Recent family-related news included the increasing number of grandparents in the role of parent, how religion factors into custody decisions, a look at how paternity leave is implemented across the globe, the huge negative impact on children of separating them from their parent, and a new movie that prizes “flexibility” when it comes to parenting.
The Age of Grandparents Is Made of Many Tragedies Robin Marantz Henig, The Atlantic, June 1, 2018 According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 3 percent of children nationwide live apart from their parents, and of those, nearly two-thirds are being raised by grandparents. Some 2.6 million grandparents are raising their grandchildren, either because of a temporary change in circumstance for the parents, such as military deployment or joblessness, or something more lasting: mental illness, divorce, incarceration, death, or substance abuse.
When Leaving Your Religion Means Losing Your Children Samantha Raphelson, NPR, June 14, 2018 Chavie Weisberger was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Monsey, N.Y., and was forced to marry a man she barely knew when she was 19. The couple had three children, but when she began to question her faith and sexuality, she and her husband divorced — and she almost lost her children.
Which Countries Guarantee That New Dads Get Paid Paternity Leave? Malaka Gharib, NPR, June 14, 2018 What do China, India, South Sudan and the United States have in common? They are among the 92 countries where there is no national policy that allow dads to take paid time off work to care for their newborns.
Kids Can Suffer Permanent Damage from Border Separations Maggie Fox, NBCNews, June 15, 2018 “We know that separation of children from loving caregivers promotes something called toxic stress in their brain,” Dr. Colleen Kraft, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said. “There are certain patterns of stress that result in disruptions of brain architecture in children and can result in young children in developmental delays.” “It can also cause physical symptoms,” said Dr. Ana María López, president of the American College of Physicians… “The lifetime impacts range from behavioral problems and mental health trauma to a person’s physiology,” she said.
Incredibles 2 Will Empower Children and Their Parents Bob Mondello, NPR, June 15, 2018 Bob Mondello, film critic shares: “Actual ideas about balancing work and life in an action-packed kid flick — Marvel, take note. I exaggerate not a bit when I say that parents will feel just as empowered while watching Incredibles 2 as any child.”
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