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HELLO MY NAME IS When it comes to reading to toddlers, you may want to ditch the device and flip through a book instead. A new study finds that children engage more with stories if they’re read from a real book. The University of Michigan studied parents and young children ages 2 to 3 reading the same nursery rhymes from tablets and books. They found that parents talked more to their children when reading them a real book, while children also responded more to this conversation than if a tablet was used. This is important because parent-child interactions are crucial to future developmental outcomes in language, friendships, and school success, researchers said. They added that parents should also co-view digital media with their children, asking questions and talking to help their children engage and learn.
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The name experts at Nameberry have projected the most common sources of inspiration for new parents in 2022.
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Are grandmothers more connected to their grandchildren than their own kids? One study says yes. Researchers at Emory University used functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan grandmothers’ brains as they looked at photos of their grandchild, the child’s parents and images of an unrelated child and adult. “When grandmothers viewed photographs of their grandchildren, they particularly activated brain regions that have previously been associated with emotional empathy, suggesting that grandmothers may be predisposed to share the emotional states of their grandchildren,” James Rilling, a professor of anthropology, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told USA Today. The study found that when a grandmother saw a photo of their grandchild it activated parts of their brain associated with emotional empathy and movement. When the grandmothers saw a photo of their adult child, it activated areas of the brain associated with cognitive empathy. According to researchers, the grandmothers were attempting to emotionally empathize with their grandchildren while trying to cognitively understand what their adult children were thinking. “That suggests that grandmothers are geared toward feeling what their grandchildren are feeling when they interact with them,” Rilling said. “If their grandchild is smiling, they’re feeling the child’s joy. And if their grandchild is crying, they’re feeling the child’s pain and distress.”
From “Bear” to “Cosmo” to “Rhythm,” there may be some unique baby names may be in store this year. Nameberry expects the trends to fall into ten categories, ranging from playful or nature-themed (Birdie, Forest) to Bridgerton-inspired or non-binary (Daphne, Benedict, Avery, Dylan). Spirit and soul names (think Praise, Dream) along with retro, nostalgic names (Hank, Etta), will also be popular. The website says musical names (Lyric, Cadence), punchy R names (Rhodes, Rue), and names ending in S (Wells, Banks), will also be on-trend. Liam and Olivia were the most popular names of 2021. The top ten baby girl names remained relatively constant since 2020, but there was some movement on the boys’ side, with a pair of new names – Levi and Asher – entering the top ten.
After nearly two years of transforming their homes into classrooms and offices, families are ready for a vacation – and letting kids call the shots. According to VRBO’s 2022 Trend Report, which predicts what’s likely to shape family travel in the year to come, kids are a big part of the vacation picture. Compared to pre-pandemic times, half of families said they’re more likely to let their kids decide where they vacation, and 1 in 3 are more likely to let their kids invite a friend. But it’s quality time over all else. More than 60% of families said they’re more likely to require their children to disconnect from their devices on vacation. That way, everyone can indulge in the change of scenery and enjoy the precious time away together.
6 | JANUARY 2022 | BayStateParent
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