Kids Care, Candy and Cards
your Saturday roundup
Professionally, I focus on creating social benefit startups. In my Saturday morning emails I share what I’m learning and thinking. Topics range from better living and parenting to business and philosophy.
Flashcards and Spaced Repetition: You’ve heard over and over again that spaced repetition is the key to building long-term memory. But how do you make the flashcards? Read this guide for principals and examples. As mentioned in the article, the hardest part is sticking with it. I tried it with the kids for country names, capitals and flags. It was fun for a while but without strong reason to learn the information, we dropped off.
What Are Parents Good For? Twin studies appear to say that within the range of typical parenting, genetics has more to do with kids outcomes than the home environment or easily measurable parent behavior. But this article argues otherwise: “The record of parenting ‘experts’ is inglorious. In the 1930s, mums were told that cuddling their children would raise a dependent sissy. In the 1950s, autism was blamed on ‘refrigerator mothers’. Harris and Plomin offer a refreshing, libertarian alternative. Relax! Parenting makes no difference. Just be nice. Unfortunately, this siren message is no more accurate than the previous ones. We all have good reasons to try very hard to bring our children up right.” So what should parents do? For example:
How much explicit instruction vs. modeling?
How much do you want to present your best self or show them all your mistakes?
How strict do you want to be about rules? Which rules? How many?
How much focus do you put on achievement vs. being?
Do you focus on your relationship with them or on how they “turn out”?
What should I read on this topic?
Easter and Halloween Candy. OK, we can’t have definitive answers to all those weighty questions. Instead can someone tell me what to do about Easter and Halloween candy? Eat all you want on the day then throw away rest. Or is it a fixed amount per day for a week afterwards? Overlook the hoarding of candy? Leave it out have no rules? Put the candy away so that it is too tempting? What do kids learn from parents' attitudes about candy and does it transfer to other things?
Until next week,
Miles
P.S. At Purpose Built, we’re working on Coral Care. Read about it in the founders own words.