Search Results for: blog does being a parent make you smarter

Infants: The Hottest New Market

We all know that Disney will market to absolutely anyone it thinks it can get to buy its merchandise. We also know that Disney will pursue its advertising targets till the ends of the earth, producing any conceivable product (and some hitherto inconceivable) to ridiculous and often extreme ends. So really, Disney ought not to surprise anyone with whatever new marketing schemes it rolls out. Despite all of that, I just can’t help it; Disney’s got my eyebrows raised with this one. What’s the Mouse House’s latest marketing target? Infants. Pushing products towards the just-out-of-the-womb isn’t entirely new territory for … Continue reading →

Can Kids Actually Make Us Healthier?

In an article that many parents and commenters saw as a cruel joke, the Dailymail, reported today that parenting can lower blood pressure. The conclusion comes from a study of 198 adults who were fitted with portable blood pressure monitors for 24 hours as they went about their normal lives. Researchers took into account other factors that can influence blood pressure, such as health, age, weight, exercise, employment and drinking history. All other things being equal, the average systolic blood pressure – the top number in a reading – was 4.5 points lower for parents than non-parents. The diastolic blood … Continue reading →

Raising Polar Opposites

My mother used to walk into the dining room to seem me near tears over my math book and my brother lounging in a chair. In one breath she would tell him to open a book and me to take a break. We thought she was nuts. What she knew is that she had one child who would continue to study even when she had hit a wall, and another, who didn’t even need to study, though it wouldn’t hurt if he did. She was parenting polar opposites and so she treated us differently. Sometimes we felt she was showing … Continue reading →

Do They Live To Frustrate Us?

As much as I love my teens, sometimes they can just be frustrating. They disagree just to disagree. They correct you when you are talking to other adults. They go to the other parent when the first one says no. When my kids are being disagreeable, I have to admit that sometimes I take the bait. I get angry, I snap at them, I fight the battle they have started. This does not mean that I win the war. If our kids can get us to react angrily to they win. Not that we have to win every time, but … Continue reading →

Teens and Disrespect

Michelle Cheplic describes the ultimate act of disrespect in Revenge of the kid. In the article she discusses the story of a teen who attempted to auction off his mom’s naked and provocative photos in revenge for being forced to clean the garage as punishment. While I can think of a few more disrespectful things a child can do to a parent, this is definitely in the top 10. Yes, teens, and kids in general, are vindictive. But, you can head them off and prevent them from using their evil genius against you if you take steps early on. I … Continue reading →

Baby Geniuses (1999)

I liked this movie, I liked this movie not. There are points on both sides of the equation. Dr. Kinder (Kathleen Turner) has established a huge scientific laboratory for the purpose of studying babies. She believes that babies communicate in their own special ways and that if she could tap into that language, she would be world-famous. She masks all her plans with talk of philanthropy and fundraisers, hiding her real intent – to make lots and lots of money. Her niece, Robin (Kim Cattrall) has always thought things were a little fishy with her aunt, but she’s never quite … Continue reading →

Spelling Matters for Parents Too

As focused as many of us parents are on our children’s education, we can sometimes be slackers with our own. Just because we have managed to get through high school or even college does not mean that the learning and improvements stop. How can we set an example for our children if we just throw up our arms and say “I’m a bad speller” or “I can’t do math”? We can still work on improving our skills and encouraging our children while we do so. I am not a naturally great speller. Fortunately, I do a lot of reading and … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding + Gene = Higher IQ?

The FADS2 gene is going to be the talk of the town in breastfeeding research for quite some time. The newest research, done in a study in Britain and New Zealand, showed that infants who had the gene and were breastfed had an IQ that was, on average, 8 points higher than other infants. The gene was isolated and studied because it produces an enzyme found in breast milk. The research is considered “ground breaking” because it shows that both nurture and nature play a part in a child’s intelligence. It is being used by agencies that want to promote … Continue reading →

My Son’s Science Project Is Out of Control

I could’ve just as easily entitled this: What to Do When Your Gifted Child is Smarter Than You Are. It’s an idea and a concept that many parents of truly gifted children struggle with because the reality is that gifted children are often smarter than their parents in something. I still have things to teach him, but he will surpass mine, and my husband’s knowledge in science and math before he finishes high school. I am sure of it. He’s already challenging my ability to practically apply chemistry principles that I’m well familiar with. So what do you do when … Continue reading →

Should I be Teaching My Baby?

A recent question in the forums addressed the idea of prenatal education. This would be teaching your baby while still in the womb in the hope that one day her I.Q. will be higher. The poster wanted to know if this is true, so I decided to look into it a bit. The idea isn’t entirely new. When I was pregnant with my first baby, mothers to be were being encouraged to read to the baby. We actually did do that, but not with the idea of making her smarter. After all, she was OUR baby. She would already be … Continue reading →