I have uploaded two new videos to my Video Archive. The first video discusses Improving Focus and the “ecology of attention,” highlighting how attention is much more social than most of us realize. The second video addresses Listening without Looking…
Dr. Adam Cox
Connecting people with ideas for learning and living well. Helping to build purposeful lives.
Blog Archives
Executive Functions in Preschool and Kindergarten
This past week I had an opportunity to present a program at Brick Church School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The program was sponsored by the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and teachers from schools in…
Posted in Boys, Child Psychology, Early Childhood, Education, Executive Functions, Girls, Professional Development, Psychology of Youth, Social Communication, Teaching Tagged with: 8 pillars model, academic, Brick Church School, communication, Dr. Cox, Early Childhood, Education, Executive Functions, family, grades, Kindergarten, NYSAIS, Organization, Planning, Play, Preschool, Professional Development, River School, Schools, Teachers
How to Talk to Boys
Okay, so the first thing to know about getting a great conversation going is that communication has two parts: form and content. Most everybody pays mega attention to the content, while neglecting form. The content is what you are talking…
Posted in Adolescence, Boys, Child Psychology, Communicating with Kids, Parenting, Social Communication, Teaching Tagged with: anxiety, Boys, communication, content, conversation, Education, expression, form, Parenting, task tone, Video, voice
Failure to Launch
Speaking of boys and young men, is there any social epidemic which frustrates families more than a failure to launch? And with good reason. How frustrating to raise and educate a child who then lacks the interest and momentum to…
Posted in Adolescence, Boys, Child Psychology, College, Parenting, Psychology of Youth, Social Communication, Society & Culture Tagged with: Boys, College Admission, Culture, Energy, Failure to Launch, Goals, Immaturity, Inertia, Life Narratives, Life Purpose, Parenting, Planning, Purpose, Realism, Society, Young Men, Youth
Play is the Work of Children
Play occupies life before work does, and is in ways a primer for work. As cleverly observed by philosopher Alain de Botton, children gravitate toward characters who are “shopkeepers, builders, cooks or farmers – people whose labor can easily be…
Posted in Boys, Brain, Child Psychology, Childhood, Early Childhood, Education, Girls, Parenting, Play, Psychology of Youth, Social Communication, Society & Culture Tagged with: Allain de Botton, Boys, child psychology, Creativity, Girls, Kindergarten, Philosophy, Play, Preschool, Pretend, Purpose, Students, Teaching, Work, Youth
“Monstrous Children”
Modern children face an unfortunate fact. For all the love and attention we lavish on them, hardly a soul takes them seriously. Further, despite abundant indulgence and protection provided to middle-class children, in particular, few are given anything significant to…
Posted in Child Psychology, Childhood, Communicating with Kids, Early Childhood, Parenting, Psychology of Youth, Social Communication, Society & Culture Tagged with: Behavior, Boys, Childhood, Civility, Discipline, Executive Functions, Girls, Monstrous Children, Parenting, Respect, Social Communication, Society, Speech
All Social Contact Is Not Created Equal
Would most people agree that social contact is rapidly increasing? I believe so. But most would also agree that our understanding of what social contact means has broadened to include all forms of electronic contact. In fact, most social contact…
