Teens Break the Spell

Whether you're a fan of the Harry Potter books or not, it can't be denied, the series of books made readers out of a lot of kid's that may have never experienced the magic of reading. Unfortunately recent studies show that all the hoopla surrounding Harry has not translated into children picking up more books as they grow. The National Endowment for the Arts has conducted several studies in the "Reading at Risk" series, with a new installment due out in October.

According to the recent data, a significant decline in reading occurs in children, especially among the upper age groups of-children. It doesn't take a researcher to tell parents of teens that the competition lies in the power of electronic entertainment media that is taking teenagers away from reading. Before you give up. According to the results of a 2006 Scholastic Study "The Kids and Family Reading Report," while it is true that an array of digital distractions are growing in popularity, parents can help foster reading habits.

We wanted to continue the conversation, so joining us in the studio this week is award-winning children's book author Mary Pope Osborne. She'll share her tips on the best way to instill a lifelong love of reading.

We want to hear from parents of teens. Does your child still love to read? Or, has reading dropped off beyond the school required lists? Can you share tips that encourages teens to continue reading for pleasure? Post your comments and questions.

A Mother's Work is Never Done

A new study just released by Pew Research shows how full-time work is less appealing for mothers today than it was just ten years ago. The report also seems to indicate a new division of opinion between working moms and at-home moms on the question of whether it's good or bad for society that more mothers are working outside the home. Over the years we've been working moms, stay-at-home moms and part-time working moms. So we've done it all! And there are positives and negatives to each of those roles. And let's face it - all moms work!

We are in the broadcast studio for only a couple hours each day, so we are able to be at home in the morning and evening with our children and can run them to soccer and volleyball camps and practices, orthodontist appointments and playdates. But that means that we are in our home offices writing or working on other aspects of the program sometimes at 6 a.m. or midnight and on the weekends.

But we are all trying to do the best that we can for our children and families and all moms must support each other. Many moms don't have a choice when it comes to working full time - they financially have to work. We have a real problem with this whole "mommy wars" thing and think it is fueled for the most part, not by moms, but by sensationalized media outlets and authors desperate to get on the talk show circuit. Women experience enough guilt in their daily lives - we don't need more. What we do need is more support from employers and corporations when it comes to maternity and family leave, and flexibility.

Our good friend Kevin Burke(aka pregnant dad) hopes to explore this issue further with a poll posted on his Light Iris blog. Finally, stay tuned to Family Matters as we'll continue the conversation about this issue and solutions to help moms and dads make choices that are best for their families.

Crazy Days of Summer

Do you remember that old saying "Summertime and the living is easy?" You know it's old because parents today will testify it's anything but easy. This rings even more true if your children are involved in sports. Just about every sport at every age level is increasing the commitment demands to feed the frenzy of a culture gone crazy over youth sports. More and more you can hear the grumbling in the stands from parents who feel overwhelmed by the off-season camps, more practices, expensive elite clubs and multi-day tournament travels that can deplete the funds and fun from family life. If you ever asked the question "Is this nuts?", you're not alone.
This weekend we talk with journalist Regan McMahon, who not only asked the question but,she also wrote an article on the subject for the San Francisco Chronicle. Due to the overwhelming response, she dug deeper, talked to athletes, parents, coaches, psychologists and orthopedic specialists to find out how we got here, where we're going and what we can do to make things better for kids and families. The result is her new book, REVOLUTION IN THE BLEACHERS:How Parents Can Take Back Family Life in a World Gone Crazy Over Youth Sports.
In the interest of full disclosure, while Caroline and other families across the country were enjoying family picnics and other summer celebrations, myself and a few thousand or so parents cheered our daughters on at the Junior Olympic Volleyball Championship at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite spending hours of listening to hundreds of whistles and being hit in the head a few times by a stray ball, I am extremely proud of their achievements on and off the court.