Boys learn differently from girls, and they may actually need more one-on-one time when it comes to doing homework and receiving encouragement to push through tough assignments. This seems very logical to me, and with all the focus on how girls are falling behind, I’m glad to see that we are not tossing our young males aside, assuming they only need food and money to survive. This article in USA Weekend provide some highlights from a new book, “The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life,” by Michael Gurian. He offers some intriguing tips on raising boys. Parents should make sure that boys in particular have multiple people they can rely on as mentors and guides. Boys learn better through doing with someone they know and trust, and that person may not be a parent. So, take the time to learn who their teachers and athletic coaches are, because these folks could be your son’s best friend during a rough patch. Gurian also says to go through your son’s homework with him every night. Even though he might complain at first, he craves the attention, and he really needs that time with you. Finally, make sure your boy has a good diet. Protein will help him think more clearly, and possibly perform better in school.
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Some non-profit organizations that serve children want a continuous report of all staff and volunteer criminal records--including misdemeanors. About 15 Boys and Girls Clubs are currently using technology by Verified Person of New York, which claims to capture more than 70 percent of all felony and misdemeanor convictions. Other groups such as the Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arizona are considering the value of this service to screen their staff and volunteers. These groups feel that privacy concerns should not be a barrier to making sure the people dealing with children are fit for the job, whether or not they are paid. As a parent, I think this type of service is great. After all, we are still cleaning up the mess from the Roman Catholic Church, and I, like most parents feel that no amount of protection is too much when it comes to screening. Civil rights groups are questioning the practice, and I suppose they do have a valid argument in some respects. From the article, “‘The real point is that all this is happening without rules and boundaries and thought and legislation,’ said Ira Glasser, president of the Drug Policy Alliance and former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “ As a parent, I would never want someone flagged during their volunteer work and then prevented from getting a job they truly deserve, but I do want to know that any organization my child is associated with is doing the most they possibly can to ensure all the children’s safety.
Regardless of how you feel about privacy, the basic message is: organizations can subscribe to this service, so if you want to have the staff and volunteers screened, you should definitely ask about the policies and find out what information they are collecting.
This is an awesome story. Many parents wouldn’t encourage their kids to visit a local fast food joint to complete homework assignments, but for those kids who work, McDonald’s and some other franchise owners are giving school age kids extra time on the clock if they use the time to study. This shows real dedication to education, and personally gives me some hope that our nation has not devalued school to a disastrous level. According to this Associated Press article, “In a 2000 study by the Families and Work Institute, 38 percent of students employed during the school year said that working harmed their school performance.” This is a significant number when you consider that 25% of high school freshmen and 75% of high school seniors balance work and school.
It seems that if a child is struggling to manage schoolwork, then their work schedule should be cut back or eliminated until they are ready to resume and handle it, but for those kids who really need to work, I applaud the McDonald’s franchisees for pitching in to help.
You may have heard about this on the news, but just in case, I thought it wise to spread the word. Two children in Tulsa, OK have died from an amoeba called Naegleria that is considered to be fatal once contracted. From the article on http://www.ktul.com, “...the Naegleria amoeba is found worldwide, but is most commonly found in warm bodies of fresh water such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. The organism can also be found in under-chlorinated swimming pools.” How many of us have swam in lakes though the years, and are planning to visit a body of fresh water this summer? This is truly scary, and makes me want to carry a device to measure water bacteria levels wherever I go. The semi-good news is that this Naegleria is pretty rare. There have only been 200 known cases over the last 40 years, so your odds of catching it are pretty low. But still, when it comes to our kids’ safety, many parents measure in absolutes vs. odds, and I’m still mulling over the bacteria counting device idea.
If I was going to load my kids up for a trip, Chicago probably would not be my first choice, but this article in The New York Times begs to differ. Apparently, Chicago is quite the kid spot, and for many U.S. residents, it is only a hop and a skip from home. If you want culture, the Art Institute of Chicago and Museum of Science and Industry are must sees. Kids might also enjoy the tallest building in the U.S., the Sears Tower. I can just imagine how some children would show off to their friends that they visited the tallest U.S. building to their friends upon returning to school in the fall. For water lovers, there is Lake Michigan and Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. I was quite surprised by this story, because really, Chicago would never cross my mind as a kid hangout, but it seems that there is lots to see and do, and ultimately, that’s what kids love.
The experts continually tell parents how we should handle car travel with our kids, and most of us know the drill very well: always use approved car seats, no riding in the front seat, no sharing seat belts, etc. With summer travel upon us, a little reminder never hurt anyone. This article from ParentCenter is a good refresher course on why little Johnny really needs to stay in his carseat, even though he is screaming his head off to hitch a lap ride in the car. It is tough to resist when kids throw a fit and you need to transport the crew from A to B, but this is one of those times to be strong and possibly even find a good set of earplugs. 
We know that our children should brush their teeth regularly to develop good lifelong habits and prevent cavities. But a dentist at Temple University School of Dentistry now says that if parents have cavity-causing bacteria in their mouths, it can be spread to children by giving kisses. Seems odd, but just in case, I guess I’ll go brush my teeth now.
This article from The New York Times doesn’t provide direct advice for parents, but does offer an interesting look at the next generation of teachers. While fewer high-achieving college graduates opt for education as a profession, mid-level career professionals are starting to fill the ranks, and they’re bringing their business heads with them. This is a significant trend, according to the National Center for Education Information. In the last two years, approximately 70,000 professionals have initiated career changes into teaching, and these folks are forecasted to relieve shortfalls in math, science, foreign language and special education. Certification processes are making the change easier for mid-career shifters. According to the article, “forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have created 122 alternative routes to teacher certification in recent years.”
This trend may not be a surprise after witnessing Enron and other recent corporate blunders, but the effect on education processes will be pronounced. “With an average age of 35 and seven to eight years’ experience in another profession, this new breed brings marketplace attitudes to teaching and presents a challenge to the status quo, says Susan Moore Johnson, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education.” As parents, it is important for us to realize that our kids will not likely have teachers who have chosen education early in their career. The communication processes will likely be very different in the years to come, and we need to not only keep up with the trends, but also make sure the coming changes are actually an improvement.
