2023 Roundup
Best of the Year
The Art and Science of Parenting #95
By: Catherine Lynch and Glenn Collins
Dear Awesome Parent,
As 2023 draws to a close, we looked back over the articles we published this year to pick out the highlights.
It wasn’t easy since we had so many great articles 😊.
In all seriousness though, here are 3 that we felt strongly about. In case you don’t have the time to revisit the full articles, we’ve included a TLDR version that hits the high points.
Issue 50: Spare the rod, spoil the child
TLDR: Many people think only way to get “correct” behavior from their kids is to use physical punishment. But that’s not true. Parenting is about leadership, and the absolute lowest form of control is using violence or its threat to get our kids to do something. It can work in the short-term, but has long-term detrimental effects on our kids’ development and our relationship with them. A better way to discipline focuses on prioritizing the relationship and using tools such as natural and logical consequences, belonging, empathy, agency, non-violent punishments, incentives, role modeling, and reason.
Issue 52: Does your teen want nothing to do with you? Use the 5 F's to fix that today.
TLDR: It’s a fact of life that teens naturally want to separate from their parents and bond with their peers. This process can be abrupt, painful, and leave you feeling like your kids have become strangers that you have no influence over. Here’s a quick and easy way to help your kids feel comfortable hanging out with you, strengthen your connection, and give you more opportunities for influence.
We call it the the 5 F’s:
Friendly: Friendly faces, friendly voices, and friendly home: Make your home and presence welcoming and inviting.
Food: Their favorite foods are a great way to connect. And everybody needs to eat.
Fun: Everyone likes fun, so plan fun activities and be fun to be around.
Friends: Invite their peers. Your kids will enjoy activities more if their friends are there, and they’ll see that you understand what’s important to them.
Fire: People are naturally drawn to fire. Especially kids.
The 5 F’s work together and the more of them you can include in an activity, the better they work.
Issue 59: Growing up in an AI world
TLDR: We only touched on this topic once, but we’re more convinced than ever that AI will play an ever-increasing role in our lives. And even more so in your kids’ lives. It’s already transforming the way we learn, work, and recreate. The better your kids understand and work with AI, the easier it will be for them to thrive in an AI-dominated future. To that end, embrace new AI tools as they become available and use them with your kids. If your kids are older, ask them to explain AI to you, and learn about it together. Just don’t forget to work with them on the skills that will always be useful: critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, flexibility, interpersonal skills, and leadership to name just a few.
Happy New Year!
Photo of the year
I couldn’t choose just one. Most of my photos are of either the sky or the natural world. So I picked one of each. 😃
Beauty before the storm
Tropical Storm Ophelia pounded the Mid-Atlantic the fourth weekend of September. And that meant us. The center of Ophelia passed just south of us sometime during the afternoon of Sunday September 23rd. But before it arrived the outermost cloud bands made for a spectacular sunset.
A Red Spotted Purple Admiral
I’d been seeing these beautiful black and blue butterflies for weeks, but every time I tried to get close enough for a picture they would fly away. I was finally able to get this shot because the Mulberries were ripe and this lady was so engrossed in eating that she completely ignored me. (I’m not sure what Mulberry variety this tree was, but they were delicious!)
