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It takes a stable family
"Luxury beliefs" -- the idea that monogamy is outdated, drugs are harmless and success comes from luck rather than hard work -- are fine...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 10, 20242 min read


Portland's fentanyl crisis is killing children
Children are living and dying in Portland's homeless camps, writes Naomi Schaefer Riley in City Journal. Child-welfare agencies are...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 27, 20243 min read


Snorble wants to be your toddler's friend: Are AI toys good for kids?
AI playmates for toddlers will be in stores next year, writes Alyssa Rosenberg, who visited New York City's Toy Fair, in the Washington...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 10, 20231 min read


Fourth-graders are finding PornHub
Online porn is easily available to kids, addictive and destructive, writes Isabel Hogben, a runner-up in The Free Press's high school...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 3, 20231 min read



Joanne Jacobs
Jul 16, 20230 min read


Goofus and Gallant break the bad-good binary
My sister and I shared a subscription to Highlights Magazine. I always checked out the two-panel comic strip to marvel at Goofus'...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 2, 20232 min read


Less schooling, less learning
“The Longer Students Were Out of School, the Less They Learned,” concludes Harry Anthony Patrinos, an education economist for the World...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 14, 20231 min read


No sex shows for kids in Texas: Why is this controversial?
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill that would ban staging "sexually explicit shows in front of children," reports William...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 6, 20231 min read


My students are 'broken kids I cannot fix'
Teachers on Reddit are sharing horror stories of their students' emotional, social and academic melt downs, screen addictions and apathy....

Joanne Jacobs
May 18, 20232 min read


'Transition Me Elmo' could be the next hot new toy
The new Transition Me Elmo doll will introduce children "to the exciting new world of gender reassignment," reports Babylon Bee. "If...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 19, 20231 min read


Desperately seeking kindergarteners in Portland, preschoolers in NYC
Four- and five-year-olds are in short supply in Portland, Oregon, reports Rachel Saslow in Williamette Week. Schools are competing for...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 15, 20232 min read


The politics of parenting
Permissive parenting -- known as "gentle" or "mindful" or "intentional" parenting -- is spreading among left-of-center parents, writes...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 8, 20233 min read


Don't risk freedom, privacy to protect kids from social media
In their zeal to protect children from social media, Utah legislators are debating legislation that would usurp parents' rights and...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 12, 20232 min read


Obese kids: Are drugs, surgery the answer?
Nearly 20 percent of U.S. children and teenagers were obese by the start of the pandemic, a rate that's quadrupled since the 1960's....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 4, 20232 min read


Classroom libraries aren't a crime in Florida
The "great Florida classroom library freak-out of 2023" is based on faulty reporting, confusing directives from local school officials...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 2, 20231 min read
Happy days: Connect, care about others, cope
Happy people are kind to others and to themselves, says Laurie Santos. The Yale psychology professor is offering a free, six-week course,...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 28, 20232 min read


Generation Doom: Show students a path forward
Teachers should encourage young people to believe in the future, writes Alice Dominguez on EdSurge. The Doomer Generation needs a sense...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 20, 20231 min read


Protected kids become anxious adults
In an “Adulting 101” workshop, Kansas State students talk about "conflict" as though "it's this terrible thing," said Brett Mallon, an...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 29, 20222 min read


'You could shoot your eye out'
I saw National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for the first time on Christmas Eve -- I'm always just a bit behind the culture -- and...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 26, 20222 min read


Child's play is learning
Playing -- especially child-directed play outside with friends -- is how kids learn, writes Jackie Mader on the Hechinger Report. Playing...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 25, 20221 min read
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