Smug Parents, Kid Cash Challenge, and Sleep Training
Hello Modern Parents!
Welcome to our weekly round-up. Every Sunday, we feature our stories of the week, parent of the week, and pick of the week. We also share the latest science behind parenting and some entertainment.
Let’s get into it!
I Gave My Kids a Wad of Cash and Set them a Challenge
Malky McEwan | 8 min read
The Story: Our author proposes a new and fun way to help your kids learn how to save and earn money. The premise is simple, give your kids $X amount of money to grow for a year. The ground rules are below:
Post what you do with your money in the group chat — every buy, sell, loss, and profit.
You can buy and sell or invest in anything you like.
All costs have to be accounted for, trading platform costs, eBay fees, etc., have to come off the £1k and not from your own pocket.
You win by keeping half the profits you make.
If you lose money, I lose. You will not be liable for any losses. At the very least, you will learn from it. So it is a win/win for you.
The Lesson: games like these can be an effective way to teach kids how to be responsible and thoughtful when it comes to finances. In this case, our author chose to give their boys $1000. But any amount can do if the ground rules are clear and your children understand the purpose of the game!
Smug Parents, You’re Not the Problem
Sylvia Emokape | 6 min read
The Story: This author reflects on why she used to be a “smug-parent hater” and what led her to compare her son’s health and growth to everyone else’s baby. It’s a thoughtful account about how parenting anxiety can be projected and how to bravely overcome that feeling.
The Lesson: our author has learned that it is often other parents’ insecurities that cause them to compare themselves to those they labeled smug in the first place. In the same way that negative energy spreads like wildfire, so does a happy person, and so if you find a happy perspective, you’ll likely view other parents in the same way as well!
Why Mothers Aren’t as Happy as Fathers
Jessica Lucia | 4 min read
The Story: In this story, our author acknowledges the parenting workload disparity between mothers and fathers, even in today’s society. The story provides evidence that as a result of the mothers consistently taking on more than they should, their mental health deteriorates far faster than it does for fathers.
The Lesson: Parenting is the most significant event in many peoples’ lives. Handling the details of this event alone is overwhelming. But with appreciation, understanding, and communication, parents can co-host — alleviating stress and increasing enjoyment for everyone.
Joanna Mitchell
Joanna is a writer, conscious mama, and self-described notorious over-thinker (we’ve all been there). In her fantastic stories, she typically shares thoughts and research on gentle parenting, business, and female empowerment.
Check out some of our favorite stories from Joanna below, and you can find Joanna’s site here:
Modern Parent receives no compensation for the Picks of the Weeks. We make recommendations based on our experiences with the week's pick and/or a thorough review of a particular vertical.
Sleep training a toddler is a Sisyphean task. Just when you start to see dawn break over the promised land of good night's sleep for you and your baby, the kid reverts back to waking up at all hours. It’s why every parent benefits from a kids’ alarm clock.
One of the best kid sleep training toddler clocks, Mella, offers a gently reassuring nightlight that keeps toddlers in bed so they fall asleep faster and then helps them to stay in bed the next morning until a reasonable hour.
Check out Mella here:
Coronavirus, Adolescent Loneliness and Internet Addiction
“In the coronavirus period, loneliness has increased markedly among adolescents. They look for a sense of belonging from the internet. Lonely adolescents head to the internet and are at risk of becoming addicted. Internet addiction can further aggravate their malaise, such as depression," says Professor of Education and study lead Katariina Salmela-Aro from the University of Helsinki. Read more here
Masculine traits linked to better parenting for some dads
In some men, having traditional masculine characteristics such as competitiveness and adventurousness was linked to being better fathers to infants, a new study found. But the men in this study -- highly educated and from dual-earner couples -- combined those stereotypically masculine traits with the belief that they should be nurturing, highly involved fathers. Read more here
Parental burnout hits individualist Western countries hardest.
Does the incidence of parental burnout depend on a country's culture? This question was at the heart of the first international study on the subject for which hundreds of scientists in 42 countries mobilized. In other words, the global scientific community is worried about family stress-induced parental burnout. A high level of stress in the family can lead to parental exhaustion. Such suffering has serious consequences for both parents and children. Read more here
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If you’re one of those parents, please email us, and as we’ll happily tell your story through Modern Parent. If you email rebecca@modernparent.io, we’ll review your story, and if approved, we’ll post it from our anonymous Modern Parent account and let you know it’s been posted so you can track reactions and responses.
Thank you, Modern Parent Family, and we hope you have a wonderful week!