Blue Sky

20/04/2016

Might be an unlikely source, but the research is solid, and so is the list... Any of these ring a bell...?

http://www.cracked.com/article_23196_6-ways-being-good-parent-screws-up-your-kid.html

There are plenty of parenting techniques that just seem like common sense, until science comes in and points out how your well-meaning habits are just making things worse.

20/04/2016

It's all about the MUSIC...!

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines s…

19/04/2016

My personal opinions aside, the research is here and Standford has spoken: “We found that delaying kindergarten for one year reduced inattention and hyperactivity by 73% for an average child at age 11,” Thomas Dee, one of the co-authors and a Stanford Graduate School of Education professor"

ADHD seems to be the ultimate en vogue disorder these days, especially in Dubai, with parents being subjected to (unprofessional) pressure to (mis) diagnose their children and put them on medication because everyone is in such a rush to judge without taking the time or offering children the opportunity to just be children and enjoy it!

http://qz.com/546832/stanford-researchers-show-were-sending-many-children-to-school-way-too-early/

When waiting is good.

21/03/2016

More on the same subject - the dangers of (all too common) misdiagnosis of autism in early childhood... Far too often we see NORMAL childhood behaviors confused with ADHD, Bipolar and Autism Specter Disorders...

"However, the earlier an evaluation is conducted, the greater the risk of a false diagnosis. Many toddlers can be autistic-like in their behavior when they are stressed. Sometimes the procedures used by experts to evaluate toddlers generate the sort of stress that leads a struggling, but otherwise normally developing, toddler to behavior that is autistic-like."

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/21/thats_not_autism_its_simply_a_brainy_introverted_boy/

Autism spectrum diagnoses are up 78 percent in 10 years. We're dramatically overdiagnosing it in everyday behavior

21/03/2016

A bit of history for your this morning... The topic of autism is a very sensitive one - and while I have my own views on the dangers of early (mis)diagnosis - I have to admit that a lot of what is wrong with how we understand autism today is rooted in the complexity of its history and then men behind it...

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/autism-history-aspergers-kanner-psychiatry/398903/

How newly discovered documents show that the work of a crucial autism researcher was ignored, perpetuating misinformation about autistic children.

20/03/2016

"Bonding created by turning toward any negative affect and fully processing conflict and failures to connect... has the power to create trust."

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1101635/a-better-way-to-attune-to-your-attachment-challenged-child

The A.T.T.U.N.E. method could help build trust with your attachment-challenged child.

15/03/2016

The best days are the days I get to do this for a living.......! Hulk as a metaphor for childhood anger management 😍😍😍

12/03/2016

Finnish Baby Box... Thoughts...? Experiences...?

http://bigbrowser.blog.lemonde.fr/2015/11/11/faire-dormir-son-bebe-dans-un-carton-pourrait-sauver-des-vies/

Faire dormir son bébé dans un carton pourrait sauver des vies

11/03/2016

Stress has some serious negative effects on our health - here is a video to show you exactly what happens to your brain during stress... Take your time to relax and unwind this weekend - take a real break - go to a wild beach - camp under the stars in the desert - get away from the busy mall and brunch crowds.. You need it....

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stress-affects-your-brain-madhumita-murgia

Stress isn’t always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you’re playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it’s continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its str…

10/03/2016

My favorite has got to be "Family Traditions".....! And even though it might not be exactly like Sunday Dinner at grandma's back home - family traditions are everything to kids - especially in expat families where extra effort must be made to make up for not getting to see your cousins and your grandparents every weekend... So why not start your own tradition this weekend...?? Any ideas?

http://time.com/4097995/parenting-kids-remember/

What parenting habits are the most significant to kids?

10/03/2016

"Parents want their kids to achieve their goals and find happiness, but Harvard researchers believe that doesn't have to come at the expense of kindness and empathy. They say a few tried-and-true strategies remain the best ways to mold your kids into the morally upstanding and goals-oriented humans you want them to be. Here are six practical tips:"

http://www.upworthy.com/harvard-psychologists-have-been-studying-what-it-takes-to-raise-good-kids-here-are-6-tips

Help unlock your child's best self with a few tried-and-true strategies.

09/03/2016

Take a moment to be fully present - a moment of stillness - all to yourself...

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.”

http://www.feelguide.com/2014/11/19/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks/

Test subjects taking part in an 8-week program of mindfulness meditation showed results that astonished even the most experienced neuroscientists at Harvard University. The study was led by a Harvard-affiliated team of researchers based at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the team’s MRI scans do…