Yes. I realize it’s Saturday. But it was back to school in my household so here we are - Saturday morning, sharing the 5 things that I came across this week that I think you might find insightful, delightful, and useful.
🎒 Charles Duhigg (journalist/author): a research roundup on best back to school habits/rituals.
“Students need sleep, consistent wake up times, breakfast and adventurous play.”
I was particularly interested in this study: Adventurous Play as a Mechanism for Reducing Risk for Childhood Anxiety and am trying to figure out ways to bring this to our family
“Parents can help by eating dinner together, setting goals, getting exercise and making homework more fun.”
I love this because these are actionable, concrete ways we can show up in small but really meaningful ways each day.
“It’s not too late for parents to become students.”
People who do university level courses later in life show slower cognitive decline - especially if it’s in person but the really interesting thing for me is that book clubs can function in a similar way.
Bonus: History of the Trapper Keeper - wild, wild history of this iconic school staple. Who knew the world of CPG could have such intrigue?
🎙️ Terry Gross (journalist + podcast host of NPR’s Fresh Air): her process of reading books and prepping for an interview.
I am often in awe of really well done podcasts and how much insight can be packed into just 20-30 minutes. This was a great behind the scenes look at the process and the work that goes into researching a guest and their work.
This also alludes to why I’m doubling down on having our girls handwrite notes and read paper text books - I just think the brain learns and processes info differently in its analog form vs. digital (what the hand writes, the mind remembers).
📺 It’s okay, let them watch TV - I found this read by a fellow parent refreshingly practical and data based on how to think about screen time for our kids
I loved this 5 C’s approach to considering what screen time to allow: child, content, calm, crowding out, and communication
Insights that stuck out for me: “Children crave repetition” and “they’re learning basics of story structure, good-versus-evil archetypes, narrative escalation, and betrayal devices.”; “These are things I want them to understand deeply and intuitively so they can later enjoy more complicated, subversive, or challenging fiction without feeling alienated or disdainful”
I have long shared the POV of “No YouTube without a parent.”
Here is probably the most important bit: “Before letting them access the firehose of algorithmic social media-based suggestions, I am happy to let the rhythms of episodic storytelling, three-act structure, cliffhangers, and denouements carve familiar grooves into their brains and stretch their ability to hang with a story even if it does not offer resolution within a ten-minute clip”
📚 Reading for pleasure is on a decline - this insight didn’t necessarily surprise me, given the demands on our time, the fight for our attention, and the fact that getting into a good book feels like work and doesn’t give the quick domanine hits of a tiktok binge session.
“Whatever you like to read can be good for you” - we definitely subscribe to this philosophy. While I was initially suspect of graphic novels for my then 7yo, I’ve since seen just what a great on ramp it can be. I got travel magazines for Christmas, we listen to Harry Potter on Audible on longer car trips, we get the Sunday Times on the last Sunday of the month with the kids section. We have a library book nook and a monthly book allowance at our local independent book store. Reading is definitely a core priority for our family but we try to approach it in a myriad of ways.
This is a hill I’m happy to die on because I believe deeply: growing avid readers means growing avid learners - kids with curiosity and compassion because how can you not when you learn to occupy the experience and minds of so many different protagonists.
- and at the end of the day it’s about figuring out a time that works consistently - for us, it’s the 20 minutes before bed - we all pile into our bed and sometimes each of us is reading our own book and sometimes (like now), my husband is reading The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe to the kids (well, all of us)
🥟 National Bao day - and we finish with the most fun. This was technically yesterday but after living in Shanghai, everyday is bao day in our house 😂. Bao just means “bun” and can be any of the soft, white, steamed buns stuffed with a range of things like pork or veggies or even sesame chocolate. For my family, it means “xiaolongbao” - the incredibly delicious soup dumpling delicacy from Shanghai
Here are some ways to celebrate:
📺 Watch the adorable Pixar short by a talented Canadian director Domee Shi (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8075496/)
🖍️ Draw them: my fav Art tutorial show for the kids
🥢 Eat them - we love Din Tai Fung but order Mila is delicious to order for the home
🥚 Make them: I love this graphic cookbook - the recipes are easy and delicious and it’s really visual to get the kids involved
