Dear Parent,

During the last two months, we found again several articles from around the world warning of the pernicious effects of TV and DVDs for young children, while touting the proved benefits of old fashioned toys like blocks and, above all, parents.

The most debated question, in psychology, remains to know if somebody’s intelligence is a gift of nature, or an earned one. Research in neurology, meanwhile, brings month after month more pieces of evidence that any child, born in the right environment, can reach the most ambitious goals. No kid is “gifted” at birth; behind any bright person is almost always, along the way, and generally from the start, a proactive parent or mentor. So, parents are the real gifts of children.

Parents can have a crucial influence – positive or negative – on their children’s intelligence, as well on their children’s behaviour. The foundations of social skills, just like those of academic skills, are essentially built at home, during the prime years, through the role modelling of a mother and/or a father. But not only: the structure of the whole family counts. Whether a child has siblings or not, how many siblings, and in which birth order, all of those parameters have an impact on the development of her personality and capacities.

You will find more information about these important subjects in the following Best of Parenting News.

May 2008 be a great learning adventure for you and your children!

Best regards and good parenting,

John Debonneville
Co-founder and Editor
Edukey Ltd

Play - Games & Toys

Old-School Blocks Prove Best for Brains

October 2nd, 2007

In the digital age, it’s simpler toys that may make children smarter…more

Media - Television & Video

Wishful Thinking

October 9th, 2007

Many Parents Believe That Watching Videos and DVDs May Help Bring Out the Budding Genius in Their Babies…more

Brain Development / Early Learning

How Young Is Too Young to Start Studying?

October 12th, 2007

Many Parents Believe Their Children Are Gifted, but Experts Say Most Are Not Prodigies…more

Child Discipline & Behavior Management

Proactive Parenting: Build the Skills your Children Need for Good Behavior

October 14th, 2007

Griffin, author of the new book “Negotiation Generation: Take Back Your Parental Authority Without Punishment ”, doesn’t believe in spanking, yelling, negotiating - or even giving children time outs. Griffin doesn’t think any of these punishments work…
more

Child Discipline & Behavior Management

Parents Blamed for Yobs with no Manners

October 16th, 2007

Parents are creating a generation of yobs by failing to teach children good manners at a young age, researchers warn today… Infants are “naturally” aggressive and must be taught to control their emotions, it is claimed…
more

Parenting - Motherhood

Modern ‘Parenting’ Insanity

October 18th, 2007

Having kids today has turned into a full-time job and career killer, especially for mothers… more

Early Learning & Basic Academic Skills / Early Teaching & Preschool

What Every Child Needs

October 27th, 2007

In the early 1990s, I was taken aback to overhear my 3-year-old son insisting to his 6-year-old cousin that he went to “ABC school,” not to day care, as she condescendingly referred to it…
more

Brain Development / Media

The Baby Brain-Drain

November 1st, 2007

DVDs that claim to make babies brighter are not only ineffectual, they take away vital development time with loving care-giversmore

Child Discipline & Behavior Management

Response to Conflict Learned at Early Age

November 12th, 2007

Our ideas about how to influence and respond to authority are largely a result of what we learned as children through our family upbringing. As adults in the workplace, we tend to recreate and respond in the fashion we were taught in early childhood. more

Early Learning & Basic Academic Skills

Early Academic Skills, Not Behavior, Best Predict School Success

November 13th, 2007

An educational study unprecedented in scope finds that children who enter kindergarten with elementary mathematics and reading skills are the most likely to experience later academic success — whether or not they have social or emotional problems. more

Early Learning & Basic Academic Skills - Early Math

Study Makes Case for Early, Early Education

November 14th, 2007

Children who start kindergarten with a basic grasp of numbers and the written word are the most likely to shine through elementary school, regardless of whether they start out with behavioural problems, says a new international study. more

Brain Development - Genetics

Environment Plays Key Role in Children’s Readiness for School

November 15th, 2007

Early school success seems to depend largely on children entering school ready to learn, and many policy initiatives have highlighted the importance of preparing children for school entry. A new study finds that children’s environment plays a major role in their readiness for school, suggesting that intervention could help boost readiness in at-risk youngsters. more

Child Discipline & Behavior Management - ADHD

Ritalin: The Scandal of Kiddy Coke

November 19th, 2007

When he was in the throes of his worst tantrums, Daniel Fletcher would rip wallpaper off the walls at home and hit and kick anyone who came near him. more

Child Discipline & Behavior Management – Child Health: Diet

Mums Bribing Kids with Snacks

November 21st, 2007

Mums too often use food as an emotional tool to reward, bribe, entertain or settle their toddlers, even when they’re not hungry, new research has found. more

Parenting & Family / Social Skills

Age Factor in Sibling Rivalries

November 28th, 2007

A new study has found older siblings enjoy exerting power over their younger brothers or sisters, while younger siblings work hard to keep the peace. more

Parenting & Family / Social Skills

How to Raise an Only Child: Myths and Truths

November 29th, 2007

You have to wonder why, when the U.S. Census reports that the single child family is the fastest growing family unit, people tell parents with only one child that they really should have another. Those proponents of large or larger families claim your only child will be spoiled, lonely, or selfish. more