By Kerry McDonald I read an advice article at Slate recently where a mom of a nearly five-year-old daughter wrote in to express concern that her child hasn’t seen any friends in five months, since COVID-19 lockdowns began. She said: Because of COVID, my husband…
By Kerry McDonald At the heart of debates around education freedom and school choice is the subtle but sinister sentiment that parents can’t be trusted. They are too busy, too poor, or too ignorant to make the right decisions for their kids, and others know…
By Kerry McDonald This is my 100th article at FEE.org, so here are 100 reasons to homeschool your kids! Homeschoolers perform well academically. Your kids may be happier. Issues like ADHD might disappear or become less problematic. It doesn’t matter if they fidget. YOU may…
By Kerry McDonald Childhood exuberance is now a liability. Behaviors that were once accepted as normal, even if mildly irritating to adults, are increasingly viewed as unacceptable and cause for medical intervention. High energy, lack of impulse control, inability to sit still and listen, lack…
By Kerry McDonald Every parent knows the difference a year makes in the development and maturity of a young child. A one-year-old is barely walking while a two-year-old gleefully sprints away from you. A four-year-old is always moving, always imagining, always asking why, while a…
By Kerry McDonald How Schooling Crushes Creativity In 2006, educator and author Ken Robinson gave a TED Talk called, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” At over 45 million views, it remains the most viewed talk in TED’s history. Robinson’s premise is simple: our current education system strips…
By Kerry McDonald The Fidget Toy Craze: What’s Really Driving It You’ve likely seen the headlines lately regarding the latest fad frenzy: fidget toys. These toys, most popularly fidget spinners and fidget cubes, are simple gadgets that have taken over schools and classrooms across the country, to the…
By Kerry McDonald May can be a particularly dangerous month for schoolchildren. According to 13 years of recent data collected on mental health emergency room visits at Connecticut Children’s Mental Health Center in Hartford, May typically has the most. Under Pressure Boston College psychology professor, Peter…
