Posted on 05/05/2015 11:00:34 AM PDT by wtd
Reading to children at bedtime: ABC questions value of time-honoured practice
THE ABC has questioned whether parents should read to their children before bedtime, claiming it could give your kids an “unfair advantage” over less fortunate children.
“Is having a loving family an unfair advantage?” asks a story on the ABC’s website.
“Should parents snuggling up for one last story before lights out be even a little concerned about the advantage they might be conferring?”
The story was followed by a broadcast on the ABC’s Radio National that also tackled the apparently divisive issue of bedtime reading.
“Evidence shows that the difference between those who get bedtime stories and those who don’t — the difference in their life chances — is bigger than the difference between those who get elite private schooling and those that don’t,” British academic Adam Swift told ABC presenter Joe Gelonesi.
Gelonesi responded online: “This devilish twist of evidence surely leads to a further conclusion that perhaps — in the interests of levelling the playing field — bedtime stories should also be restricted.”
Contacted by The Daily Telegraph, Gelonesi said the bedtime stories angle was highlighted by the ABC “as a way of getting attention”.
Asked if it might be just as easy to level the playing field by encouraging other parents to read bedtime stories, Gelonesi said: “We didn’t discuss that.”
Swift said parents should be mindful of the advantage provided by bedtime reading.
“I don’t think parents reading their children bedtime stories should constantly have in their minds the way that they are unfairly disadvantaging other people’s children, but I think they should have that thought occasionally,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytelegraph.com.au ...
Marry a loving partner, have children, raise those children together. Simple, and something most everyone can do; but, they make choices not to do this. It is not an "unfair advantage"; it is making a choice.
Now, when I was younger, I made some bad choices. I had a lot of heartache from those bad choices. I finally stopped, and told myself that I needed to figure out what I wanted in life. A few months after that, I met my husband and he and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary this coming January.
My wonderful husband read to each of our children every, single night at bedtime. I am certain that he and the children have fond memories of that time spent together. Unfair advantage, my foot. Choices, choices. Make better choices.
“Anthem” is another quick read along the lines of “making everyone equal”.
I guess I’d better stop reading to my kids because other people don’t. /s
Yes, that’s the conclusion these insane libs reach.
Not only should you do it voluntarily,
there should be a law, backed by the force of gov’t,
to prevent you from doing it.
Bizarre, the world is upside down.
Congrats ... my spouse and I just celebrated our 35th in March.
Bedtime routines were essential and included the bedtime story for four children, each born seven years apart. There were specific books for specific ages which were memorized by my spouse and myself during this routine. As each child grew older and began to recognize words on each page, we would intentionally change the words to see if the child was following/listening. It became a game where each mistake would be ‘officially’ caught/recognized only if the child could point to the page where the error was made. This routine developed their reading and memory skills, which defeated our attempts to spell out parental dialog we did not intend them to understand and gave us many instances of giggle fits at the expense of our defeat.
There are far too many people in positions of prestige and authority that are AT LEAST 1 of the following: Crazy, Stupid, or Evil. Many are 2 of these things. Many are 3. We should start rating them.
During his Senate filibuster, Ted Cruz took time to read a bedtime story to his children (since he could not be at home with them). Thanks to ABC we can now see that that’s further evidence that he is a bad person who wants to perpetuate inequality.
There are far too many people in positions of prestige and authority that are AT LEAST 1 of the following: Crazy, Stupid, or Evil. Many are 2 of these things. Many are 3. We should start rating them.
“We are living in the age of insanity.” - George Putnam
After I retired, I took a dumb job at a retail store. I attempted to help my young coworkers and my managers with profit-producing techniques learned in 40 prior years of business in the formerly “free market”. I even demonstrated how small process changes would take less employee time and give greater productivity. However, any discussion of efficiency was rejected, the results denied and scoffed, and I was denounced for even trying to use logic or measurements to achieve less “shrink.” The store continued to be one of the worst “shrink stores” on the supervisiing manager’s list, and he continued to deny that there could be any solutions. I lasted two years before deciding that even though my customers loved me, it was not worth it to participate in such waste and idiocracy. They promoted a 21-year-old with neck tattoos and one prior years’ experience as a burger flipper, as well as an admitted alcoholic, a shoplifter and someone who required two days off per month to receive shock treatments for severe depression (I am not making this up). They told me my management experience was “old hat” and irrelevant, and that because I had formerly worked as a professional, I would be prejudiced and unfair to the rest of the employees and therefore would not be promoted.
Presumably you meant "Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant". Would have been nice not to have to look this up in order to understand your post. Congrats and blessings to your DIL, nevertheless.
I read many of those classics as well as text books for the courses I was taking in college...
Check out their reading list.
http://www.sjc.edu/files/1314/2773/9850/ReadingList20142_revised_3-15.pdf
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.