“My kids constantly move from one activity to the next – except when it comes to toddlers and TV. Should I be worried when my 5 year old just sits and stares at the screen?” When TV was still a fairly new pastime for kids, researchers coined the term “zombie effect” to describe the glassy-eyed,… Read More →
We just wrote a post about executive function and how important these skills are for our kids success in school and in life. Here are some tips for giving your kids lots of practice: Help your child build a framework: Helping your child set attainable goals and breaking tasks into achievable steps helps build executive… Read More →
Want your child to succeed in school and life? Then look beyond IQ scores and test results. We’ve written before about the importance of self-discipline, but the story doesn’t end there. A whole host of mental skills—constituting what is called executive function–determine how as opposed to what we learn. Emerging research is clear that these… Read More →
I wasn’t sure why my eighteen-month-old son Miles was squirming to get out of my arms, but he hit the kitchen floor running and was off to the far corner of the living room. We had just been looking at the big pot of soup simmering on the stove. I had pointed out the onions,… Read More →
Dr. Dave and Erin, Our seven year old daughter has been lying a bit lately. One night her toothbrush lay on the sink with toothpaste still on it; clearly she had not brushed her teeth. We asked her if she had brushed them and she said “Yes! I did!” It’s become a bad pattern of… Read More →
We’ve written plenty of posts about the importance of imaginative play for children’s brain development. Far from being a waste of time, kids need free play to thrive. Summer is here and the outdoors is begging kids to get outside and play, play, play! Here are some tips for encouraging free play: Get down on… Read More →
We all know now that nutritious food builds strong bodies. But did you know that we need brain food too? Our brains take up only 2% of our body weight yet consume nearly 20% of our body’s energy. That’s why what we feed our brains is so important. Eating “brain food” improves kids’ moods, elevates… Read More →
If you haven’t seen the Caine’s Arcade video, you should watch it immediately. In fact, here it is: The magic of this video is that transports us into the vibrant world of childhood imagination. Caine’s imagination manifests in an elaborate handmade arcade (his tools: cardboard, tape, scissors, and markers). Watching Caine at work reminds me… Read More →
School districts strapped for cash and facing pressure to increase test scores often try to preserve classroom instruction by making cuts to physical education and recess. Districts are making very difficult decisions and I don’t envy them! Unfortunately, based on the latest brain science, cutting exercise can be counterproductive. Brains and Bodies Are Connected Think… Read More →
What’s going on with children and attention in the digital age? Video games, texts, whirling toys, and non-stop entertainment have made it hard to strengthen children’s focused attention systems. Here are some suggestions: Give babies only a couple toys at a time, so they learn to focus on one. Limit television, video games, and movies… Read More →
