NutureShock

NutureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

The authors take common parenting beliefs & study the scientific research to see if these theories are helpful to children.

I'm listening to this audio book right now.  So far, I am fascinated.  The first chapter is about children being told they are smart versus being told they are hard workers.  The research shows that those who are told they are smart give up easier and don't put in as much effort.  Children who are complimented on their effort are more likely to tackle harder problems and not give up.  My favorite part is reminding children that their brains are muscles... the more you use your brain, the stronger it becomes. (I think my brain is getting flabby)

The second chapter is about getting enough sleep.  Under 8 hours of sleep causes problems with focusing and feeling overwhelmed, as well as obesity.   Dropping under eight hours of sleep for high school students doubled the rate of clinical depression.  Some schools have actually seen fewer car accidents and higher grades when school begins after 8am.  Also, even changing sleep patterns on the weekends cause children's I.Q.s to drop.  Sleep helps brain cells to regenerate & process.  Even SAT scores rise dramatically in children who get enough sleep.  (Someone in this house sleeps enough to be a genius... I'm not naming names)