Some years ago, someone asked how hard it was for me to go back to graduate school at age 50. “Didn’t I find it difficult working with all of the smart younger students and didn’t I find it hard to keep up with them?” Actually, no. I found my doctoral program much easier to complete … Read more
When I talk to parents about the differences between boys and girls, it is easy to tell who has only daughters. Those parents are usually visibly shocked when I mention that boys are at least as emotional as girls and possibly more. The stereotype is that girls are more emotional than boys, but those of … Read more
What does your child do all day in school? I’m a teacher, I visit schools all over the world, and what I almost always see is children sitting at desks for at least 30 to 45 minutes at a time. How long can you sit still? I’m typing this and I’m gently moving a bit … Read more
When I first went to university (a long time ago), I started in the nursing school. Nurses are amazing people and I totally respect what it takes to be a good nurse, but it wasn’t for me. So I switched my major to education, and became a science teacher. At that time, the medical students at … Read more
Several years ago, Ann-Marie Slaughter wrote an article for The Atlantic magazine entitled Why Women Still Can’t Have it All . She tells the story of what happened after she became the first woman director of policy planning at the State Department. She “had it all” as the saying goes. She was happily married, the mother … Read more
Some years ago when I taught a class in Human Growth and Development, there were five requirements for the students which involved paying attention to people at different stages of their lives. One of the class requirements was to go to a large department or big-box store, look at the toy aisles, and report on … Read more
Has your child asked you about Caitlyn/Bruce Jenner yet? If he hasn’t, I can promise you he has been talking about that with his friends. In January, we discussed how your son knew he was a boy, and now we need to discuss the issue of transgendered individuals. All the evidence indicates that a disconnect … Read more
The question that parents ask me the most often is: “Are video games/computers/television dangerous for my son?” One problem with responding to that question is that these forms of technology haven’t been around for very long and the research that is done on the effects of technology have most often used university students as subjects. It seems as … Read more
As I travel on school visits, almost everyone I run into knows some boy who is having trouble in school. Taxi drivers, customs officers, and front desk staff in small hotels around the world tell me about the educational difficulties of their son/brother/nephew. During a one hour flight, the young man who sat next to … Read more
Years ago, parents were warned not to let their children consume too much sugar as it would result in hyperactive behavior. Then, research came out that assured parents that there didn’t seem to be a strong connection between consumption of candy and wired children. Guess what, parents?! The experts have changed their minds again. According … Read more