The companion blog to Tumblon. Tumblon helps parents understand and nurture their children's growth, by informing and inspiring them to engage in the joys of parenting.
A recent study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne points to the importance of fathers in early childhood development.
“If we want fathers to be involved in school, we need to focus on men building close, loving relationships with their children in the preschool years. When fathers do this, they’re writing a script that says they’re involved in their child’s life, and their expectation is that they’ll go on being involved in that child’s life,” said Brent McBride, a U of I professor of human development.
The conclusions of the study are fairly intuitive: Both parents matter, and the more engaged they are early on, the better the trajectory for the child. What is unique, the researchers contend, is their work in examining the roles of both parents, since most studies focus on mothers. Including fathers, contend the researchers, is just as important for child care givers and educators as it is for researchers.
Parents need healthy, nurturing relationships with other adults. We often need wisdom, and a listening ear. Yet finding and building those relationships can be a challenge amidst the myriad responsibilities of parenthood. In this podcast, Heather Anderson discusses the importance of those relationships, and how to nurture them. She touches on:
the importance of active listening
the challenge of making time for friends
the rich relationships parents can have with others who don’t have children
suggestions for nurturing long-distance friendships, and
what children learn from seeing their parents in real friendships.
Heather is a designer and the founder of Blessed Nest, a business that creates a line of organic products for families. Her business began in the context of nurturing relationships, and has become a model for building relationships among parents.
It is a textbook on pediatric development, a literature list, an online multi-media baby book, and a social network woven into a simple, user-friendly service.
We’re honored to be highlighted in “helping parents help children.”
Donna Wirth, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Blessed Nest, is a mother of four- and six-year-old girls. She balances working from her home studio, homeschooling her eldest daughter, and all of the other responsibilities of parenting.
In this interview, Donna answers a series of questions about balancing work, family and life, including:
How do you plan your time? Do you “block” time for kids and work?
What have you learned from other parents about balancing responsibilities?
How do you handle feelings of frustration or failure?
How do you set realistic expectations for yourself?
Who have been some of your parent heroes, from whom you’ve learned? What do you try to imitate?
What do you wish you would have known about establishing routines and balance before you became a parent?
Retired Major Generals of Pennsylvania’s 28th Infantry Division of the Army National Guard in Pennsylvania issued a report called “Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve” and held a news conference, citing staggering statistics:
“Statistics from the Pentagon [show] that 75 percent of young people ages 17 to 24 are unable to enlist because they lack a high school diploma, have a criminal background, or are physically unfit, among other reasons.”
The press release, which implores Pennsylvania legislators to fund Pre-K Counts and state-funded Head Start, concludes: “Much depends on the success of future generations of Americans — not the least of which is national security.”
Clearly these military leaders have seen the implications of early education on national security. Yet the question needs to be asked: Are the existing solutions (like Head Start) the best or only way to address the crisis? Given that parent involvement is the single best predictor of student achievement, what needs to change?
Denise Bossard and her husband Kelly created a board game called Er-u-di-tion to help their son learn sight words during kindergarten. With the input of friends, family and kindergartens, they have refined and produced it for families and schools to enjoy.
In this interview, Denise tells the personal story behind Er-u-di-tion and discusses learning through play, social skills acquired in play, and non-electronic family games.
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley in arecent study reported detectable differences between low- and higher-income kids in the response of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is critical for problem solving and creativity.
Amy Webb is a wife and expectant mother with a PhD in Human Development and Family Sciences. Through her blog, The Thoughtful Parent, she makes scholarly research accessible for parents.
In this podcast, Amy answers questions about several pervasive parenting myths and suggests meaningful ways for parents to engage and enjoy their children. Some of the questions include:
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