How I Unexpectedly Find Myself a Case Study in the Future of Parenting Information

March 29, 2010

By Ellen Galinsky

The novelist William Gibson has famously said, "The future is already here--it's just unevenly distributed." This past week, Families and Work Institute and The Conference Board co-convened our annual business Work Life Conference around the theme of the "new normal'--what the future is expected to bring and how we might respond.

As I participated in the conference, I found myself realizing--surprisingly--that my forthcoming book, Mind in the Making is, in some ways, a case study on providing parenting information in the 21st century. Here are some key trends we discussed as the "new normal" and a few thoughts on how they relate to Mind in the Making:

1. Change is propelled by curiosity

Mind in the Making on Birth to Thrive Online

March 24, 2010

Paul Nyhan recently posted "National Campaign to Help Parents Connect and Use Early Learning Science Launches Next Month" about Mind in the Making on the Birth to Thrive Online blog.

This spring one of the giants of family research will launch a campaign to connect parents and teachers with all of the research on benefits of quality early learning, and help them use it.

Next month, Family and Work Institute head Ellen Galinsky will kick off “A Mind in the Making,” an ambitious and multifaceted effort that will be the culmination of eight years of work on early childhood learning research, why kids lose interest in learning and what can be done to keep them engaged.

Read the full post on Birth to Thrive Online

Night is Day and Day is Night: Parenting Bloggers and the Media

March 19, 2010

By Ellen Galinsky

The way that conventional media thinks it can best reach parents is through presenting what’s wrong–the latest tragedy, crisis or failure. The way that parenting bloggers say they want to be reached is through being inspired.

The way that conventional media thinks it can reach parents is through “what’s new.” The way bloggers say they want to be reached is through ‘what’s real’–’what’s authentic.’

The New York Times published an article about mommyblogging today that captures many of the acknowledged good points about parenting blogging- the community, the support- and furthered many of the stereotypes behind mommyblogging- that many just do it for the pageviews, or potential sponsorship. I’m in the middle of launching a new parenting book in today’s media landscape, and I see clearly an often unstated reason why parents love to blog: to create their own narrative of the struggles and joys of parenting.

Crawling Over a Cliff?

March 16, 2010

 By Amy McCampbell

Last year, the Sears Tower (or, as it’s known by its new name, the Willis Tower) unveiled a glass balcony on its 103rd floor. Visitors get to creep about four feet out from the building…and 1,353 feet high above the city of Chicago.

Some of us on the Mind in the Making team were talking about and just how much it reminded us of an experiment we filmed, UC Berkeley Professor Joe Campos’ Visual Cliff. In it, a baby is placed on a large box that’s covered by a piece of clear plexi-glass. Halfway across, there’s what looks like a drop, though it’s clearly safe to cross thanks to the sturdy platform. On the opposite side of the platform is the baby’s mom, either making a smiling face (signaling to the baby that it’s okay to cross), or a fearful face (which tells the baby to stay put).

You can watch the experiment here.

The experiment is so powerful… you can really see the babies reading their parents to try to figure out what to do.

Too Exhausted for Homework?

March 16, 2010

A Parent's Perspective

Focus and self-control -- I'll venture to guess that most parents want to increase these skills in themselves, not only their kids.  But the great thing is that, when we promote these skills in our kids, we often exercise them too, offering kids a learn-by-example moment in the process.