Finland's schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world. Why? "The educational system's success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere." Furthermore, "There is an emphasis on relaxed schools, free from Continue Reading
Are you fundamentally suspicious of happy people? Cultural differences.
Photo by JoanneGoodChild Comparisons between the way Americans and Europeans think about work, food, dress code and manners, is something I find fascinating. I wrote a previous post entitled: What French Women Know, Can we Learn from them? I am reading, Lunch in Paris, by Elizabeth Bard. She is a young American journalist who now lives in Continue Reading
What stress can do to teenagers
Keir Gilchrist Craig, a sixteen-year-old hears the voices of his parents and his sister say, "Don't do it," and wakes up in a sweat. His parents love him. They're nice people, so what's the problem? Stress. He doesn't want to disappoint his family, especially not his dad. This is his life, and one Sunday morning at 5 a.m., he wakes up from Continue Reading
Are you a helicopter parent?
Photobucket Photo As a mother of three sons with strong views on parenting, I decided to tackle a subject which has been in the news lately, "helicopter parenting." The reason I want to talk about it is because, not only does it affect how we raise our kids today, but also how they turn out in college and in the work world. First of all, Continue Reading
But will it make you happy?
Photo by AnnShaw Do you like to spend money on nice things or vacations? A recent article in the New York Times, shows that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses. I completely agree with this statement which is why my husband and I moved our family Continue Reading