How does divorce affect children?
Any list of formal sociological articles on aftereffects of divorce would quickly become obsolete, but among the more accessible books are works by Wallerstein [18] (reports long-term negative effects of divorce on children) and Mavis Hetherington [19] (reports that not all kids fare so badly, and that divorce can actually help children living in high-conflict homes such as those with domestic violence). Attempts to assess the impact of divorce on children are inherently compromised by the same methodological problem as with adults: establishing the relevant baseline for comparisons. By definition, virtually all children of divorce are from unhappy families; meanwhile, children whose parents never divorced are from some mix of happy families and unhappy ones (parents who stayed married despite an unhappy marital relationship). Comparisons of life outcomes or well-being along the simple divorced/not divorced axis naturally always show poorer outcomes for the group that is composed entirely of children of unhappy families, demonstrating simply that being the child of happy parents is better than being the child of unhappy ones. The actual question of interest is whether being a child of unhappy parents who divorce is better or worse than being a child of unhappy parents who do not divorce. Establishing data for that comparison would require being able to identify with reasonable certainty the subset of nondivorced parents who are nonetheless deeply unhappy with each other, something no researcher has found a way to do at a meaningful scale. From work that has been done along the flawed axis described above, it was until recently generally assumed that children's difficulties with divorce, while common, were short-lived.
Do concert sounds affect children’s hearing? Does it have any other negative effects?
I am unwilling to engage in the histrionics typical to any question that can be regarded as a 'parenting' concern.I will say that for young children, their bodies are obviously in development. In this exact instance, that means soft, developing bones of the inner ear. Typically, these are the last bones in your body to fully set and harden. This means, typically, while they might find some loud noises unpleasant, they are Less prone to permanent damage due to high volumes.Nothing to get bunched up about so far…Here is where it gets…particular. High Volumes in some instances, such as wearing headphones, front rows of rock concerts, or operating a jack hammer, or a firearm (which are all reasonable activities for toddlers, sure) also consist of High Sound Pressure Levels…this is that “heavy air” feeling you get.High SPLs can cause permanent damage over time. And, it would be good practice to get young children used to the notion of adequate hearing protection, sooner rather than later..They will have all the time to rebel, and grow deaf in their teenage years.
What is the most pleasant sound in the world?
The sound of Dandelion purring in my ear as he draped himself across my neck every night. He went into convulsions while I was sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner and died an hour later. I was so devastated. I'd hand-raised him since he was 2 weeks old. He was 15 when he died. He was the kind of cat who would come and snuggle and lick my tears when I cried. He always wanted to cuddle and snuggle. He greeted me excitedly when I would come home. I have PTSD and major depressive disorder from a domestic violence beating and strangulation, and he was my comfort cat. I live alone, never married, no children. I go to work and come straight home most nights. I'm very content with my life except for losing my dearest Dandelion. My doctor has placed me on leave from work. I got a paycheck for 99 cents today. I have 99 cents in the bank. I'm flat broke and I have no idea where the money will come from for January rent and bills. I would give it all up just to fall asleep to the sound of Dandelion purring, one more time.
To those of you with children with autism...?
My son, now 5, with PDD-NOS, received OT for a short spurt earlier this year. Looking back, I wish the therapists would have communicated together, all working towards common goals. Sounds simple, but it didn't happen. When a child is getting OT, speech, ABA therapy, and services at school, a parent has alot of recommendations and advice to weed through and try to make educated decisions about services and treatments. In my experience, they all have unique approaches. I did decide to strictly stick with with intensive ABA therapy, and I'm glad I did. Lastly, I had an unpleasant experience with OT when I went in one day and they had placed a weighted vest on him without asking permission. Take my advice please and get permission before you try something like that. My husband and I were (and still are) pretty disturbed by that. Thanks for caring so much about your job and your kids to put this question out there!
What instrument is best for a child to learn: violin or piano?
I have played piano since the age of four and violin since six. I have added many other instruments to my repertoire in the four decades since I took an interest in the musical arts. My husband is also an accomplished musician with over four decades of technical ability and practice behind him. Sadly, neither one of our children took to music. We bought them all the best equipment from drum kits to acoustic and electric guitars with amps, all the "cool gadgets" such as higher end synthesizers and programs for their computers hoping to get them interested in studying music and having future family jam sessions. We never pushed them, though. We felt if we pushed the children too hard they may resent the study (and even us.) They would most certainly become frustrated. Music should be a joy, not a chore. Our children have developed other interests and are good at other things. They just don't play instruments. That is okay. We let them choose their own paths in life. As far as your question goes, personally I felt it more rewarding to practice the piano than the violin as a small child. The violin requires very precise bowing and precision finger techniques in order to produce a nice tone. There is pressure, precision and coordination which young children are still developing, all necessary skills to pick up the violin. Violin is very difficult to play well. Most children cannot do this right off the bat and will squeak and will sound very unpleasant. They can hear this. It may discourage them. They may feel embarrassed because they sound bad. I didn't care that I sounded bad, I thought playing my violin was fun and so I stuck with it.Playing a piano however, does not require that level of attention. You tap a key and your note is instantly produced. An electronic keyboard is even more fun to practice on because there are more effects to sample and you sound great without the worry of being out of tune. The better a kid sounds the more encouraged they will feel to practice. Personally, I'd start a child with piano if they show an interest in learning and move on to the violin once they have developed their coordination skills and ear more fully. This is only my opinion, of course. Why don't you ask your kid what they want to do?
How does sound cause physical discomfort? (See comment for details).
I am not sure if you mean pain or distress. I can't give you scientific info about pain but I know of a disorder referred to as Sensory Processing Disorder. About SPDI know this because I have it. Cacophony or even single loud sounds done repeatedly can cause me extreme anxiety or distress. I love music but when it is blasting on my car radio, I have difficulty dealing with it. Most adults are not fond of the sound of a group of children playing loudly or making a commotion indoors - I have to leave the premises or my agitation and anxiety will get the best of me. I never used to understand why my grandmother and now my father had to excuse themselves and leave the room whenever family get-togethers got a bit rowdy. Now I do.SPD can affect any of the five senses. It is basically a glitch in the way the brain processes information.