One of the most stressful questions a new parent confronts is, “Who’s going to take care of my baby when I go back to work?” Figuring out the answer to that question is often not easy. When NPR, along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, surveyed more than 1,000 parents nationwide about their child care experiences, a third reported difficulty finding care.
Continue reading… “Child care shortage has real consequences for working families”
For modern families, the adage “food is love” might well be more true put another way: food is power. Not long ago, Dr. Leonard Sax was at a restaurant and overheard a father say to his daughter, “Honey, could you please do me a favour? Could you please just try one bite of your green peas?” To many people, this would have sounded like decent or maybe even sophisticated parenting—gentle coaxing formed as a question to get the child to co-operate without threatening her autonomy or creating a scene.
Continue reading… “The collapse of parenting and why parents need to grow up”
Thirty years ago, it was a big deal when schools got their first computers. Today, it’s a big deal when students get their own laptops. According to futurist Thomas Frey, in 14 years it’ll be a big deal when students learn from robot teachers over the internet.
NOTE: To learn more about Futurist Thomas Frey, visit FuturistSpeaker.com.
Continue reading… “Top futurist predicts largest internet company of 2030 to be an online school”
Child psychologists have long argued that changing the approach we take to education would help many children learn to love school rather than hate it. We’ve all heard pre-schoolers talk about how they can’t wait to sit at their school desk and run to their next lesson with their rucksack over their shoulder. In fact, we probably remember that feeling of excitement ourselves the first time we went. But right from the first days of school, many children feel a huge sense of disappointment with what they encounter.
Continue reading… “Finland’s school of the future has finally opened”
The phrase “American dream” was invented during the Great Depression. It comes from a popular 1931 book by the historian James Truslow Adams, who defined it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone.”
Continue reading… “The American Dream has finally been quantified”
Driven by a declining population, a trend for developing robotic babies has emerged in Japan as a means of encouraging couples to become “parents.” The approaches taken vary widely and are driven by different philosophical approaches that also beg a number of questions, not least whether these robo-tots will achieve the aim of their creators.
Continue reading… “Japan hopes robot babies will encourage people to have real babies”
The first thing I learned about Cozmo is that it doesn’t like to stay put very long. Roused from slumber, the little robot’s face illuminates, and it begins zooming around the table in front of me. A moment later, it notices I’m watching and turns to greet me, saying my name with a computerized chirp.
Continue reading… “AI is invading homes through toys”
Here in L.A., it’s kind of insane that a great kindergarten requires a competitive application and tuitions that exceed most colleges.
Continue reading… “How we teach our kids in a world of constant change”
How much time should kids be allowed to stare into their screens like zombies? New guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics upturns conventional thinking on the matter, showing that a sweeping one-size-fits-all approach is not the right way for parents to go about limiting their children’s screen time.
Continue reading… “Limiting Children’s Screen Time: We Were Wrong”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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