This is one of those studies that makes me think, really, we need researchers to tell us this. It’s common sense.

Nicer parents create a nurturing environment where positive social and emotional development flourishes.  Such emotional security paves the way for learning, as children’s energy can be placed education rather than emotional stress.  And it’s not just smarter kids that nice parents create, their kids are also healthier.

But thankfully, we have researchers to prove the point instinctually known by those that practice attachment parenting.

CafeMom’s The Stir reports:

This research came from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. It says that school-age children whose mothers, fathers, and caretakers “nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus,” which is the part of the brain that aids in learning, memory, and your response to stress.

The author of the study, Joan L. Luby, M.D., says it best:

I think the public health implications suggest that we should pay more attention to parents’ nurturing, and we should do what we can as a society to foster these skills because clearly nurturing has a very, very big impact on later development.

What can we do as a society? Oh I can think of a lot of things. Let’s start with better maternity leave, then add on paternity leave for fathers, then tack on some better work/life practices and balance. It’s no easy feat, that’s for sure. But I do think that by reducing a parent’s stress levels, that parent could be more nurturing to their child. It’s like giving us the tools to sort of “stop and smell the roses” kind of thing — stop rushing around, take time for those little hugs even in the middle of doing something else, like my daughter gives. Of course we can’t just wait for everyone else to help us reduce our parental stresses, we have to do it ourselves. Maybe try some yoga, meditation, breathing in and out to the count of 10 really slowly — don’t laugh, that works! It’s what I do.

I would add that it is important we find caregivers and educators that also nurture our children.

So quit spending money on private tutors, Baby Einstein (even Disney admits it does not affect intelligence), edutainment products like Leap Frog, etc. and JUST BE NICE TO YOUR KIDS.

Want a Smart Kid? Be Nice and Nurturing! is a post from: Eco Child's Play

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Schools are germy places, almost as bad as hospitals.  As a teacher, I’m suffering from my second illness this school year.

Children are in and out of class with various viruses and bacterial illnesses, but sometimes, those illnesses come from the school facilities themselves.

Astonishingly, “a third or more of U.S. schools have mold, dust and other indoor air problems serious enough to provoke respiratory issues like asthma in students and teachers.”

CNN reports:

Dr. John Santilli, a Connecticut allergist, says he has treated dozens of students sickened by school air. Even when children don’t miss school, he said, the medications they take for asthma and conditions like rhinitis, an allergic reaction to mold or dust, can make it harder for them to do their best work.

“They’re on antihistamines, they’re on nasal sprays, they’re on asthma medications, and this limits their ability to perform,” Santilli said. “These kids can’t concentrate. They can’t focus on what’s going on.”…

Researchers and others who follow the issue say school air problems have probably been exacerbated in recent years by funding cutbacks that have resulted in less money for building upkeep and maintenance…

Researchers at the New York state Health Department found a correlation between building maintenance at the public schools and hospitalizations for asthma. The condition of roofs, windows, walls and boilers were all related to the health of children at the school, researchers found.

A similar study in Boston schools found a link between asthma rates and leaks, mold, lack of repairs and visible signs of insects or rodents.

Children are particularly at risk because their bodies are still developing and they breathe in more air, pound for pound, than adults.

“Schools are more densely occupied than office buildings, and children aren’t little adults. They’re uniquely vulnerable,” said Claire Barnett, founder and executive director of the Healthy Schools Network, a nonprofit group focused on environmental health in schools.

1/3 U.S. Schools Have Serious Mold and Dust Making Kids Sick is a post from: Eco Child's Play

As a teacher, I have attended a few workshops on power brain activities for children. With similar activities as S’cool Moves, Power Brain Kids: 12 Easy Lessons to Ignite Your Child’s Potential by Ilchi Lee highlights 12 activities founded in neuroscience that help children learn and focus.

According to author Ilchi Lee, every child possesses a marvelously capable brain. Using its full capacity is simply a matter of accessing and supporting the rich potential that lies beneath the surface. In Power Brain Kids, you will find a child-appropriate and parent-friendly guide to Lee’s world-renowned Brain Education (BE) method. Each lesson focuses on a particular aspect of mental ability, including concentration, creativity, memory, and emotional control. Through the book, straight-A and struggling students alike will be challenged to apply full brain capacity toward the creation of a genuinely happy and successful life. Power Brain Kids features colorful design and full-color photography to help keep your child interested and involved with the lessons. Let our charming group of Power Brain youngsters demonstrate correct posture while your kids build flexibility and strength. In addition, the brain-building exercises and games will provide hours of constructive fun for you and your child. Power Brain Kids is perfect for any teacher or parent of children ages 6-12. In twelve simple lessons, help your child:

• Develop better concentration.
• Improve memory skills.
• Gain tools for emotional self-control.
• Activate creativity and imagination.
• Establish connection between mind and body.
• Cultivate confidence and self-discipline.

The layout of this book is very user-friendly with great photographs and explanations. Many of these moves are reminiscent of yoga, which I think is also important for children to practice. Dance is also an integral part of brain activities with the brain-body connection being fostered through movement. This book also includes meditation, and a super cute “breathing buddy exercise”, where children lie in savasana with a stuffed animal on their abdomens. Breathing gently, they notice their buddy rise and fall with breath.

Would I buy this book? Yes. I think it has great ideas! Unfortunately, the book itself has no eco-friendly properties (recycled paper content, etc.), but the exercises are all natural and can help children avoid medication for attention and sensory issues.

Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

Power Brain Kids: 12 Easy Lessons to Ignite your Child’s Potential is a post from: Eco Child's Play

On this day honoring the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded that his dream has not been achieved:    not in society, not in education, not in the work force.  A prime example is in a recent move by Tucson Unified School District to ban an important book on Native American education.

The first atrocities of inequality and prejudice in America began with the indigenous people.

It only got worse from there.

In one of my first years teaching, I was given a copy of Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years: Resources for teaching about the impact of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas at a Native American art workshop. I immediately cherished this book as a tool that created balance with the state-adopted history textbook.  I used it often.  Thank goodness I was not a teacher in Tucson!

According to the Rethinking Schools Blog:

Rethinking Schools learned today that for the first time in its more-than-20-year history, our bookRethinking Columbus was banned by a school district: Tucson, Arizona. According to journalist Jeff Biggers, officials with the Tucson Unified School District ordered that teachers pull the book from their classrooms, evidently as an outcome of the school board’s 4-1 vote this week to abolish the Mexican American Studies program…

For the record, Rethinking Columbus is Rethinking Schools’ top-selling book, having sold well over 300,000 copies. And over the years many school districts have not banned, but have purchased Rethinking Columbus for use with students. These include: Portland, Ore., Milwaukee, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Ont., Atlanta, New York City, Anchorage, Alaska, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chicago, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Oakland, San Diego, Portland, Maine, Washington, DC, Cincinnati; Rochester, NY, Cambridge, Mass., Missoula, Montana, and the state of Maryland, as well as smaller towns like Stillwater, Minnesota; Athens, Ohio; Eugene, Oregon; and Estes, Colorado…

Of course, the suppression of our book is only a small part of the effort by Arizona school officials to crush the wildly successful Mexican American Studies program in Tucson. The program itself exemplifies an effort to address critical questions about stories sorely lacking in today’s corporate-produced textbooks and standardized curriculum. Students in the Mexican American Studies classes will now be dispersed to other classes, according to the resolution passed this week by the governing board of Tucson schools.

The judge ruled that the program violated state law by having one or more classes designed primarily for one ethnic group, promoting racial resentment and advocating ethnic solidarity instead of treating students as individuals.

Via:  Zinn Education Project

Tucson Unified School District Ban Rethinking Columbus is a post from: Eco Child's Play

via: MoveOn.org

Remember the Wise Words of Harriet Tubman on MLK Day is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Democracy Now Special: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in His Own Words is a post from: Eco Child's Play

It Only Takes a Girl [video] is a post from: Eco Child's Play

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It’s always interesting to see what new laws are enacted at the start of the new year.  Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they make you chuckle, and sometimes they just make you wonder what is wrong with this world that we need a law for that!  Here’s a round-up of new laws in California that affect our children and families:

SF Gate:  Stricter booster seat requirements begin Sunday

California state law currently requires parents to keep their kids in booster seats until they reach the age of 6 or weigh at least 60 pounds. The new law does away with the weight limit and requires children to stay in booster seats until they hit 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall – a height that very few children will reach before that age.

While the new requirement is likely to provoke a collective shriek from children throughout the state, child safety experts say the change is for their own good. Studies show booster seat use for children ages 4 through 7 decreases the risk of injury by nearly 60 percent compared with seat belt use alone.

The Stir:  Unbelievable New Baby Formula Law Will Shock You

Ummm, what? This wasn’t already a “thing” before this law? You could actually sell expired formula and baby food? For babies to eat? Legally?

Yes, and apparently you can still do it around the country as there is no federal law against selling expired formula or baby food. There are, of course, requirements to show the expiration date, but there is not a law against selling it past that date. They know that babies can’t read, right? I’m kidding, kind of. Because you know who else is a little fuzzy on details? New moms and dads who have been up all night with a baby.

I doubt I ever looked at an expiration date when I purchased food or formula. I trusted the retailer to not sell me expired formula that could result in a decrease in nutrition and negatively affect my baby’s brain development. Seems like a reasonable expectation. Except many large retailers have been busted selling the expired junk. Which is how this bill got passed in California in the first place — too many stores were doing this. Scary, huh?

The Hollywood Reporter: Surprise! 5 New California Laws You May be Breaking Today

Indoor tanning
On the subject of child actors, they could be noticeably more pallid in the coming year. A another law goes into effect preventing minors from using indoor tanning facilities. Citing the growing number of melanoma cases in California, the World Health Organization pushed to prevent even parental permission from getting minors in the doors of tanning salons. California is now the first state in the country to ban tanning completely to anyone under 18 years of age.

California Health Line:  New California Laws Will Affect Maternity Leave, Public Health

One new law that will take effect next year is SB 299, by Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), which will require employers with at least five employees to maintain group health insurance coverage for women who take maternity leave for up to four months. Under the measure, businesses will have to provide benefits at the same level as if the employee were working during the leave.

The new measure expands current law, which requires employers with at least 50 employees to provide benefits for women who take pregnancy leave for a maximum of 12 weeks.

Susan Kemp — senior employment law counsel at the California Chamber of Commerce — said that not all women will necessarily receive the maximum four-month coverage period because a woman’s health care provider will determine how long her leave will last.

ROTWNEWS:  NEW LAWS (4): Gay & Lesbian Legislation

SB 48 – CALIFORNIA GAY HISTORY – Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)

Governor Brown signed the Gay History Law, which requires that school textbooks and social studies include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender accomplishments. It is the first law in the nation requiring that public schools include gay rights milestones and gay and lesbian contributions in social studies lessons.

The bill’s author — State Senator Mark Leno — hailed Brown’s signature  on SB 48 as a step toward teaching tolerance. Supporters say the legislation will teach students to be more accepting of gays and lesbians in light of the bullying that happens to gay students.

AB 1349 – PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS – Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo)

This legislation permits California courts to consider the relationship between a child and a non-biological parent when considering child rights cases involving birth parents, adoptive parents, and gay or lesbian guardians.

This bill ensures that California’s parentage laws continue to protect and preserve children’s established family relationships.

6 New CA Laws That Affect Families: Booster Seats to Expired Infant Formula is a post from: Eco Child's Play

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If you live in California and your children ride a school bus, Governor Jerry Brown took away state funding for such transportation this week in his “trigger” budget cuts.  As an educator, I recognize the particular challenge already facing financially strapped California schools to try and continue such services to children out of their general funds.  In particular, rural districts like mine are hit the hardest, as we have less students that must be transported farther than city children.

 Not only is cutting school transportation funding bad for education; it is bad for the environment too.

Just this week I wrote about how we could learn a lot from teenagers’ transportation habits to curb climate change.  One such practice is riding school buses, which are always packed. Sure school buses run on inefficient engines that average seven miles per gallon and emit toxic fumes that harm children’s brains, yet if students don’t attend school, schools are not funded.  School funding is based on average daily attendance (ADA), and absences do not count. Furthermore, after three unexcused absences, parents are turned into truancy boards and may have to attend legal hearings if more absences occur.  Transportation woes, such as a flat tire, are unexcused.  Even if a child is 30 minutes late to school, it is usually counted as an absence.  Without buses, working parents, poor parents, any parent may have trouble getting their children to school consistently, as well as picking them up. The school day does not exactly match the work day.

LA Unified has sued the state over the budget cuts. Business Week reports:

School districts throughout California are scrambling to cover the elimination of $248 million in funding for school buses starting next month, with the state’s largest district filing a lawsuit to block the cuts and others saying they’ll have to use reserves in order to keep transportation service.

“It’s an incredibly unfair way to go about this,” said Marc Johnson, superintendent of Sanger Unified School District, which covers 185-square miles in the Central Valley and where some two-thirds of students take buses to school.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday announced the elimination in bus funding as part of a package of so-called trigger cuts in state programs that will go into effect in January due to a shortfall in state revenue for the current fiscal year.

School districts will also see another $79.6 million lopped in general funding.

John Deasy, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, called the loss of $38 million in bus funds to his district “catastrophic,” saying it would affect 48,000 students, including 13,000 special needs students. The school board immediately voted to file for a temporary restraining order to block the cut.

Only special education and homeless children are federally mandated to be transported to school.

Despite inefficiencies in school bus fuel economy, our Earth still benefits from this form of mass transportation.  According to the American School Bus Council:

The average car emits 1.2 pounds carbon dioxide per mile traveled, whereas public transportation on a bus emits a little over 0.2 pounds per mile.  You can see this is a big saving for our planet.

It may be too late to do anything about climate change, but we have to try. Any government decision should weigh the environmental consequences which should then should be used to prioritize spending cuts.  Yea, I know, I am a dreamer…

Jerry Brown Cuts School Bus Funding: Bad for Education, Bad for the Environment is a post from: Eco Child's Play

I am in love with Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins. The illustrations by Vicky White are top notch! Amazing compositions and detail, that is what attracts me to this book so much. The text is filled with informative, yet developmentally appropriate information about endangered and extinct species.

Tigers are pretty special — and so are ground iguanas and partula snails and even white-rumped vultures. But these and many other animals are in danger of disappearing altogether, joining the dodo, the marsupial wolf, the great auk, and countless other animals we will never see again. Using the experiences of a few endangered species as examples, Martin Jenkins highlights the ways human behavior can either threaten or conserve the amazing animals that share our planet. Vicky White’s stunning portraits of rare creatures offer a glimpse of nature’s grace and beauty — and give us a powerful reason to preserve it.

I am really enamored with this book!  We get a lot of children’s literature sent to us to review, and most of it is just downright stupid.  Why authors and illustrators don’t honor and respect children’s intelligence is beyond me. Just because you are trying to deliver an environmental message to a young person does not mean you need create silly creatures and story lines that befuddle the message.  Can We Save the Tiger? is a breath of fresh air in this genre!

Would I buy this book?  ABSOLUTELY YES!

Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

Great Children’s Literature: Can We Save the Tiger? is a post from: Eco Child's Play