and more links

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Many interesting and varied things, in no particular order …

I LOVE this, from Scientific American, about creativity.  I used to teach a College class called “Fostering Creativity”, back in the day, and at the time I went to a meeting where a woman disdained teaching creativity to children, saying “I don’t want my kids to be artists …”.  At the time I was all goldfish mouthed and hopeless, but if I had my wits about me I’d briefly defend the artistic life, and then remind her that scientific and technological breakthroughs are going to depend upon a creative approach to whatever.  The quote I love from that Sci-Am article back there:

As it turns out, creativity is just as important in medicine and engineering as it is in journalism.

 

Now, THIS pdf, from www.childtrends.org, will take a while to download but you will be so glad you did it.  It is full of amazing maps that show various trends in child & family well being, all around the world.  You’re welcome.

Other stuff: The abstract to some research about families who use corporal punishment, and how what they do differs to what they SAY they do.  I like it when non-brainiac sources talk neuroscience, like this from Wired mag.

Here is a piece about infant memory,  this is a description of findings about maternal depression (*peaking when children are four years old … implications, anyone?) and … REALLY?  Too much internet is bad for children?  Ya don’t say!

Last one, then I got to go read Scarry to my girl.

Please check out this super cool initiative from Australia – I have not known of such a funding scheme before but ME LIKEY.  Ten20 provides ten years of funding and support for 20 communities working to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

Super cool.

 

links for y’all

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It’s been a busy ol’ while for this Baby Geek.  This weekend I’ll record a fresh batch of podcasts for Family Times with my friend and brother (from another mother) … Nathan Mikaere Wallis.  I’ve got another article to review for the SECA journal and one to write for OHbaby!  As my sis-in-law is wont to say – be careful what you wish for.  I wished for a life where I could care for my kids, write some, be connected and be in the garden.

And it’s pretty fab.  Occasionally sucky, but ain’t that the way?  Basically, fab.  It helps when I work for a healthy relationship with “busy” and ensure I prioritise sleep.

This blog post from Renegade Mama is just dreamy.  The No-Drama Friendship Manifesto.  My ladies and I are loving it.

And I am coveting the heck out of these pixie finger puppets.

Nighty night geeks.

next week we go screen free

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profilepicKia Ora geeks.  Getting ready to turn off, here.  Husband is unenthusiastic as can be.  Big Girl is a little better.  Baby Girl will be deceived into thinking TV is broken.  She’s two.

A family’s prep for screen free week is described here, and this is from Psychology Today – some brain benefits of unplugging are included.

Whether you’re into Screen-Free Week or not, I reckon you will DIG these fab resources from the excellent organisation known as TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment).

While we’re at it, check out this great news from Brazil, where it is now illegal to market directly to children, and look at this primo follow up on the 1981 LEGO ad.

Finally, the legendary Lillian Katz is still raising consciousness about childrens’ early learning, this time cautioning against attempting to teach children to read too young.

life by the bucketload.

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As I type this I can see more apples falling from the trees of my crazy-prolific wee home orchard.  Already today I’ve scooped up SIX bucketloads (many were fed to our pigs).  Add to that the THREE bucketloads of ash I emptied from the firebox in the living room and I would call that a bucket list of a different sort.

This is a link of many of the podcasts that Nathan and I recorded back in the summer.  If you haven’t seen any, make a cuppa and hang out with us for a few minutes.

Now I gotta share with you something just fantastic … something I wish everyone would read … an amazing piece from the Atlantic, called “How to Land your Kid in Therapy”.  It is an absolutely astonishing article and you can find it here … It kind of challenges our parental preoccupation with “You are so special and I want you to be happy!”

Similar but different article is here from Slate, about motivating teenagers (also about letting kids experience failure).

(I am hereby mildly obsessed with the word eudaemonia.  Thanks to stats geek for this word o’ the day!)

Anyhoo, speaking of having your thinking challenged … as visitors to this website know, I’m very pro-mindfulness.   Especially as it applies to parenting.  But it is pretty interesting to read an alternative perspective to being all-mindful, all the time … ah yes!  The beauty and power of a wandering mind!  Enjoy.

A couple more links now … a kind of beginners guide to attachment theory is in this piece by ABC news (I TRY to resist the urge to say “like, durrr … are you just learning this now?”)

Anyone want to join me for Screen Free Week, 2014?  This geek pledges.  Can I coerce the other members of my family to join in … watch this space.

And for no good reason except I need to be reminded: those of us in the southern hemisphere might like a reminder of what to do in our veggie patches about now.

 

sharing

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The most recent issue of OHbaby! magazine has an article I wrote about sharing.  (It also had a very timely article about forward-facing vs. rear-facing carseats, which is something that I’ve been thinking about lately.  And this was before the Prince George controversy.)

May I also share with you a link to an AMAZING article shared with me by one of my lovely geeky mama pals.  This is about outdoor play and makes strong reference to the ‘loose parts’ phenomenon, which has been rattling around early childhood circles for 15 years or more.  Although the loose parts might look a bit different in that context.  Less fire, more supervision.

Another yummy article about outdoor play is to be found here. Love their point about stairs being more risky than climbing trees (so we should do what … stop kids from living in multi storey homes?).

Unrelated but fab link: a family-friendly podcast is available for download here.  Love.

Thank you so much for bearing with me during my website hiccups.  Ay carumba.  Technology.  Extra special thanks to my invisible Web Magician and my excellent onsite IT guy.

dishwasher hums

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the gurgling of my dishwasher is a revered sound.  It suggests order, productivity, and rest.  All at the same time!

Today begins with a link to a piece on Pennie Brownlee’s blog.  It rules. I want you to read this very much indeed.  Here is a link to some research describing the physical pain of social exclusion.  I always suspected that sticks and stones could break my bones but words could also hurt me very much indeed.

This link will take you to a write up of research suggesting that playing with Barbie dolls could limit girls’ career choices … if y’all over there at Oregon State would apply the same rigor to exploring the Lego Friends malarkey that’d be great …

Finally: a few months too late for this mama but hopefully useful for someone else … how great are THESE – reusable pouches for your homemade purees!  I cringed every time I sent a disposable fruit-filled empty to the landfill.  But I sent them.  Cos my baby ate them.  (Sorry Al Gore!)  Ain’t that the thang?

Day of Happiness

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International Day of Happiness!  It’s equinox/solstice, too.  Autumn begins in the Southern Hemisphere.  Time to get serious about the stacking of firewood.  You Northern mamas (& papas) can stock up on sunscreen & bug spray.

Things to make you happy: an awesome looking free online parenting extravaganza was advertised by Attachment Parenting International and can be learned about here.  Daniel Siegel is one of the presenters and he is fab.

But listen … this is a blog post that will NOT make you happy … New Zealanders need to be outraged … and I’m thinking we need to tell all our friends, the parents of our kids’ classmates.  Thanks to my excellent geek pal for the link.

This is an interesting article from Forbes (business-y magazine) about parenting habits to avoid (if you want to grow a leader).

Going to watch a recording of the latest episode of this series I am into … I love Don McGlashan like a crazy lady.

perma-yawn

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not because life bores me, but because I am so often tired.  And as a mama who tries to keep away from screens whilst toddler is awake, (and cos smartphone makes me blind & squinty) i am barely able to return an email, let alone update a blog.

It’s all good.

This is so.

This, too, shall pass.

etc.

Links now:

I am a bit of a fan of Darcia Narvaez.  This is a collection of some of her writing.  Enjoy.  And when you’re done, can you let the folks @ The Age newspaper know that the best time for building resilience is during infancy & toddlerhood?

More soon.

the happy juggle

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Hellooooo geeky whanau.

Straight into it then … here is a fab article about babies from Psychology today about babies.  Eat it up!  Share with your friends!  Another bit of baby deliciousness is to be found in this resource from the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  It’s a PDF of ideas for supporting babies to entertain themselves screen-free.

What else?  Brain scans show us that there are different ways of relating to numbers, and also that fear makes our sense of smell more powerful.

Here is research from the Journal of Neuroscience to suggest that the brain benefits of learning music last for a lifetime, and I humbly invite you to check out the podcasts that Nathan and I created for Family Times.  Check back often, k?

In other more personal news, since last I blogged I have submitted an article (and made an editor tear up!  Hurrah!), we’ve celebrated a birthday in my house (complete with triumphant cake icing session!) and enjoyed a magical noho marae in a glorious bit of the country.

Next I await publication of my letter of the month (could I be more excited?) in Good magazine … I blogged about it here … and I gotta get cracking in fulfilling my role as peer reviewer for the Southern Early Childhood Association.  Jeepers!  Before I can do this, though, there is ANOTHER birthday in my house tomorrow, and a cake needs creating!

 

mothers, children, families

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A couple of weeks ago I recorded some podcasts with my friend & colleague, Nathan Mikaere-Wallis.  They will be hosted by our friends at Family Times magazine and will be live in about ten days.  I completely, publicly forgot the referencing info for all this deluxe temperament research, so here is my atonement. 

Meanwhile, there is chaos and unrest in the Ukraine.  I wonder if any of you geeky friends were moved to tears by video of the “Send In the Mamas” protest?  Kind of reminds me of that story about Jimmy Carter getting stalled peace talks going again by having participants share family photos.  But I can’t find a reference for this story so there is a chance that I have made it up.

I have also been inspired by the extra-curricular work of the AWESOME children’s entertainer, the musician known as Raffi.   He has founded the Centre for Child Honouring, and you can learn about it by following that link back there.

A couple of links for the brainiacs: one is brand-spanking from the journal Pediatrics … here is the abstract describing interventions to improve cortisol regulation in children (Dr. Jack Shonkoff is listed as an author, so it’s gotta be good), AND this is an interview with neuroscientist James Fallon, whose brain scan suggests that he shares brain patterning with psychopaths.  Good times!

As always, I’d love to share more.  As always, the real-life demands of my real-life family must trump all else.  Arohanui xx