My eight year old brother-in-law's 'Spongebob Squarepants' watching has made me nostalgic for old cartoons of my childhood. If only I could find a single episode of 'loony tunes' on TV somewhere.
But now that 'loony tunes' is off the tube, there are some questions that I find myself asking- like "where are kids these days going to get the introduction to classical music that I had?" 'Loony Tunes' was how kids of my generation got to hear great pieces like Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" and Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyrie". Of course, I learned them under the titles "Shot-by-Cupid's-arrow Theme" and "Kill the Wabbit", but I learned them nonetheless. When I just got started listening to classical music, it was nice to hear something familiar. Kids these days don't even recognize these pieces.
Of course, 'loony tunes' is considered by today's standards to be too 'violent'. But to put things in perspective, lets look at a cartoon that is readily watched by kids on TV today called Pokemon.
So, the basic idea behind Pokemon is that a bunch of kids go romping through the woods in search of certain creatures. When they find a creature they want, they beat it up, and trap it inside a tiny ball- where it will stay night and day for just about the remainder of its life. In fact, the only time these creatures are allowed to come out is when they are forced to battle each other for the praise of their owners.
Wow. That sounds like an activity that Micheal Vick would find enjoyable. I'm surprised PETA isn't more involved.
Okay, so maybe my point isn't that clear, but here's what I think: Let's not get into a tizzy fit over what kids watch on TV. Seeing some cartoonish violence isn't nearly as harmful as the effects of being ignored and inactive for long periods of time. Give them attention and something to do with their time, and your kids'll be just fine.
Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Risk/Reward
Much has been said of the mistakes that teenagers make. The prevailing idea is that teenagers generally don't think about the consequences of their actions before doing something stupid that gets them in trouble. Studies, however, have shown that not only are teenagers aware of the risks behind their actions, they actually spend a considerable amount of time weighing the risks vs. perceived rewards before finally making their (bad) decision. Here's an example of what might go through their heads:
Action: Going to a party, getting drunk, and driving home afterward.
Risk: Might be grounded/get arrested/kill somebody.
Reward: Social acceptance/pretty popular girl might actually talk to me.
Verdict: Party on!!!
I've observed that this sort of risky behavior may start much earlier than the teenage years. Here's an example from my observations of the three-year old twin boys I talked about in my last post:
During a holiday gathering, these twin boys found themselves standing around a bowl of peanuts and decided to have an extended snack before dinner was served. Not wanting the boys to spoil their appetites, several adults told them to stop eating, yet they still continued, saying, "but I have to eat it!". To get them to stop, their great-grandfather decided to make up a story. He told them that if they ate any more, the big scary dog who was staring in from beyond the sliding glass door would charge in and eat them up.
There was no doubt that the boys believed everything that was said to them. You could see fear in their faces every time they tentatively turned their heads to glance at the dog, assuring themselves that the glass door was securely fastened before turning back around and grabbing more peanuts to put in their mouths. So here's what probably went through their heads:
Action: Eating peanuts.
Risk: Dog might eat me.
Reward: I'd get to eat more peanuts.
Verdict: Eat more peanuts.
Perhaps this sort of risky behavior has a purpose. After all, early man would have had a hard time evolving without taking a few risks. Here's another example:
Action: Forsaking life in a tree and stepping around on the ground.
Risk: Bear might eat me.
Reward: I'd finally get to see what's beyond that bush over there.
Verdict: Walking on four legs is SO last millennium!
Of course, risky behavior will ruin us every now and then. Here's what probably went through the mind of more than one AIG employee:
Action: High-risk credit swap.
Risk: Might default- company loses millions/people lose jobs/economy pulled into downward spiral.
Reward: Company stock goes up by a cent/big bonus.
Verdict: What could possibly go wrong? The government will bail us out if this backfires, anyway.
Action: Going to a party, getting drunk, and driving home afterward.
Risk: Might be grounded/get arrested/kill somebody.
Reward: Social acceptance/pretty popular girl might actually talk to me.
Verdict: Party on!!!
I've observed that this sort of risky behavior may start much earlier than the teenage years. Here's an example from my observations of the three-year old twin boys I talked about in my last post:
During a holiday gathering, these twin boys found themselves standing around a bowl of peanuts and decided to have an extended snack before dinner was served. Not wanting the boys to spoil their appetites, several adults told them to stop eating, yet they still continued, saying, "but I have to eat it!". To get them to stop, their great-grandfather decided to make up a story. He told them that if they ate any more, the big scary dog who was staring in from beyond the sliding glass door would charge in and eat them up.
There was no doubt that the boys believed everything that was said to them. You could see fear in their faces every time they tentatively turned their heads to glance at the dog, assuring themselves that the glass door was securely fastened before turning back around and grabbing more peanuts to put in their mouths. So here's what probably went through their heads:
Action: Eating peanuts.
Risk: Dog might eat me.
Reward: I'd get to eat more peanuts.
Verdict: Eat more peanuts.
Perhaps this sort of risky behavior has a purpose. After all, early man would have had a hard time evolving without taking a few risks. Here's another example:
Action: Forsaking life in a tree and stepping around on the ground.
Risk: Bear might eat me.
Reward: I'd finally get to see what's beyond that bush over there.
Verdict: Walking on four legs is SO last millennium!
Of course, risky behavior will ruin us every now and then. Here's what probably went through the mind of more than one AIG employee:
Action: High-risk credit swap.
Risk: Might default- company loses millions/people lose jobs/economy pulled into downward spiral.
Reward: Company stock goes up by a cent/big bonus.
Verdict: What could possibly go wrong? The government will bail us out if this backfires, anyway.
Kids
Ever since I found out that I'm getting one of my own, I've started to look at those little poop-making troublemakers in a different way. Lately, I've had a few opportunities to observe a pair of 3-year old twin boys. Here are some observations:
1. Kids' personalities really come through early. I didn't expect to see much difference in behavior in these twin boys. Although not identical, they've been subjected to the same developmental conditions since birth, yet they couldn't be farther apart in personality. One is precocious, constantly in search of praise and recognition, and already has a grasp over certain social faux-pas. He watches people with a silent intensity, fascinated by the behaviors and mannerisms of adults, though he clearly still does not understand everything that goes on around him. The other twin gets distracted easily- not by the behavior of people, but by the constant source of puzzles that surround him. He seems to have an instinctual need to put things together in a coherent fashion. He is indifferent to praise and is unembarrassed, though still doesn't like being scolded.
2. I'm not sure whether to call it cute or scary when a 3-year old points a toy gun at you and says: "BANG! Now you're dead!" Admittedly, it does sound much cuter in Chinese than I imagine it would in English.
3. Kids learn everything they know from those around them. This fact should be obvious, but becomes excessively clear when you observe their social interactions- especially when they're upset with people. For example, these twins like to use the same threats that they hear from their parents on a regular basis, such as:
"If you don't stop, we're going to the hospital to get a shot!"
"Keep doing that, and I'm going back to China!"
Those sentences don't sound very threatening from a toddler.
4. Kids believe everything they're told, but are still rebellious. I'll say more on this in my next post.
1. Kids' personalities really come through early. I didn't expect to see much difference in behavior in these twin boys. Although not identical, they've been subjected to the same developmental conditions since birth, yet they couldn't be farther apart in personality. One is precocious, constantly in search of praise and recognition, and already has a grasp over certain social faux-pas. He watches people with a silent intensity, fascinated by the behaviors and mannerisms of adults, though he clearly still does not understand everything that goes on around him. The other twin gets distracted easily- not by the behavior of people, but by the constant source of puzzles that surround him. He seems to have an instinctual need to put things together in a coherent fashion. He is indifferent to praise and is unembarrassed, though still doesn't like being scolded.
2. I'm not sure whether to call it cute or scary when a 3-year old points a toy gun at you and says: "BANG! Now you're dead!" Admittedly, it does sound much cuter in Chinese than I imagine it would in English.
3. Kids learn everything they know from those around them. This fact should be obvious, but becomes excessively clear when you observe their social interactions- especially when they're upset with people. For example, these twins like to use the same threats that they hear from their parents on a regular basis, such as:
"If you don't stop, we're going to the hospital to get a shot!"
"Keep doing that, and I'm going back to China!"
Those sentences don't sound very threatening from a toddler.
4. Kids believe everything they're told, but are still rebellious. I'll say more on this in my next post.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
'Math Tutor'
I'm currently working as a math tutor. I can't say I'm the best at what I'm doing, but I think I have one thing to brag about to others who have tutored in the past.
You see, there are some people who can teach a kindergartener how to add and subtract. Other people are good at teaching higher maths like calculus to high schoolers.
I, on the other hand, have done both......AT THE SAME TIME!!
Imagine this: I'm sitting at a table in collared shirt and tie. Across from me to the left is just about the cutest 5-year old girl you've ever seen, working on addition and subtraction problems I made up for her. To the right is an 11th grader doing calculus problems. Here's a sample interaction:
".....so, if there are three frogs on a log and two more hop on, NOW how many do you have?"
".....five?"
"GOOD!!!! Now, can you work on these next few problems?"
"...ok....."
(turn)
"Alright, so.....To do this integral, it's probably easiest to use this substitution....."
The place where I work likes to do individualized tutoring, but keeps the cost down by having up to three students per tutor at a time. Tutors are supposed to keep the kids busy by assigning problems during the class period and dividing up the one-on-one time. As you can imagine, it's not usually that simple.
One thing I found strange is that they specifically asked whether I was more comfortable teaching math or verbal, but never asked about what age groups I was comfortable with.
Well, I suppose they did ask me if I could teach kids, but it was after they hired me, and besides, what was I supposed to say?
...Not that I'm bad with kids or anything.
You see, there are some people who can teach a kindergartener how to add and subtract. Other people are good at teaching higher maths like calculus to high schoolers.
I, on the other hand, have done both......AT THE SAME TIME!!
Imagine this: I'm sitting at a table in collared shirt and tie. Across from me to the left is just about the cutest 5-year old girl you've ever seen, working on addition and subtraction problems I made up for her. To the right is an 11th grader doing calculus problems. Here's a sample interaction:
".....so, if there are three frogs on a log and two more hop on, NOW how many do you have?"
".....five?"
"GOOD!!!! Now, can you work on these next few problems?"
"...ok....."
(turn)
"Alright, so.....To do this integral, it's probably easiest to use this substitution....."
The place where I work likes to do individualized tutoring, but keeps the cost down by having up to three students per tutor at a time. Tutors are supposed to keep the kids busy by assigning problems during the class period and dividing up the one-on-one time. As you can imagine, it's not usually that simple.
One thing I found strange is that they specifically asked whether I was more comfortable teaching math or verbal, but never asked about what age groups I was comfortable with.
Well, I suppose they did ask me if I could teach kids, but it was after they hired me, and besides, what was I supposed to say?
...Not that I'm bad with kids or anything.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
'Adulthood'
I've wondered for the past few years about how much the concept of 'adulthood' is just a front. As kids, we all looked at our parents, teachers, and others who were significantly larger than we were as if they were something great. Adulthood was an eternity away, and those who had reached it were full of experiences and knowledge beyond our comprehension. Adults could answer every question and solve every problem. They spent their time doing 'important' things that we were unfit to do. They hardly laughed, and when they did it was over things that we didn't understand. They never made mistakes.
As a kid I thought that children and adults lied in completely separate categories, as though there was a line drawn somewhere that was used to distinguish between the two. In my head, there was an age that someone reached, or a test that someone took, that once passed, would mark the exact time when a child had become an adult- complete with all the attributes and abilities that I thought all adults had.
But now is the time when I have to challenge this idea of 'Adulthood'. I am continuously faced with the question: "Am I an adult yet?" I do not think there is a real answer, but I still ask.
Of course, a government or religion can give a definition of what an adult is, but they are usually too simple to agree with the preconceptions that I've carried over from my grade school years.
Maybe I ask the question because I find myself in situations that bring it up. Like, for example, when I go searching for a job (a very adult-like activity), and the following conversation comes up:
"Excuse me, are you currently hiring teachers?"
"Maybe...........who's applying?"
"Me"
"You?.........Really?"
"Yes......I have a B.A. from UC Berkeley, and teaching experience."
"REALLY?..........But you look so young!!"
Things are generally much worse when the facts come out that: 1. I'm married, and 2. We're expecting a kid in a few months.
...which brings me to perhaps the real reason that I'm writing on this topic.
I play video games. I watch cartoons. I have a weekly ritual every Thursday night when I wait for the next Naruto issue to appear online and read it as fast as I can (sometimes getting enormously disappointed when it doesn't come). Although I still feel pretty 'adult' in some aspects, I'm sure that these are just some of the things that are ruining the image I described above. I don't feel that I will ever be an 'adult', so long as it is defined in the way that I thought it was when I was a kid.
Yet I still can't shake the idea that adults are supposed to be like in the picture I described. When I think of how I saw my parents and teachers as a child, I still feel that I will never reach the example that they have set for me. Am I just that childish?
Or, there is the other scenario, which is both liberating and somewhat disturbing: Maybe no one really grows up. Maybe they hold onto their childish tendencies, hiding them in front of onlookers in order to keep up the image. I wonder if the adults from my childhood still secretly laughed at fart jokes and did stupid things from time to time. I wonder if I'll have to maintain the front in front of my kids in a few years... or maybe I'll get to read Naruto with them.
As a kid I thought that children and adults lied in completely separate categories, as though there was a line drawn somewhere that was used to distinguish between the two. In my head, there was an age that someone reached, or a test that someone took, that once passed, would mark the exact time when a child had become an adult- complete with all the attributes and abilities that I thought all adults had.
But now is the time when I have to challenge this idea of 'Adulthood'. I am continuously faced with the question: "Am I an adult yet?" I do not think there is a real answer, but I still ask.
Of course, a government or religion can give a definition of what an adult is, but they are usually too simple to agree with the preconceptions that I've carried over from my grade school years.
Maybe I ask the question because I find myself in situations that bring it up. Like, for example, when I go searching for a job (a very adult-like activity), and the following conversation comes up:
"Excuse me, are you currently hiring teachers?"
"Maybe...........who's applying?"
"Me"
"You?.........Really?"
"Yes......I have a B.A. from UC Berkeley, and teaching experience."
"REALLY?..........But you look so young!!"
Things are generally much worse when the facts come out that: 1. I'm married, and 2. We're expecting a kid in a few months.
...which brings me to perhaps the real reason that I'm writing on this topic.
I play video games. I watch cartoons. I have a weekly ritual every Thursday night when I wait for the next Naruto issue to appear online and read it as fast as I can (sometimes getting enormously disappointed when it doesn't come). Although I still feel pretty 'adult' in some aspects, I'm sure that these are just some of the things that are ruining the image I described above. I don't feel that I will ever be an 'adult', so long as it is defined in the way that I thought it was when I was a kid.
Yet I still can't shake the idea that adults are supposed to be like in the picture I described. When I think of how I saw my parents and teachers as a child, I still feel that I will never reach the example that they have set for me. Am I just that childish?
Or, there is the other scenario, which is both liberating and somewhat disturbing: Maybe no one really grows up. Maybe they hold onto their childish tendencies, hiding them in front of onlookers in order to keep up the image. I wonder if the adults from my childhood still secretly laughed at fart jokes and did stupid things from time to time. I wonder if I'll have to maintain the front in front of my kids in a few years... or maybe I'll get to read Naruto with them.
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