Mindfulness, Teenage Boys, and Happiness

Results from a study on boys from the UK show that "mindfulness" can make us happier... and if it works on teenage boys, I feel reasonably comfortable in suggesting it's probably going to work on just about anybody!

If your own children are not being 'mindful', this might be a useful strategy to centre them, and yourself... and at the same time, boost your happiness levels.

I should also add that the researcher, Felicia Huppert, is one of the world's most highly regarded psychology researchers (in the field of Positive Psychology) and her research is of a consistently exceptional standard.

Standardised Tests and Merit Pay - A Rejoinder

One of my favourite topics at this blog relates to what is happening in Australian schools regarding political policies about standardised tests for our children, and merit pay for teachers. Decisions about these things can have an enormous impact on our children, their motivation for learning, and their overall educational outcomes.

Same Page Parenting

Last week an interview I gave appeared at the website "kidspot". The interview (see this link) was about parenting on the same page.

The entire interview is reproduced below, or you can click on the link for a brief summary.

Father's Day

Today's post contains no research, there's no science... it's just some random thoughts about things that matter and things that don't matter when it comes to Father's Day - for me.

Father's Day in Australia is this Sunday.

To me, Father's Day seems less a celebration of fatherhood, and more a triumph of our overdone commercialism. There seems to be little focus, at least in the popular media, on how families can enjoy their time together. Instead the emphasis is on what we should "get" for dad.

What do dad's really want?

Did the Teaching Make a Difference

Perhaps you have experienced the following:

Your child behaved in a way that required your involvement - and correction. After a stern conversation your child recognised that s/he had done the wrong thing and seemed remorseful.

"Good", you thought. "Lesson learned".

But within minutes of your child's chastisement, here s/he was laughing and playing, seemingly unaffected by your previous disciplinary 'teaching' moment.