, has a causal impact on brain development,” said Dr. Kimberly G. Noble, a physician and neuroscientist at Teachers College, Columbia University, who helped lead the study.

In the study, 1,000 mothers of newborns were divided into two camps, one which received $20 per month and the other received $333.

Then, using EEG machines, the researchers evaluated the children at age 1 and found that those from homes receiving the higher income showed evidence of higher cognitive development.

The study was performed in part because of strong evidence that children from poorer households generally start school with weaker cognitive capacities. What’s not clear, however, is why the economics of children’s backgrounds impact them negatively (or, in this case, positively).

The guaranteed payments will continue until the children reach the age of 4, with incremental cognitive development studies conducted along the way.

You can follow the study’s progress at its website, Baby’s First Years.

Teach Your Children Well

Doug

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May 6, 2022

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What’s better for your child, being a superstar at a sport or being a good sport? Which child will fare better as an adult, the one who obsesses about winning, or the one who learns how to lose with grace? Which child will do better in future relationships, the one who insists on leading, or the one who learns how to be a good teammate?

Obviously these are leading questions, but far too many parents and coaches still teach kids that winning and excelling and being the best are the point of competition. Kids are told that they play to win, that nobody remembers the second-place team, that being a star is the ultimate reward, and that losing is unacceptable.

Research consistently shows that kids who adopt such mindsets often struggle during their adult years. The so-called ‘soft skills,’ the ones that focus on cooperation, empathy, friendliness, resilience, patience, etc., are more highly prized today, both in the workplace and in the home.

In other words, far too often we’re teaching kids lessons that are out of whack with reality – a reality they soon will inherit as adults. It may feel good to see your child excel, but it also should feel good to see him help an opponent to his feet, or her to hold her head high whether she makes the team or not.

Life is About Losing

If we take a moment to think about the adult life our children soon will inherit, we’ll recognize that most of life is about losing. People lose, a lot.

Consider the competition for a good job? How many resumes, how many interviews, how many networking events, before a job is at last secured? Or think about dating? How many frogs are kissed before a prince is found? Pick anything of importance in life and you quickly discover how often the odds are stacked up against it going well.

All of which it is why it is incredibly important that kids learn how to be good sports, good teammates, good friends. The British playwright, James Barrie, described life as one big lesson in humility. He knew, as most adults do, that at some point life will humble us all. Why, then, don’t we focus on that instead of being a star, winning at all costs, crushing the opponent?

Here’s an experiment worth trying. The next time you are socializing with other adults, single out the individuals you genuinely like, the ones with whom you feel at ease, comfortable, accepted. What you’ll often find is they were the ones who didn’t make the team, rode the bench, or were mostly role players.

Lots of adults these days are worried about the future – the future of the planet, their nation, their kids. Since our kids ARE that future, let’s commit to teaching them the life lessons that sports are ideally suited to teach. If they happen to excel at the sport along the way, great. But treat it for what it is, icing on the cake.

Kids These Days

Doug

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June 13, 2022

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If you’ve found yourself wondering what’s wrong with kids these days, you aren’t alone. But research also shows that such thoughts usually say more about the adults having them than the kids they’re disparaging.

In a series of studies, researchers found evidence that, across history, adults have routinely found fault with young people. Those same studies also showed that this inter-generational criticism is based not on reality but instead on inborn prejudices and patterns of thinking. In effect, the researchers state that this complaint about kids represents nothing more than “a pervasive illusion of humanity.”

Children need models rather than critics.
Joseph Joubert

Specifically, researchers have found that adults, regardless of the era, geography, or culture, find fault with younger generations because:

The inherent superiority complex most people have about themselves and, by extension, their own generation. Note that this sense of exceptionalism is not supported by the facts – no generation is ‘greater’ or ‘lesser’ than another. Instead, circumstances (e.g., pandemics, warfare, economic dislocation, etc.) drive collective behaviors.
The habit of comparing others to our own unique talents – think here, of the adult tradesman, who bemoans the younger generation’s inability to accomplish similar work. That younger person, of course, can tackle tasks with modern technology that would leave the tradesman’s head spinning.
Similarly, people who hold are prejudiced toward certain behaviors or habits – e.g., respect for authority, reading, intelligence, etc. – typically see a decline in those same qualities in younger people.

The researchers concluded that while they “cannot rule out actual declines, it is likely that part of the ‘kids these days’ effect is illusory.”

Furthermore, they found that in some traits, such as general intelligence, each generation of young people is actually smarter than their predecessors, and that “there is no objective reason” to believe otherwise.

So the next time you find yourself mumbling something derogatory about ‘kids these days,’ it instead might be a sign of your innate biases showing.

Rethinking Our Approach to Kids' Extracurriculars

Featured

Doug

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December 29, 2022

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Rethinking Our Approach to Kids' Extracurriculars

We’ve been quiet on the content front, and for good reason: the kids (here in the U.S. and across the developed world) are not alright and it’s clear to us that the existing cultural focus (pressing kids into heavy-duty academics and an endless parade of adult-sanctioned extracurriculars) may work for some, but for the majority it’s a failure.

What constitutes a failure? For starters, epidemic levels of:

Mental problems for children, teens, and young adults
Suicides and suicide ideation
Apathy and disconnect
Kids abandoning sports and other healthy activities

And lest you blame such trends on COVID, note that all of them began long before the pandemic. In fact, many for their start 20 years ago.

So we’re shaking up things a bit. We’ll still focus on extracurriculars and a directory of those services. But we’re going to do a lot more on activities and opportunities that transcend or altogether bypass the usual suspects.

In the words, is sports and athletics for kids good? Of course. But there needs to be more of a focus on the arts, on outdoor living and re-attuning with nature (e.g., hiking, camping, gardening, etc.).

Similarly, while a focus on STEM can indeed be important to a child’s long-term academic and professional prospects, so too can the arts expand and enhance a child’s creative mindset.

In short, while there’s plenty good to be found in modern American extracurriculars, we think there’s a reason record numbers of kids are abandoning sports and disappearing behind screens. We adults have created a lot those problems and it’s up to us to rectify them.

Parents Rank Career, Money Security Over Family

Doug

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February 3, 2023

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Parents Rank Career, Money Security Over Family

A surprising new study shows a large majority (90%) of parents believe that a good career and financial security are what should matter most to their kids – not marriage or building a family of their own. This, at a time, when loneliness, depression, and despair are running rampant with kid and adults alike.

Specifically, the study revealed that roughly half of parents consider it not too important or not important at all if their kids marry or have children of their own.

In an interview with Time magazine, Kay Hymowitz, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, found the results to be “quite stunning.” Such results, she said, are “not a very good sign. We have a culture that is defined by loneliness right now, and what’s going to contribute to that more than the decline of family?”

One possible explanation for the results was parents’ growing concern over the mental wellbeing of their children. The same survey revealed that 40% of parents are ‘extremely concerned’ about the mental health of their children and another 36% are ‘somewhat concerned.’ In fact, mental health was the #1 concern of parents.

Other possible explanations include:

The difficult state of the world – Global warming, social unrest, rising crime, and a major European war has parents weary of seeing children brought into the world
Economic uncertainties – A turbulent economy means parents are more likely to prize financial security over getting married and having children
The nature of work – The rise of the ‘gig’ economy and struggles of many families has many focused on financial versus familial
The age of the parents being surveyed – Parents of younger children tend to focus more on education and career prospects for their children
Gender differences – Women were more likely to struggle with kids and, by extension, seee the value of kids over independence

In the same Time interview, W. Bradford Wilcox, an associate professor at the University of Virginia, suggests the results represent a “broader shift away from family life that we’re seeing play out across much of the developed world.”

Parents, said Wilcox, are pushing their children to value career and money over family. Yet a considerable body of research suggests that “marital status and marital quality tend to be a better predictor of people’s happiness … than their education attainment, their income, or job satisfaction.”

Concussion Treatment for Kids is Changing

Doug

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February 4, 2023

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Concussion Treatment for Kids is Changing

Children who suffer a concussion from sports or other activities are no longer being sent home to rest it off. Instead, physicians are now urging parents and schools to get the kids back into normal activities as soon as possible, albeit with no risky physical activities of course.

The changes are based on new research showing not only that children fare better when they return to normal activities, but that too much rest can actually impair the healing progress.

According to the study, “an early return to school was associated with a lower symptom burden at 14 days post-injury in the 8- to 12-year age group and 13- to 18-year age group.” In other words, kids heal faster when they’re allowed to return to school and friends.

Christopher Vaughn, the neuropsychologist at Children’s National Hospital who led the study, said the goal now is to enable children to “maintain as much normalcy and routine as possible with academic and modifications when needed.”

Because statistics show that roughly 25% of the population at some point will suffer a concussion – the majority of them during childhood – researchers are keenly focused on reducing the impact of these injuries whenever possible.

Schools and parents alike are embracing the new protocols, which allow kids some light physical activity – primarily walking or perhaps a stationary bicycle or treadmill. The only restrictions are to avoid risks of physical contact with the head until symptoms of the concussion are entirely eradicated.

Gardening, Greens, & Guts

Doug

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February 18, 2023

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To nobody’s surprise, a new CDC study confirms what growing rates of childhood obesity and diabetes have already forewarned: kids aren’t eating nearly enough vegetables and fruits (if they’re eating them at all).

Just as bad, a majority of kids are regularly consuming sugary drinks, ultra-refined foods, and unhealthy snacks. The result: growing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, dental problems and other health issues.

Fortunately, there’s something just about any parent can do that can help child and parent alike: gardening. Whether you’ve got some yard space for an in-ground or container garden, are working your share of a community garden, or even tending to one of the growing number of indoor gardening kids, the research is clear that parents who get their kids into gardening enjoy countless benefits, including:

Diet – Kids who grow greens are more likely to eat them, in part because they grew them and in part because homegrown vegetables taste much better than store-bought varieties. This, in turn, leads to leaner, healthier kids.

Appreciation – Gardening removes kids (and parents) from digital screens and teaches them the wonder of growing something edible from nothing more than a seed, soil, water and sun.

Container or box gardens don’t take up much space, aren’t terribly expensive (and done right, last for years), and are fairly easy to assemble.

Responsibility – Kids are notoriously self-absorbed. The need to water, weed, and regularly check in on a garden teaches kids to take responsibility for something other than themselves.

Physical Health – Most of us fail to get nearly enough vitamin D, and getting out under the sun is a fantastic source. In fact, research shows that vitamin D strengthens bones, boosts the immune system, and lowers your risk of developing multiple sclerosis, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Mental Healthy – Digging up soil releases microbes which stimulate serotonin which makes you feel happier and more relaxed – almost like we were programmed to garden / farm, eh?

The list goes on – there are literally dozens of benefits associated with gardening – but rather than read about it, get out there and do it!

Kids Aren't Reading Anymore

STEM & Academics

Doug

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June 27, 2023

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Kids are getting dumber, at least by traditional testing standards. Scores for just about all subjects have plummeted. And before you blame COVID, those trends began before the pandemic.

One possible cause for at least some of these declines: kids aren’t reading anymore. The same national report card that saw those big declines across academics also saw a big drop in the number of kids reading for fun.

All of which is a problem, since reading has long been associated with stronger test scores. Put simply, kids who read almost always far better academically than their non-reading counterparts.

Possible culprits behind this decline:

The infestation of smartphones and other connected screens in the lives of even the youngest children
Parents’s failure to read and set an example for their kids
Shrinking attention spans – reading doesn’t satisfy the demand for instant gratification

What can parents do? In a word, read. Set the standard for your kids. Put down the phone or tablet, turn off the TV or computer, and pick up a book. No, don’t read on a digital device because it reinforces that same screen-first mindset.