New Review is Up

A new review of Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality states:

"Rest assured this book is a really good resource for all parents."

Want specifics? Read the entire review HERE.

Why Your Kids Can't Find Summer Jobs

Working a summer job is one of the best ways for teens to prepare for the future. Learning to work for others and developing a good work ethic are valuable skills that will help them throughout their lives. The pay is just a bonus.

But this summer, teens are having a terrible time finding jobs. The bad economy deserves a lot of blame, but there's another factor that deserves blame, too.

Across the Pond, Trades vs. McJobs vs. College is Discussed

Just as in America, more British people are wondering how to prepare their kids for the future and where the best prospects for the future are likely to be found. This article describing how the CEO of McDonald's has suggested many kids should work at her company instead of going to college is interesting, but it's the discussion in the comments section that's really illuminating. It shows that the debate we need to have in this country is already going on in Great Britain.

iPads for Kids: a Necessity?

The Chicago Public Schools recently spent $450,000 to provide nearly two dozen schools with 32 iPads each. Judging from this article, the kids aren't really doing anything with their iPads that couldn't be done with a teacher. But school administrators are hopeful that this will prepare kids for the future.

Do your kids need an iPad? I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Kids are very good at picking up computer skills whenever they're introduced to them. So if your kids don't get near an iPad until they're older, they won't have missed out on anything. But a 5-year-old who spends hours on an iPad every day is missing out on what 5-year-olds should be doing, like playing outside, making art and learning about the world around them. How about getting the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic) down before becoming addicted to technology? After all, technology is not the only topic our kids will need to be well-versed on.