No Regrets

A topic that often comes up when we study human development is that when middle aged and older adults are asked about any regrets they might have, the most consistent finding is that they regret the things they DID NOT DO. Even if they failed miserably in a business venture, lost in love, never passed the bar, didn't win the gold medal, or didn't write a best seller, at least THEY TRIED. They didn't stand on the sidelines wishing and hoping their lives were better or richer somehow. They took risks and packed in all the living they could.

Today in one of my general psychology classes, we listened to an NPR segment from "This I Believe" in which the woman was talking about living her life so that she'd have no regrets. She said that at each moment we are all dying; its also true that at each moment we are all living. Which do you want to do more of? She chose to live, and although she had been diagnosed with cancer, she stated that she still planned to savor each moment of the rest of her life.

Is there something you'd really like to try but are afraid to? In other words, what would you do if fear were not a factor? What is something you can do to LIVE the rest of your life so that you'll have no regrets?

Meth Labs and Children

One of the topics we’re currently studying in my Human Growth and Development online courses is child abuse, and while the text reports that it can occur in any SES, it’s more prevalent in settings involving stress, poverty, single parenthood, and parental conflict. While many think of abuse as being primarily physical, we’ve learned that there’s also psychological maltreatment in which a child might be neglected, belittled, frightened, exploited, or humiliated. In this type of abuse/neglect, caregivers (I use that term loosely) harm a child’s behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical functioning, and the effects can be long lasting.

The State newspaper is running a series on meth labs in SC, and alarmingly, I’ve learned that there have been hundreds of children involved. Exactly how many we don’t know since no one has counted. Here’s what we do know: When children are found, they are removed from the scene immediately, stripped of their clothing, hosed off, and examined and treated for exposure to toxic chemicals. Leaving toys and other belongings behind, they’re placed in emergency custody and are not returned to a parent if that person is connected to meth lab activity.

According to The State, no other drug, including heroin, cocaine, and crack, exposes a child to the same level of poisons. DSS assistant director Sue O’Toole is quoted as saying that the “chemicals they breathe in have restructured the synapses in their brains.” Since their lungs are larger compared to the rest of their bodies, children take in more air, faster…thus putting them at greater risk.

What kind of parent exposes a child to this toxic drug? Would the person have a profile similar to that of other abusers? Could it be possible that the parents might be ignorant about the effects of meth and the chemicals used to make it? What might be some long term effects of meth exposure on children?

Mental Jogging

All introductory courses cover the brain and its miraculous workings during the first week or so of class, and one of the things that’s always included in the discussions is the nervous system. Just how do messages get conveyed to and from the brain? What about synapses within the brain itself? How can we keep those synapses in good working order?

I came across some “neurobic” exercises proposed by Lawrence Katz, Duke University neurobiologist, and Manning Rubin in The Owner’s Manual to the Brain (love that book!). Each exercise is designed to form new associations among previously unassociated parts of the brain and bring new resources to a person’s consciousness. This “mental jogging” results in the formation of new synapses and the rejuvenation of already established synapses. I’m all for that. What about you? Which of the following seems like a “doable” exercise in your life? Can you think of other suggestions?

Make different smells available from morning to night.
Occasionally use your unaccustomed hand to brush your teeth.
Switch what you normallly wear (pins, wristwatch, pocket contents, hair part, etc.) on the left side to the right side and vice versa.
Take a different route to a frequent destination, such as work.
Try picking out the right coins (and other objects) without looking.
Turn things literally upside down, such as a picture in your office.
Chat with people whom you (and others) tend to overlook (e.g., store clerks).
If you’re not an artist, try painting or drawing a picture. If you are an artist, try doing it with your feet.
Try searching for food in the wild.
If you exercise indoors, try switching occasionally to outdoors and vice versa.
Master some new piece of technology from time to time. This could range from something as simple as a new wine bottle opener to a digital camera.
Try eating and preparing ethnic foods you’ve never experienced.
Acquire a new hobby.

How NOT to Spoil Kids

When I logged onto the computer this morning, I spotted this short piece that outlines five tips to improve parenting skills and decrease the chances of having a spoiled child. Read it and let me know what you think. Briefly, the tips are to say no, set limits, prepare for a fight, avoid tempation, and make them work. When you click the link and read the article, you'll find an elaboration on each of the guidelines.

Do you agree or disagree? Are there some tips that you like more than others?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20777582/?GT1=10357

Do We All Hit the Top at Some Point?

I found this to be a curious article/discussion about the glass ceiling effect that sometimes is discussed in our Human Growth & Development classes. I was particularly taken by the few men that have gone into nursing as a career.....but it does appear these numbers are increasing.

http://encarta.msn-ppe.com:443/encnet/Departments/CareerTraining/?article=ReverseGlassCeiling1

Do you think a man may experience a "reverse" glass ceiling in a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women?

Your Suggestions?

Although the brain continues to develop throughout life, it is especially plastic during childhood. Do you have any suggestions that might help parents in facilitating cognitive development and language acquisition in children? In other words, what would you recommend as ways to aid in brain growth and development? For instance, does Sesame Street help? What about reading to children? Does talking to them increase language skills and vocabulary?

Something New

I had a great time reading the journals submitted by my General Psychology students...some great writing. What really struck me is that psychology is still new to everyone and that I've been putting topics on the blog that you haven't covered or even thought about yet. Consequently, today I decided to try something different. What I'd like for you to do is to write about something you learned in class or in your text that you didn't know before. You might even go the "second mile" and tell of a situation that you observed that relates to psychology.