Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Ritalin Use Discouraged in UK
Ritalin use for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is being questioned, and parents are being discouraged from using it at all. New psychological recommendations are being put forth. Sky News also has some other articles on ADHD worth checking at the bottom of the article.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Echo Boomer Brain Bust
I was flipping channels at about 3am trying to locate the next invention that was going to change my life and the world for $19.95.
Soon I channel-surfed my way to some obscure late night TV show that had a story on and about Echo Boomers. I watched with intrigue.
The show had some prominent journalist interviewing a fortune 500 executive that stated the thing that struck him most about the new generation of men and women coming into the workforce was their lack of long term vision and inability to get the job done.
He then went on to say that both men and women treated business like a video game, where if they didn’t see instant results and get instant gratification, then it wasn’t of interest and was not worth pursuing any further. He also commented that today's young employees could not proceed in a “step wise fashion”, and could not accomplish any task in a methodical way. As a retailer and partner of Just Smart Toys.com, I immediately started to try to place a connection.
Have these Echo Boomers been, for far too long, coddled by their parents, driven to soccer practice and told that it was OK to come in second place, provided with trophies JUST for participating and shown that mediocrity was OK?
The Fortune 500 executive went on to say what he had observed was when left to work by themselves without other adult oversight or guidance, these Echo Boomers were often lost.
For some awful reason I couldn’t help but think of the Enron scandal, where earnings were fabricated to meet the expectations of the market. Now I know those involved in Enron are mostly of an earlier generation, but are we teaching similar behavior to our young through TV, video games, cell phones, Myspace etc?
Educational toys, be they wooden or plastic, should always been a mainstay of children’s fun and games. Children should be encouraged to use their imaginations and given responsibilities to learn that life is not one big Burger King in which they can have it “their way”.
Although I do not have any children of my own at this point in my life I do observe the children around me, my nieces and nephews, friends’ children and even the children of my business partners and associates. I have been a witness to the negative effects that 12 hrs a day of brain numbing TV has on some children and adults.
I say why not use a science kit or building toys as a fun activity on a rainy day instead of TV? Encourage your children to use the creativity and imagination, which we as adults often tend to put on a shelf and never use, that your children possess an unlimited supply of.
I am not saying that it should be all education all of the time, everyone needs time to play and great educational toys feel like play. I also understand that children are still going to be impulsive, but I have seen that they are also prepared to make sacrifices for something that excites them. I know some adults that would kill for that excitement about…..well…anything!
Knowledge is power, and it is our responsibility as adults to give children the best opportunity to harness that power. To develop their minds, cultivate their thoughts and explore their imaginations. For children, nothing is impossibility, nothing is out of reach and there is no such thing as unattainable.
Educational toys may not be the solution to all the world’s problems but in my opinion I think they are a good place to start.
Soon I channel-surfed my way to some obscure late night TV show that had a story on and about Echo Boomers. I watched with intrigue.
The show had some prominent journalist interviewing a fortune 500 executive that stated the thing that struck him most about the new generation of men and women coming into the workforce was their lack of long term vision and inability to get the job done.
He then went on to say that both men and women treated business like a video game, where if they didn’t see instant results and get instant gratification, then it wasn’t of interest and was not worth pursuing any further. He also commented that today's young employees could not proceed in a “step wise fashion”, and could not accomplish any task in a methodical way. As a retailer and partner of Just Smart Toys.com, I immediately started to try to place a connection.
Have these Echo Boomers been, for far too long, coddled by their parents, driven to soccer practice and told that it was OK to come in second place, provided with trophies JUST for participating and shown that mediocrity was OK?
The Fortune 500 executive went on to say what he had observed was when left to work by themselves without other adult oversight or guidance, these Echo Boomers were often lost.
For some awful reason I couldn’t help but think of the Enron scandal, where earnings were fabricated to meet the expectations of the market. Now I know those involved in Enron are mostly of an earlier generation, but are we teaching similar behavior to our young through TV, video games, cell phones, Myspace etc?
Educational toys, be they wooden or plastic, should always been a mainstay of children’s fun and games. Children should be encouraged to use their imaginations and given responsibilities to learn that life is not one big Burger King in which they can have it “their way”.
Although I do not have any children of my own at this point in my life I do observe the children around me, my nieces and nephews, friends’ children and even the children of my business partners and associates. I have been a witness to the negative effects that 12 hrs a day of brain numbing TV has on some children and adults.
I say why not use a science kit or building toys as a fun activity on a rainy day instead of TV? Encourage your children to use the creativity and imagination, which we as adults often tend to put on a shelf and never use, that your children possess an unlimited supply of.
I am not saying that it should be all education all of the time, everyone needs time to play and great educational toys feel like play. I also understand that children are still going to be impulsive, but I have seen that they are also prepared to make sacrifices for something that excites them. I know some adults that would kill for that excitement about…..well…anything!
Knowledge is power, and it is our responsibility as adults to give children the best opportunity to harness that power. To develop their minds, cultivate their thoughts and explore their imaginations. For children, nothing is impossibility, nothing is out of reach and there is no such thing as unattainable.
Educational toys may not be the solution to all the world’s problems but in my opinion I think they are a good place to start.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Organize! Lunch
School has already begun, and perhaps you've purchased your lunch gear, but for those who want an upgrade, or have held off for something just right, you must check out Laptop Lunches. Kids and adults need healthy brain food. What better way to get it than with homemade meals on the go? They have great FREE lunch ideas and tips as well.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Typical Course
Are you curious about whether you child is getting a thorough education? Some people like to check their child(ren)'s progress against the Typical Course of Study at World Book Encyclopedia. Whether in school or educating another way, it can be a good checkpoint.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
10 Tips
Here's an article on how we can help kids (and ourselves!) get the most out of learning experiences and teaching opportunities. 10 Brain Tips to Teach & Learn
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
First
Welcome to the blog of Just Smart Toys! We're glad you found us. While our store is developing and we get new products we've decided to blog the things we find interesting, and hope you will too. You can check here for store updates, articles on child development, educational toys (naturally), the importance of play, how we learn, and related bits in the news. We hope you find some of it entertaining, and perhaps even useful.
Onward!
Onward!
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