Wondering how much to ask your kid about that problem at school? Missing the imaginative spark your teen used to show when he was little? Just looking for valuable advice on parenting teens so that it all seems a little less confusing? Check out these posts. They’re ones I’ve read recently and found helpful. Hopefully, they’re helpful to you, too.
What Parents Can Learn From a Town That Produced 11 Olympians by Karen Crouse in the New York Times
“What started out as a sports book evolved into what is essentially a parenting guide as I came to realize that Norwich’s secret to happiness and excellence can be traced to the way the town collectively raises its children.
It is an approach that stresses participation over prowess, a generosity of spirit over a hoarding of resources and sportsmanship over one-upmanship. Norwich has sent its kids to the Olympics while largely rejecting the hypercompetitive joy-wringing culture of today’s achievement-oriented parents. In Norwich, kids don’t specialize in a single sport, and they even root for their rivals.”
Don’t Overdiscuss Your Teen’s Problems by Jennifer Breheny Wallace on the Wall Street Journal
“When the mean girls (or boys) strike at school, many parents naturally want to ask about every last detail—and then they continue to check in to see how the situation is going. A growing body of research suggests, however, that dwelling on such problems can do a child more harm than good.”
8 Ways to Help Older Kids Develop a Sense of Imagination by Linda Flanagan on MindShift
“Researcher Wendy Ostroff, author of Cultivating Curiosity in K-12 Classrooms, is a student of imagination and curiosity. Like Robinson, Ostroff believes many schools are set up in such a way as to wring out kids’ natural imaginativeness. ‘School is very oriented towards concepts,’ she said, with walls between the creative classes like art and drama and ‘real’ subjects where students have to perform. Lacking flexibility and time, teachers are required to hit ‘learning outcomes’ and hew closely to lesson plans. Students respond by trying to please the teacher and get A’s, often losing any intrinsic interest in the subject along the way. ‘This is the opposite of imagination and creativity,’ she said.
Because imaginative thinking hones creativity and improves students’ social and emotional skills, it’s something that teachers and schools should fold into their planning. Ostroff identified several strategies teachers can adopt to encourage older students to activate their dormant imaginations.”
Yes, we might be overparenting, but it’s not all bad by Mary Janevic on Motherwell
“[A]s the parent of three post-millenial children—born after 2000—I’ve had ample opportunity to observe our youngest generation at close range. And there’s a lot to like about this newest crop of kids. No doubt, post-millenials are different from their parents and grandparents. But they are also ‘good-different.'”
Sexting Scandals and Shaming: What Your Teen Could Be Facing Online and What You Need to Know by Sue Scheff on Parent Toolkit
“If you suspect your teen is involved in an incident of sexting, cyberbullying, online hate, or maybe even sextortion, and if they won’t open up to you, encourage them to tell someone. Let them know CrisisTextLine is open for them. Tell them that they are never alone no matter what. As redundant as it sounds, communication is key and your child needs to know they will never need to go through a dark period by themselves.”
7 Damaging Parenting Behaviors That Keep Children From Growing Into Leaders by Kathy Carpino on Thrive Global
“It’s important for parents to become exceedingly self-aware of their words and actions when interacting with their children, or with others when their children are nearby. Care enough to train them, not merely treat them to a good life. Coach them, more than coddle.“
Five Ways to Help Teens Think Beyond Themselves by Amy L. Eva on Greater Good
“A new study of adolescents and emerging adults confirms that many young adults simply do not exhibit a beyond-the-self dimension of purpose. In fact, a beyond-the-self intention is even “atypical” of adolescents, according to researchers.
That being the case, how can we as parents and educators help them to find that intention?
Here are five research-based ways to inspire teens to connect with something larger than themselves.”
You May Also Like: Parenting lessons learned from the laundry pile
Prior Post: Go for the trivia gold with these 16 fun facts about the Winter Olympics
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