Coing Home for Thanksgiving

It's tradition for college kids, particularly freshmen, to head on home for the Thanksgiving Holidays. After months of being away from home for the first time, who wouldn't want to be back? A parent-writer in the New York Times Parenting Section talks about how being home can show just how much one has changed since the college adventure began. Leaving for college meant independence, but does coming home for Thanksgiving mean we're not all that independent just yet? Or does it allow for a gradual reduction of our dependence on our parents? Maybe parents have loosened up on "rules" since, after all, we've been on our own for the past two months. Maybe they're overbearing and just want to know about everything that's happened at college. The parent-writer ponders about how she should approach her own college freshman who is making his way home this weekend.

"What most parents want during visits home is a chance to take their child’s emotional temperature in ways that can’t happen in text messages or even video chats."

She does not want to be the interrogator, yet still wants to get a sense of her son's "emotional temperature." Inevitably, the relationship between her and her son will have changed from the time they last saw each other -- hopefully in a positive way. She claims that parents may feel conflicted in how to deal with the young adult that has come home for a temporary stay. The goal would be to find that perfect balance between giving space and catching up.

So I guess we can ask ourselves related questions at this time of our college career, as we can see the contrast between our college home and 'actual' home. Are your parents treating you differently? How much have you changed or grown?

Teaching Millennials Financial Know-How

Today, many teenagers and young adults are less-than-stellar at managing their finances. The ever-present use of credit cards especially has clouded many young people's understanding of the value of money--after all, with a quick swipe of plastic that brand new dress or video game is all yours. A recent competition/summit in Chicago, detailed here , challenged its teen participants to address this very issue; it yielded some very impressive results. From organizing easy-to-use online "wealth diaries" for different expenses (cell phone, etc.) to setting up computer programs that allow young people to keep track of any and all debt with the click of a button, the winners of the competition certainly created some practical solutions.

Nonetheless, while reading this article I began to wonder: shouldn't parents be teaching their kids how to balance a checkbook? Why do most Millennials have trouble understanding how student loans should be managed? Does, and if so why, does this generation of young people have less financial know-how than their predecessors? In other words, I want to explore the roots of this issue after reading its possible solutions.

Social networks and kids: How young is too young?

This article really made me think about the impact technology has on growing up. Socialization is vital to development in childhood. Children have playgroups, participate in sports teams, and join different activities, making a multitude of friends throughout the process. But in today’s tech-crazed world, how about online socialization? The question researchers seem to be asking today is: How much can an online social network actually affect a child? Many parents believe their 7-year-old should not be allowed access to sites such as Facebook or MySpace. They leave children vulnerable to an inappropriate environment. But perhaps these sites have become our social world and it is only right for children to be a part of it. The simple network sites intended for children are no longer sufficient; they do not provide enough ‘networking’ and are basically not “social” enough. Toby Clark, creator of KidSwirl (a kiddy version of Facebook) sums it up by saying, "The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation […] That’s not going to change.” So the next step would be to determine the best way to integrate the youngsters of our generation into social networking. Researchers are stumped now because they cannot determine the long term impact of internet use on children today, as technology is continuously evolving. Where are they to find their control group of non-users for their studies when everybody is on the web?

No More Food-coma on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I thought in the spirit of health and aging...here are some key ingredients and tips to eat like a centenarian even for a Thanksgiving feast.

Eat foods with rich vitamins, exercise a bit after eating, and a sip of wine!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Centenarians of Azerbaijan

Somewhere over the green, fertile, rolling hills of Western Asia, the mystic, foggy, ice capped mountains of Northern Russia, and beyond the deep, hidden valleys of Eastern Europe lives the centenarians of Azerbaijan.

The following link will direct you to a documentary trailer called "The Centenarians of Azerbaijan." Out of the 3 minute long trailer, about 2 minutes of the trailer consists of shots and frames that pan pastoral imagery described above. The connection between nature and extreme old age is apparent in many of the documentary videos, advertisement photos of centenarians, and centenarian interviews. This common theme overused by directors, photographers, and other artists, romanticizes the centenarians. They are placed on the same level as the unparalleled powers and vitality of nature (ie rolling hills, grass, mountains, waterfalls, etc). These frames of landscape represent beauty and a sense of grounded youth and life.

Although the juxtaposition of landscape and centenarians over-idealize longevity, it is a persuasive tactic to encourage commoners like us to learn from their "rooted" lifestyle and live healthier. Enjoy the trailer! the dramatic music complimented with scenes of nature will definitely put you at ease and calmness whether you are interested in longevity or not.