Research Confirms That Chores Are Good for Kids

Put away the silverware. Fold the towels. Feed the dog. Bring in the mail.

There is a myriad of ways in which kids – starting as early as age 2 – can help out around the house. While some of this “helping” isn’t actually that helpful, there is strong evidence that you should require your kids to do chores anyway. [Read more…]

How Harsh Parenting Harms Kids

You’ve probably been out in public and heard a parent shouting, swearing, or calling a child names. Or maybe you’ve found yourself in the position of losing your temper with your own children.

Harsh parenting is defined as regularly engaging in negative coercive behaviors; it can include yelling, name-calling, hitting, criticizing, shaming, and isolating children. A large body of research demonstrates that harsh parenting is bad for kids. [Read more…]

How to Cultivate Purpose in Teens

A sense of purpose—a feeling that your life has direction and your actions are meaningful—is fundamental to human well-being.

Now, researchers are learning that finding a sense of purpose is a crucial stage in adolescence, and they are evaluating programs designed to help teens cultivate purpose. [Read more…]

Recent Research Questions Summer Learning Loss

For decades, education researchers have warned about “summer slide,” where students forget some of what they learned over the previous school year during summer vacation. [Read more…]

Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Your Brain

Thousands of people now speak to their smart devices to make their grocery lists. Students are more likely to type out notes in class than write them down. And we often type or dictate calendar reminders into our smartphones instead of writing them on a wall calendar. In short, people across the globe and in a wide variety of settings primarily use digital devices to record the things they want to remember. [Read more…]

The Long-Term, Underappreciated Damage of Verbal Abuse

When out and about, you may have heard parents shouting at their children. In fact, few people make it all the way through parenthood without ever yelling. But a new systematic review finds that regular verbal abuse—including shouting, threatening, belittling, humiliating, and name-calling—has negative consequences for children that can last a lifetime. [Read more…]

COVID Learning Loss Is Real

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on our well-being that linger years after the virus first spread among humans. We already know that mental health declined significantly during the pandemic, especially among young people. The pandemic also led to the increased prevalence of sleep problems and eating disorders. [Read more…]

The Benefits of Mindfulness Education In Schools

You have heard by now that teens in the U.S. are struggling with mental health more than ever before. A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted in 2021 found 44% of teens experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness that prevented them from participating in normal activities. Almost 20% of teens said they had considered suicide, and 9% said they attempted suicide. Research finds these problems are more pronounced among lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens. [Read more…]

Connecting With Older Adults Is Good For You and Them

In modern society, most of us live in silos surrounded by people similar to us; this applies across many factors including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age. In fact, young people and even middle-aged adults today have less contact with older adults than ever before in human history. [Read more…]

How Modern Society Creates a Perfect Storm of Sleep Disturbances for Teens

technology, bedtime and rest concept – teenage girl in pajamas with smartphone lying in bed at night

It’s the dog days of summer. With schools on summer break, you’ll find some teens awake late at night and sleeping until noon. [Read more…]

Why Your Teen Doesn’t Listen to You

“Can you please put your dishes in the sink?”

“Please put your dishes in the sink.”

“I’m not sure you heard me. Can you put these dishes in the sink?” [Read more…]

Teens Experienced More Abuse and Depression During COVID-19

 

A new survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals bleak circumstances for many U.S. teens, who were already more likely to suffer from abuse and depression while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Read more…]

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