I’ve been off the blog lately due to a move that took forever. We just got the internet hooked up in the new place. I’ll be back with longer posts once I unpack some more stuff, but here’s a quick little bite via Respectful Insolence.

It seems Randy’s million dollars may be claimed by this McSweeney’s author’s paranormal abilities:

Delightfully, I have not only a love for the scientific method but also a demonstrable paranormal skill! I have the ability to control men’s minds with my vagina.

So, is that paranormal…or just normal?

I have been saying for years that students are influenced by American society to think math is hard. People tell them math is hard, so they think math is hard, so they don’t do well in math. I even remember writing an essay on a college math final in which I ranted about this very topic.

I collected anecdotal evidence to support my theory when, as a grad student, I tried to teach elementary education majors some rudimentary physics labs. The class, which was a light version of Physics 101, designed just for elementary education majors, was required for the degree. Many of the students would put the class off until their final semester, and viewed it as a major obstacle to graduating. They had poor attitudes, because the subject was “so difficult”, and besides, “when would they ever use it”? They came into the class convinced that the subject, and the necessary math, was too hard, and they couldn’t do, and they’d never use it as a teacher. Let me rephrase that: they thought that physics, the basic science behind everything in the universe, was not only impossible, it was unnecessary, to learn. These people now teach our children.

» Continue reading “New study suggests girls learn math anxiety from their teachers”

Nico: Mom, do you believe in God?
me: no.
Nico: Why?
me: Because God does not exist.
Nico: Then why does Grandma believe in God?
me: hmmm…

Whether you believe in God or not, it’s tricky to come up with answers that encourage kids to think it through for themselves. I should have seen that question coming and been better prepared for it (after the discussion at Grandma’s house). Do any of you other rational moms out there have ideas on good ways to explain why family members believe differently?

On a positive note, I’ve found that I was wrong (back in my post about introducing my kids to Jesus) — in fact, the question of belief did come up naturally, without my forcing the issue. (As explained here, 8-year-old Nico started thinking about the existence/non-existence of God after watching a documentary).

I’m a little less thrilled about how the discussion went with my 6-year-old Leo. » Continue reading “Kids’ Questions about Belief”

You might think this is a Saturday Night Live sketch, but it’s really an Australian ad for diapers.

It’s pretty hilarious, and appeals to my love of scatological humor. Anyone who is grossed out by this must not have kids. While this is exaggerated, every parent has experienced a “poop out.” But, can you imagine the uproar this ad would cause here in the U.S.?

What’s the resale value on this car now?

[Via Adfreak]

I expect most mothers will not be surprised by the following admission from the Walt Disney Company:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html?hp

The psychology of many 21st century books for children has changed in the 30+ years since my children were born. Does this make for easier child-rearing? Why can’t parents be more direct with their kids–you’re not behaving well, rather than using what passes for politically correct phrases that don’t convey to the child the severity of the behavior.

This is an interesting article on the state of some children’s books from the New Yorker Magazine:

http://tinyurl.com/ylxmr7q

We’re only a few generations removed from those moms that had to worry about their kids getting polio. Now many preventable childhood diseases have been pushed so far out of our daily experiences, it seems that many have forgotten why and how we got rid of them. Here’s an informative refresher (via Phil Plait).

A Live Science article today has the headline, “Parents Lie to Kids Surprisingly Often.”

“We are surprised by how often parenting by lying takes place,” said study researcher Kang Lee of the University of Toronto, Canada. “Our findings showed that even the parents who most strongly promoted the importance of honesty with their children engaged in parenting by lying.”

Yeah, I’m surprised, too.

Not!
» Continue reading “Parents Lie to Kids. But Is That Really So Surprising?”

duncan @ five minutes

By Dean Cameron

This past August 1, 2009 at 10:45am, my son, Duncan Huxley Cameron was born.

Not only is he quite a bit bigger now than he is in that photo, his ability to melt me with a look, has increased.

We are raising him as rationally as possible. Obviously, he’ll make his own decisions about how to interact with his world, but we’ll tell the truth as we see it and let it go. There’s plenty of woo out there for him to encounter and deal with on his own, so we don’t need to burden him with more at home. It’s going to be intersting as, even before he was born, people I consider rational were saying really weird and irrational things.

» Continue reading “Guest Dad Post – HAVIN’ MY BABAY”

“Richard Wiseman’s latest book exposes self-help myths, and presents fast-acting and scientifically proven techniques that help you achieve your aims and ambitions in less than a minute. From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, and resilience to relationships, 59 Seconds presents the new science of rapid change.”

“Hundreds of wallets were planted on the streets of Edinburgh by psychologists last year. Perhaps surprisingly, nearly half of the 240 wallets were posted back. But there was a twist.

Richard Wiseman, a psychologist, and his team inserted one of four photographs behind a clear plastic window inside, showing either a smiling baby, a cute puppy, a happy family or a contented elderly couple. Some wallets had no image and some had charity papers inside.”

“According to Dr Wiseman the result reflects a compassionate instinct towards vulnerable infants that people have evolved to ensure the survival of future generations. ‘The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective,’ he said.”