Much has been written about helicopter parenting in recent years. Now an article in Today claims that the help we give our kids with homework may actually hinder their academic performance.
The article cites surveys from professors at Duke and the University of Texas, published in the book, The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children’s Education.
“Some of the things that [parents] do may actually lead to declines in achievement—inadvertently, of course,” said one of the authors, Angel L. Harris.
The research covered three decades' worth of data collected from the U.S. Department of Education, spanning racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
In all cases, routine assistance with homework led to "compromised [academic] achievement."
Though well-intentioned, "help" often led to parents taking over and essentially doing the homework for the child, thereby robbing him of the take-home lesson.
This mom took helicopter parenting to a whole new scary level.
Science has finally corroborated what moms everywhere have known for a long time: giving birth changes you. According to an article in CBC, a neuroscientist from the University of British Columbia has discovered that women who have kids are exposed to "different health risks" than those who do not.
While a new mom's heart may feel like it has swelled to bursting, her brain—paradoxically—has actually shrunk. By a precious eight percent. So says UBC psychology professor, Liisa Galea.
Not only that, but the shrinkage apparently has repercussions for mothers, such as reacting differently to meds than women who haven't given birth. A differential, says Galea, that would benefit from a medical approach other than the current one-prescription-fits-all.
On the plus side, women who've given birth have added protection against breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.
So it seems mommy brain really is a thing. Explains a lot, doesn't it?
The true cost of sleep deprivation.
Note to self: if you want to throw a little bash for some friends, don't dare post it on social media. It won't end well as the owners of an upscale Brampton, Ont. home discovered.
According to an article in the Sun, long before the party started, it was trending under the hashtag #MansionParty.
Fast forward to Friday night, and some 2,000 descended upon the home on Stanley Carberry Drive in the Peel region. Fortunately, thanks to Twitter, authorities were also aware of the party, and managed to shut it down—a feat that took time and the collaboration of no fewer than three police divisions. Partygoers were charged for assault and intoxication.
And as for the 5,000 square-foot mansion? Trashed. Some $70,000 in damages later, there is an expensive lesson to be gleaned.
“My daughter walked in, looked around and told her friends don’t go upstairs because the railing was all falling apart,” said Nancy Viveiros, whose 18-year-old daughter quickly decided to give the party a miss.
While the teenage boy had his parents' permission to host a gathering, I have a feeling #MansionParty was not quite what they had in mind.
Time to crack out the grounding manual! How many points will it take to get him off the hook, I wonder.
Printer-friendly version