The Importance of Chores

Studies show that giving kids chores is key to their personal growth.

by Emuna Braverman for aish.com

Great news for parents! According to research by Marty Rossmann, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, giving children household chores at an early age helps to build a lasting sense of mastery, responsibility and self-reliance. (It seems the boy scouts were on to something.) “Chores also teach children how to be empathetic and responsive to others’ needs,” notes psychologist Richard Weissbourd of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

There’s going to be a lot of housekeepers out of work!

Without getting carried away, this is an important finding – that of course seems obvious. Contributing to the family, giving to others is better for our character than an extra language and other resume-padding activities. It’s time to pull back from the brink.

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Why My ‘Gifted’ Child Will Not Be Attending a Gifted Program

Wendy Wisner for Kveller

I don’t like calling my son “gifted.” I think all children have their gifts—whether they sing, rock it on the baseball field, draw, hula-hoop like maniacs, or make up elaborate stories.

But ever since my son was very little, all things academic were his gifts. At 3, he’d taught himself to read; by 4, he was multiplying, dividing, and manipulating fractions. He loved science experiments and would type up his ideas and theories on the computer.

It was endearing, and made us beam with pride. But we were also a bit worried. What would we do when school came along? He basically knew everything they we going to teach him in kindergarten, and beyond. We knew school was about socializing as well, but what if he was teased—his smartness mistaken for smugness?

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How Our Schools are Screwing Up Recess

By Rachel Fadlon for Kveller

I am *this* close to packing up and moving my family to Finland. This close.

The Finns, they just get it. Their health care system works for everyone. They provide educational opportunities for the their citizens. They all take real vacations and appreciate life. They have amazing maternity leave.

You know what else they get right? School. Have you seen their international rankings? They score above the US in every subject. But what intrigues me most about the Finnish system is how often they let their students take unstructured breaks during the school day. At a time when our school system is reducing the number and length of recess time, the Fins are giving their kids 15-minute breaks after each 45-minute session. Think about that for a minute…

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Are My Son & I Having Too Much Fun?

Maurie Backman for Kveller

I have this habit, and I’m not sure where it came from. Ever since I stopped working full-time and starting staying home with my toddler, I got into the habit of reviewing all the fun things we did each day before putting him to bed. At first I’d make sure to stick to the highlights–things like an unexpected trip to the playground, or a special dessert for eating dinner nicely. But over time, it evolved into a rehash of every single thing that day that could be reasonably construed as fun.

Last night’s rundown went something like this: “First we had a great breakfast, and you got mango and strawberries. Then you got to go to school, and then we came home and had a lemon yogurt. Wasn’t it yummy? After your nap we read so many Thomas books, and then we built a tower, and played with your tractor, and even had time to draw on your easel before dinnertime…”

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'P.S. I Still Hate It Here!': Hilarious Kid Letters From Camp

HuffPost Parents

In the time-honored tradition of laugh-out-loud kid notes, the letter home from camp holds pride of place. While cute to-do lists and subtle commentaries on aging have their charms, they really don't hold a candle to the colorful anecdotes, blunt requests and dramatic pleas for help addressed to moms and dads each summer.

In the uproarious sequel to her 2010 book, "P.S. I Hate It Here," one-time camp-letter recipient Diane Falanga has collected some true gems -- eight of which you can read in the slideshow below.

If you're still unsure whether it's appropriate to send cell phones to camp, this book may sway you to toward the old-fashioned world of paper and pen. Somehow, we don't think a book of "Texts From Camp" would have nearly as much character; for one thing, just think what autocorrect would do to the kids' most adorable misspellings.

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