Mind Your Own Beeswax!

I heard this expression a lot growing up. Everyone's always got something to say - whether they're asked for their two cents or not. I confess I am among the guilty. And, like everyone else, I should probably mind my own business. I do try, I swear!

But nowhere is this social compulsion to butt in more prevalent than in the world of parenting. It's as if having a child guarantees you'll be the recipient of more "wisdom" than ever before. Except there's one problem.

I didn't really ask for it. And I bet you didn't either.

Anna's response to many things these days

Article: The Science of Tantrums

Way back in July, yes the warm month of July... oh, sorry.  Let's try that again.  Back in July I posted a link to an article I read in Scientific American Mind about a study conducted that produced the Top 10 Most Important Parental Competencies that lead to happy, and healthy children.  If you didn't catch that post, make sure you read the post because not only is it interesting, but the discussions here spawned a series of posts by Mama T exploring each one.

Anyway, I am always on the look-out for scientific explainations or solutions/suggestions of things.. and as the perpetual "Uncle" to many, and with only the partial raising of a step-son under my belt, this type of stuff arms me with suggestions to offer others that I haven't personally tried myself.

And just in case you are thinking that I'm one of those nosy people that butt in and make suggestions to others about techniques they should use instead of what they are doing when raising their children... I am.  A little bit.  But I'm digressing again.

Article: What Makes a Good Parent?

I ran across an article the other day in Scientific American Mind by Robert Epstein, a longtime researcher and professor of psychology, which summarized a research study on what parenting practices produce better results than others - that is, practices that produce better relationships between parent and child and happier, healthier, and better functioning children.

The studies also sought to answer "why, in fact, do most parents continue to parent pretty much the way their own parents did - or, if they disliked the way they were raised, the exact opposite way?"