GM! Here’s what neuroscientists think of the various education philosophies that are floating around (and have been for at least the past couple of generations). By no means is it comprehensive, but an interesting but of light reading anyway. (It’s an excerpt from the paper I linked in the previous note — go back and check that out if you want to). #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #education #parentstr #kidstr #momstr

Reading an interesting paper on the necessity of “old-school” learning like memorisation in an age of AI. Here’s a good excerpt of its POV: “‘Why memorize it when you can look it up?’ Yet this modern mindset carries a paradox. Just as schools and students began relying on calculators and the internet, a significant shift occurred. Decades of steadily rising IQ scores—the famed Flynn Effect—suddenly leveled off and even began to reverse in several high-income countries. Although IQ is undoubtedly influenced by multiple factors, considerable evidence suggests this educational shift away from explicit content instruction and memorization, combined with increased reliance on external memory aids and continuous digital distractions, has actively contributed to declining cognitive performance. Full paper available as PDF download here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5250447 #parentstr #education #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #school #schooling #homeschool #homeschooling

Congratulations mama 🧡

GM!

*sighs in kale* you’re soooo lucky!

Dinnertime woes: why is it so common for kids to struggle with vegetables? I sneak them into smoothies and ground beef etc. but are there any veggie-convert kids out there? I’ve heard of some kids loving them from the start (lucky you 😭) but how about kids that don’t, how do they eventually make the 180? (In true maxi style, my one loves steak 😅) #parentstr #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #carnivore #kidstr #kids #parenting

If my low-key obsession with Alpha School irks you, I’m sorry, but if you’re as curious as I am, I just found this huge longform piece from an Alpha School parent – he has 3 kids there. I don’t love the review aspect per se (eg. he thinks punishment/reward as motivation is science-backed (well, I guess it is in that you will see short-term results) and that pushback is just cultural, when attachment parenting (see previous note just posted) shows it’s based in neuroscience, which means this guy isn’t as well versed as he makes himself sound), BUT there is a lot more detail about the school’s day-to-day that I found useful and insightful. (Especially as I was thinking about crossing continents to enrol my kid). Be warned that it is long though, took me a good chunk of an hour to get through it. #parenting #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #education #schooling #kids #kidstr #parentstr https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-alpha-school

I’ve mentioned before that I found Dr. Vanessa Lapointe’s “Discipline Without Damage” a useful book on understanding child development and behaviour. I’ve just picked up her new(er) book, “Parenting Right From The Start”, which addresses everything from newborn to about 3 — but I think that even if your child is older, if you haven’t done the “work” of resolving your own past triggers/traumas, you could benefit from it too, because goodness knows raising children brings out the absolute best AND worst in you! I’m only about a fifth of the way in, but here are a couple of quotes I really like about the neurological need for connection (as opposed to disconnection strategies like time-outs and loss of privileges when the kid isn’t “behaving”. Or, if you like in psych-speak, attachment parenting vs. behaviourist parenting): “Our role as parents is to promote our child's development rather than create circumstances or conditions that get in the way of it. When children don't get the connection they need they cannot be released fully to their developmental pathway.” “Unfortunately, our current parenting culture […] suggests parents are supposed to toughen up their little humans and get them ready for the real world. But the job of parenting is not to grow children who are hardened. Rather, it is to grow children who are hardy, resilient, and who will contribute to making the world a better place.” #BitcoinMums #BitcoinMoms #parenting #mumstr #momstr #kids #kidstr