Well-Being
Happy St. Nicholas Day
December 2011
St. Nicholas Day - December 6th
This was predominantly a Dutch tradition that is now celebrated all over Europe. When the Dutch settlers moved to the United States, Sinterklass became Santa Claus or Father Chrtistmas.
Traditionally, this celebration differs from Christmas Day. The story tells us that in the Middle of the 4th Century, an Abbot called Nicholas was born in Turkey. Nicholas was well known for his piety and benevolence. Abbot Nicholas was especially remembered for his care and protection of young children.
One such tale of his kindness tells of a father with three daughters who was very worried that he would not be able to provide them with a dowry when they became married. Nicholas heard of this man and went to his house. He stood by the man's widow and when a moonbeam shone into the room, Nicholas tossed in a bag of gold. He did this each night until the man had three bags of gold - one for each of his daughters.
From this legend came the placing of gold coins, small gifts and fruit in the shoes and stockings of children during the night before the feast of St. Nicholas. In some homes across Europe, St. Nicholas may appear with his companion, Zwarte Piete, also known as Black Peter. He carries a big red book, where he reads reports about the children's behaviour. If the child has been good, they may receive a small gift. However, if the report is not so good they may find twigs or even coal left in their shoes!
This was predominantly a Dutch tradition that is now celebrated all over Europe. When the Dutch settlers moved to the United States, Sinterklass became Santa Claus or Father Chrtistmas.
Traditionally, this celebration differs from Christmas Day. The story tells us that in the Middle of the 4th Century, an Abbot called Nicholas was born in Turkey. Nicholas was well known for his piety and benevolence. Abbot Nicholas was especially remembered for his care and protection of young children.
One such tale of his kindness tells of a father with three daughters who was very worried that he would not be able to provide them with a dowry when they became married. Nicholas heard of this man and went to his house. He stood by the man's widow and when a moonbeam shone into the room, Nicholas tossed in a bag of gold. He did this each night until the man had three bags of gold - one for each of his daughters.
From this legend came the placing of gold coins, small gifts and fruit in the shoes and stockings of children during the night before the feast of St. Nicholas. In some homes across Europe, St. Nicholas may appear with his companion, Zwarte Piete, also known as Black Peter. He carries a big red book, where he reads reports about the children's behaviour. If the child has been good, they may receive a small gift. However, if the report is not so good they may find twigs or even coal left in their shoes!
Primary Aged Children Need Nine Hours Of Sleep
September 2011
A study by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB in Spanish) and Ramón Llull University have researched the relationship between the sleeping habits, hours slept, and academic performance of children aged between six and seven years of age. Experts have found that sleeping less than nine hours, going to bed late and no bedtime routine generally affects children's academic skills.
"Most children sleep less than is recommended for their intellectual development, which is hindered because the lack of sleep cannot be recovered. This is the first Spanish study that proves that losing out on hours of sleep and bad habits affect schoolchildren's academic performance," stated Ramón Cladellas, researcher at the Faculty of Psychology at the UAB.
The study's authors, published in the journal Cultura y Educación, assessed a total of 142 primary schoolchildren (65 girls and 77 boys) from different schools and which did not have any sleep-related pathological changes. Parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire, concerning the children's habits and number of hours slept per night. The experts also assessed a series of academic skills: communicative, methodological, transversal and specific.
"Although the sample of children sleep almost 8 hours, their sleeping habit shows us that 69% return home after 9pm at least three evenings a week or they go to bed after 11pm at least four nights a week. As such, pupils that sleep 8 or 9 hours have a worse performance than those that sleep 9 or 11 hours," the experts pointed out.
"Taking into account the results obtained, we believe that more than 9 hours sleep and a nightly routine favours academic performance," added Cladellas.
Losing out on hours of sleep and bad habits produced negative effects, especially on more generic skills (communicative, methodological and transversal) which are essential for academic performance. However, there is a lesser effect on the specific skills, more related to cognitive aspects, such as memory, learning and motivation, and they are seen to be more altered by irregular sleep patterns.
"To this end, the lacking hours of sleep distorts children's performance in linguistic knowledge, grammar and spelling rules, and key aspects in the organisation and comprehension of texts, to name a few examples. They are basic skills, meaning that if the pupil, due to a lack of sleep, develops problems in this area, it could have a repercussion on all subjects," explained Cladellas.
The authors concluded that maintaining a healthy sleep pattern at this age contributes to positive cognitive development. They suggest that parents attend prevention programmes to become more aware of the matter.
"Nowadays, there is great concern because children are glued to the television, computers, and videogames, but the same importance is not given to them going to bed at the same time every night," concluded Cladellas.
Our Children Need More Time Not Stuff
September 2011
Why are British children so unhappy? Four years after Unicef sparked national soul-searching with analysis showing child well-being in the UK at the bottom of a league of developed nations, the organisation has attempted to explain our problem.
The answer, it seems, is that we put too little store on family time and too much on material goods. Unicef paints a picture of a country that has got its priorities wrong - trading quality time with our children for "cupboards full of expensive toys that aren't used".
"Parents in the UK want to be good parents, but aren't sure how," the research suggests. "They feel they don't have the time, and sometimes the knowledge, and often try to compensate for this by buying their children gadgets and clothes."
The research compares Britain with Sweden and Spain. While the UK languishes in 21st, and last, place in the child well-being table, they come second and fifth respectively.
One reason they perform so much better, according to Unicef, is that in both countries "family time is protected" and children "all have greater access to activities". "In Sweden their social policy allows family time and their culture massively reinforces it. In Spain fathers do work long hours, but the extended family is still very important and women stay at home to look after their children."
The report argues that the pressure of the working environment and rampant materialism combine to damage the well-being of our children. They want our attention but we give them our money.
"All children interviewed said that material goods did not make them happy, but materialism in the UK seems to be just as much of a problem for parents as children," the research concludes. "Parents in the UK often feel compelled to purchase consumer goods which are often neither wanted or treasured."
It is a profoundly depressing analysis of British life, not least because it rings true.
Time poor
The importance of parents devoting energy and love to the rearing of their children is accepted by political leaders from across the spectrum, but maximising income and encouraging consumption are regarded as vital components for economic growth. In the UK, the demands of the latter often undermine the former. Parents work all hours to increase family income but then are too exhausted or too busy to give their children the attention they need and deserve.
Of course the Swedes and the Spanish are materialistic too, but the researchers found parents in these countries more able to defy the consumer society. "Parents in the UK… don't know how to challenge the materialist culture they see around them. This is in stark contrast to the families the researchers spent time with in Sweden and Spain."
Singing Can Boost Children's well-being
February 2011
Singing in school can make children feel more positive about themselves and build a sense of community, research based on 10,000 children suggests. An evaluation by the Institute of Education of England's national singing programme, Sing Up, found a clear link between singing and well-being.
It also found that children who took part in the programme had a strong sense of being part of a community. The Institute of Education's independent three-year study, commissioned by the Sing Up programme, is based on data collected from 9,979 children at 177 primary schools in England.
"We've always maintained that singing, alongside its brain-training benefits, can help children to grow in confidence and create stronger communities and now we're able to prove it with hard evidence."
The research comes just days after ministers said they were safeguarding the funding of music in schools at the present level for one year ahead of a major funding shake. But there are no guarantees on music funding after 2012.