I once heard a comedian ask the crowd, “How many of you are first-born children?” Those first- born in the crowd cheered and clapped. He then asked, “And how many of you are the baby of the family? The last born?” Again, the last born all rose to their feet and cheered even louder….
Congratulations! You’re officially in the “home stretch” of middle school! After surviving seventh grade, you might be thinking, “Praise the Lord! The end of the tunnel is in sight and middle school is almost over.” But don’t rush past this year too quickly. Eighth grade may be the very best year yet. Something incredible happens…
Have you noticed yet that parenting a boy is very different than parenting a girl? Turns out that they’re wired differently, from birth. And one of the ways they are different is in the way they communicate. From birth, both boys and girls like to grunt and gurgle. The difference is that girls…
Splink 1: True or False Read the following statements about animals and see if the kids can tell if it’s true or false. Ask them to put their palms face up when it’s true and palms face down if it’s false. A horse weighing approximately 1,200 pounds, eats approximately seven times its own…
In this episode, Dr. Jim Burns talks about how the types of friends our kids choose affects the direction of their lives. He gives some ideas on how parents can foster and coach healthy friendships. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/333806658″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] How to listen: iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloud | TuneIn …
There’s something magical about the fourth grade. Okay, maybe magical isn’t the right word. But I simply can’t find another word to sum up the incomprehensible value of this phase. Early in my career, I remember having a conversation with Bobb Biehl that really solidified my belief in the importance of the fourth grade….
Our media mantra here at CPYU has always been this: Media serves our kids as a map. In other words, it shapes the way they think about and live their lives. And, with teenagers engaged in 9 hours of daily media time. . . and tweens (ages 8-12) engaged with media for 6 hours a day. …….
Splink 1: Rules are Good Play a familiar game and announce that there are no rules. Each person can do what they want on their turn. (You could also play an outside game such a kickball or baseball.) After a few minutes of confusing play (and before the fights start), sit down and…
What do you remember most about summer growing up as a kid? One of the things that sticks out in my head is the summer I decided to eat tree bark. I remember prying off several chunks and dipping them into a jar of peanut butter I’d snuck out under my shirt when nobody…
*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on PsychCentral. U.K. researchers have discovered depression has different effects on the brain activity of male and female patients in certain brain regions. In the study, investigators exposed depressed adolescents to happy or sad words while performing radiographic imaging. The discovery of gender-specific effects on brain…