A Powwow Story

National Public Radio (NPR) has a story, told partly through the eyes of a 9 year old, about the current slowing economy and its effect on the Native Americans. The NPR story includes an audio file that captures the voice of Tyler Richardson, the 9 year old, as well as his father at a powwow. Great stuff!

Years ago I spent a weekend camping out at a powwow in Alabama. It was an eye-opening experience. I learned a bit about the Cherokees and greatly enjoyed the music and dancing.

Another Bailout

An Associated Press story on Sept 27, 2008 titled, "Father Who Left Nine Kids at Nebraska hospital Says He Was Overwhelmed." The article indicates that the wife of the man died, and the father quit his job to care for the children. One bright note reported was that the older child, a daughter, graduated high school early. I find that impressive and think tracking the future of this young woman would be interesting.

The father, on the other hand, makes me wonder: (1) about the practical decision to have nine children, (2) quiting his job, (3) leaving his children at the costly expense of the public, and (4) the efficacy of the safe harbor law in relation to its initial intent. I guess I need to do some research since I would like to know whether the father and others in this situation have to pay child support for total cost of care by the state. These days every penny counts in budgets at all levels.

8-Year Olds Don't Learn From Mistakes

Science Daily News is reporting on a study that found that 8-year olds don't learn from mistakes and negative feedback. Instead, that age group (and younger I suspect) learn from positive feedback. Apparently, learning from mistakes starts at the age of 12. Read more here.

Cell Phone Danger for Children

The Independent, a British newspaper, is reporting that a Swedish study reveals that children may face danger of brain cancer from using cell phone. The study indicates that kids are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use cell phone. Read more here.

Yo Ho a Pirates Life for Me in Japanese by Snuff

Kids as Weather Forecasters

The is great! The Weather Channel conducted a contest for kids to give weather forecasts. Here is a link to see the results. Who said kids aren't into science?

Do You Believe in Magic?

I've working on a project for preschoolers that's tangential to magic, so it was interesting to read an article today in Science News Digest about how magic can be used to help children increase their confidence and social skills. Older folks may remember that Johnny Carson on occasions spoke about learning magic when young and how it helped him.

Web Site For Kids

Check out Club Penguin, a Disney Web site for kids. (The photo isn't from Disney...I'm well aware of how ferocious Disney is about its brand. Note that there is a membership fee.

When Kids' Friends Move Away

Here is a nice article from Slate that deals with a child coping with having a best friend move away.

My Space

I was shopping in a craft store recently and attempted to squeeze through the narrow space of an aisle, which was partially blocked by a father who had his son (3-4 yrs) in a shopping cart. Before squeezing by, I waited for the parent to make more room for me to pass. He didn't, however, so I made my way through. As I did, the young child remarked loudly, " I don't like people coming close to me." The parent quickly said, "Don't say that!" I added, "It's OK. He is who he is."

Later I thought about the child's remark. Initially, I believed the remark was racially motivated--them being black and me being while--and the child was simply repeating what he had learned. Thereafter, I thought the remark may have been a reaction to the child's parents telling him to not let anyone in public get close to him--out of fear of abduction, etc. In any case, the whole incident highlights how children interpret what parents tell them. Young children don't analyze situations and see shades of gray. The fact that the child felt threatened even when his father was within three feet of the shopping cart was clearly an overreaction.

I sure hope the child isn't taken to East Africa anytime soon since personal space is viewed much differently there. While in Nairobi, Kenya and other East Africa locations years ago, I was unnerved each time I stood in line and the person behind me literally touched me with their body as if the threat of someone jumping line was always a danger. Overtime I developed a habit of making more space by extending my elbow behind me. I never got use to how personal space was translated over there.

Are We There Yet?

Here's an odd story about a bus driver transporting kindergarten and first grade students. One part of me understand the fears of the children and parents concerning the incident. Another part of me think about how the students probably consider the the trip an adventure, but later realized it wasn't fun anymore. Two questions I have are: (1) Was the driver tested for drug use; (2) What about the training record of the driver?

The Up Side of Video Games

Video games have received much press as a negative activity toward children's health. Science Daily Digest, however, is reporting that children playing video games can expend more calories and have a higher heart rate. Playing sports video games was found to be secondary to participation in active sports activities in providing exercises. Moreover, new video games are requiring children to be more active by having children to walk and perform other movements.

Whose Children Are They?

I was working around the house while listening to the Today Show this morning. A musical group had performed, and I caught the part where Matt Lauer asked the lead singer what message was she sending to children. I heard the tone as being negative and wasn't clear whether Matt Lauer was referencing the song's lyrics or the performers' dance moves, which I didn't see. Immediately, I wondered whether parents have ceded lessons about morals and values to performers.

I mention this because I still remember my mother telling her children that we shouldn't follow other people, particularly when they were doing something negative. Of course, there was that standard questions: If all the other kids are jumping off a cliff, would you jump? My thought is that I don't go to a furniture store expecting to purchase ice cream, so I question why we're expecting entertainers, sports people, etc. to be a moral compass for our children?

Day Care Research

There is an interesting article titled Day Care: Research Has Eased Some Fears About Having Children Spend Their Days Away From Home, by Sandra G. Boodman at Washington Post on-line. The article indicates that research reveals quality day care has a positive effect on children and parents can relax some about having to leave children in the care of others during the day at those facilities.

Ms. Boodman mentioned that no males worked at the facility she profiled in the article. That is not a surprise.

I taught child development courses at a junior college and observed students for state and national childcare certification. In all the childcare centers I visited to observe students, I never saw a male working as a teacher. At one facility I followed the observation protocol by quietly watching one of my students provide care to 2-3 year olds. One little guy didn't want to nap and tried hard to get my attention without disturbing the other sleeping children. He quietly moved closer and closer to me as I sat in a corner. He finally climbed onto my lap, and I became his tree. I remained still while he moved from my lap, over my shoulder, and to my back. I finally told him that he needed to try to nap.

What I realized was that this little guy decided to take advantage of the only male he saw in the center. This situation left me wondering what children are losing with so few males working as teachers in day care centers. I realize the fear is that males will molest children and that fear is added to the anxiety parents feel when leave children for others to provide care. I'll have more to say about this after I track down a book tittled A Nation of Wimps by Hara Estroff Marano. According to an interview of Marano by Sam Miller of Freedom News Service, Marano believes that we are raising children to be weak because of over protection. Also, Marano believes that children are at risk more at home than outside the home.

Child Shot With Air Gun

I read the BBC News on line during the week in order to receive information from outside the U.S.--our media covers few international stories other than conflicts and airline crashes. Today an article concerning an 18-month baby, who was shot in the head with an air rifle by his 5-year old sister, caught my attention. Here is a quote from the article:

"While we are still trying to establish precisely what happened, this does appear to be a tragic accident involving young children," said DI Simon Vowles.

Somehow this hit me as a cop out. The article mentioned that the father of the children left there children unattended. However, there is no discussion about the father left a weapon within the reach of the children. I believe the father should be held accountable for the accident, not the children.

Children Cheating at Games

An article titled No One Likes a Cheater, But No One Likes a Stickler, Either, The Letter and Spirit of Recess Law, by Emily Bazelon at Slate.com caught my interest. The author described a situation where her son questioned the an incident where his playmates had cheated. While reading the article, several points came to mind.

First, research in child development indicates that children are binary thinkers, particularly the youngest of children. By binary thinkers, I mean that they think in terms of either/or without nuance. Asking children to weigh situations and consider fairness as well as flexibility when confronted with cheating while playing games is a lot to expect. I think children need concrete answers since that is the level of their thinking.

The other thought I had was that as adults it sounds so 'high minded" to say that "remember to be fair" and "we need to follow the rules" to children when other children aren't following the same advice. Only to a point that I agree with this idea. I think there are times that children need to adopt the "when in Rome" attitude, particularly during play. Most important, I believe, we need to teach children how to adapt to situations. Let's teach them when to be flexible and when to be firm since all situations aren't the same. Learning judgement and discretion is a valuable lesson.

Children Books Made into Movies

Have you noticed that children books are being turned into movies more than before? Well, this is part of a plan and some authors are making movie deals even before books are published according to an August 14, 2008 New York Times article titled To Reach Children, Publisher Tries Films, written by Julie Bosman.

On one level I understand that publishers need to tie children books to movies to help the struggling publishing industry. I have misgivings, however, because in a way I feel children and parents are being manipulated by the process.

Laughter Yoga In 60 seconds

(Video from YouTube)

I Heard That!

Did you know that simply listening to different types of music will help you formally learn music? A study, cited in Science Daily News, is indicating that exposure to music helps in development of competency in music and years of formal training isn't the only way to develop music competency.

Interesting, Very Interesting

(YouTube Video ["Action For Blind People - Kids Sports Club"])

There is evidence that celebratory gestures may be hardwired in humans. New Scientist has an article that cites a study within which the discovery was made that blind athletes display triumphant and disappointing gestures similar to those of people with sight.