The numbing effects of electronics
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“Smacking never did us any harm!”
How often have you heard that line? How often have you said it? I’m not here to tell you how to parent your kids. I’m learning every day just how hard a job it is. But I can’t help thinking to myself, whenever I hear this: “Yeah, smacking never did us any harm, [...]
The Tightrope between Primary and High School – Scary or Successful?
It's about this time of year when Yr 6 students start thinking about high school next year. By now, many parents will have decided which secondary school their son or daughter will attend, and the kids themselves are already feeling 'done' with primary school. Attitudes and behaviours are changing....and "Boring!" becomes the key word of [...]
Proactive Grief Recovery: An ideal or a great idea?
With recent focus on emotional intelligence, it seems now is the perfect time to analyse whether we are doing enough in classrooms to support our children through the process of grief recovery. As an educator, I believe our Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Institutions should be implementing (PGR) Proactive Grief Recover - addressing grief related [...]
Racism Impacts Mental Health of Teens
An international review of published studies has found children and young people experience poor mental health, depression and anxiety following experiences of racism. University of Melbourne researchers say the study, which found 461 cases of links between racism and child and youth health outcomes, is the first of its kind. Lead researcher Dr. Naomi Priest [...]
Adolescent sex offenders
In recent years children's sexuality and claims about the ‘pornification' of childhood have attracted considerable media attention. Among other phenomena, social commentators have observed the marketing of brands and clothing normally associated with adult sexuality to an increasingly younger age group. At the same time as this trend has encouraged younger children to explore their [...]
France moves to ban child beauty pageants
Parliament in France has moved to ban child beauty pageants on the grounds that they promote the "hyper-sexualisation" of minors. The Senate adopted the bill by 196 votes to 146 on Tuesday evening. It must now be passed by the National Assembly, before becoming law. Organisers of such pageants may face a jail term of [...]
Lifestyle Changes May Lengthen Telomeres, A Measure of Cell Aging
A small pilot study shows for the first time that changes in diet, exercise, stress management and social support may result in longer telomeres, the parts of chromosomes that affect aging. via Lifestyle Changes May Lengthen Telomeres, A Measure of Cell Aging | ucsf.edu.
Dolly September 2013
The Impossible Goal of Pursuing Perfection: Dolly September 2013 Melinda Tankard Reist ‘The ultimate guide to being yourself’ is about self-acceptance. It offers girls three lessons in how to be themselves: Fall in love with you; Quit Faking It and Get inspired, not obsessed. The first encourages girls to recognise and love themselves for [...]
Why we can’t help finishing off the whole can of Pringles
Richard Lowe, professor of psychology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, says neuroimaging studies have shown that in the presence of high-fat, high-sugar or high salt food, areas of the brain related to pleasure ‘‘light up’’, in a similar way to the brain changes seen in drug or alcohol addicts. The release of dopamine, a chemical [...]