Parental Elasticity and other links

Some interesting reads I've recently come across:

1. Are you an elastic parent? The writer's son has recently left on an around-the-world trip with his grandma, prompting the mother to reflect on the need for parents to push their own boundaries as well as their kids'.

2. The Real Problem with Helicopter Parents - This author is a member of the Cato Institute, so, you know ... read it with your libertarian glasses on, I guess? And while I think there's some conflation of correlation and causation going on here, I do think the race/class perspective is sorely lacking in the vast majority of what gets published on parenting in general and helicopter parenting in particular. So this essay is a good reminder that not everyone is parenting in the same cultural context, and what's problematic in one socioeconomic stratum isn't necessarily problematic in another.

3. Laurie Berkner on balancing work and motherhood - we LOVE Laurie Berkner in our family, so it's nice to see her tackling a more adult topic than she usually deals with.

Have a good week!

"10 Great Ways to be an Unhappy Mom"

This post has some good reminders. Number 3 is especially difficult for me. How about you? (As usual, I think the "Mom" in the title could just as easily be replaced with "parent.")

Food (heh) for thought

Found this on FB today and thought it might resonate with some of you. Seemed appropriate in light of our food discussion today.

I’ve railed against the snack culture before — from the time, when my boys were a baby and a toddler and we showed up for a bookstore story time, at 10 a.m., and were the only family there without a lunchbox full of snacks — to recently, when I glanced around the poolside while I watched the kids’ swim lessons, and saw parent after parent, chatting with each other, reading, or texting, and pulling bags of Cheerios and chips and crackers and Goldfish out of their bags for the younger kids. I do get that toddlers’ tiny tummies require more frequent filling, but come on.

Read the whole thing.

Link Dump

Here are some interesting links I found in the last week:

1. Pink is awesome.

2. This Scottish researcher thinks that "Strong Silence," a new kind of quiet time, is the key to improved behavior, focus and concentration in schools:

‘Weak silence’ has been used in the classroom for a long time, but traditionally this weak form harnesses silence as an oppressive tool, whereby children are punished or controlled through the process of enforced noise cessation.”
Instead, she advocates techniques such as meditation, mindfulness, pausing, silent reading, silent moments, and quiet spaces.
She claims new “quiet rooms” could be seen in schools in the next five to ten years and it is even possible the same principles could be applied in prisons to try and calm inmates and young offenders.

3. Laughing at Chaos shares some thoughts on parental self-care. This one really resonated with me, because you hear all the time about the importance of self-care, but nobody tells you how to do it or where it's supposed to fit on your schedule. This writer includes a good list of self-care practices, but does it with a sense of humor:

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” “Adjust your air mask before helping others.” It is easy to tell a parent that she must care for herself first, but insanely difficult to be that parent when you know what you’re up against. I was doing so well caring for myself, and then we moved. And then school got ugly for A. And then I homeschooled. And then my husband took a new job. And then the stress of the previous three years plus a bunch of other crap smothered me like old laundry until I saw my breaking point (it was ugly and scary), and I finally saw my doctor to ask for help (family, please do not call, I am fine). I’ve had insanely low blood pressure my whole life; seeing numbers that are technically pre-hypertension was not good for my mind.

Free homework tutoring

I know this is a little beyond the scope of ECFE, but it's so cool I had to share. From the Hennepin County Library K-12 newsletter:

HOMEWORK HELP
Did you know that students can receive free tutoring at 11 Hennepin County libraries? Homework Hub provides one-on-one tutoring to K-12 students. And even if students can’t attend Homework Hub, KidLinks still has them covered. Homework Rescue provides free online tutoring from 1:00pm to 11:00pm as well as many other homework resources. Students need a library card to use Homework Rescue or access library databases from computers outside library buildings. Students can apply online. No parent signature is needed.

 Cool, right? I love the online option. And I *LOVE* that no parent signature is needed. Yay for HCL!

Your daily funny

Some of you may already be familiar with this blog, but if not, I strongly recommend reading Honest Toddler any time you're in need of a giggle. It's all written from the perspective of said toddler, and it pretty regularly makes me do spit takes. This post on Special Time is particularly good:

Toddlers, now that we’re alone I have something important to discuss with you. You already know that it is impossible to love more than one person at a time. That’s why when parents hug or show affection it feels like a slap in the face because it is. I have some disturbing news to share. Your parents don’t just hug during the day, they hug at night, too. During the time you need them most, they hug.

And there's more where that came from. Hope you enjoy it.

More Sleep Info

Here are a few more links on sleep that might be useful. Also be sure to check out the links list on the left - it's got links to all the stuff we read for class, plus more. Email me if you have additions!

NurtureShock blog: How Much Sleep Does My Child Actually Need?

NurtureShock blog: Naps and Other Make-Up Sleep