You > Adele: 5 Things to Know About Kids This Week

Our curated list of kid-related news for January 22, 2016.

By
Parker Barry
Categories
  • 1. Your baby thinks you’re better than Adele. Can’t carry a tune? That’s OK, sing to your baby anyway. New research suggests that the sound of singing calms babies better than speaking, and singing to babies “can lead to a stronger social bond with parents, improved health, and even greater language fluency,” according to an article published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
  • traffic_trust_boss2. Your car may never be clean again. More teens and 20-somethings than ever are choosing not to get a driver’s license, citing ride-sharing services, social media and the high costs of cars. “In 2014, 24.5 percent of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license … down from 31.3 percent in 2008 and 46.2 percent in 1983,” according to a new report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. USA Today published the findings of the report on Wednesday, sending chills down the spines of parents who hope to someday regain control over the crumbs, socks and crayons littering the interior of their cars. (No drive to drive: Millennials spurn driver’s licenses, study finds)
  • 3. Will your kid’s school dig Minecraft? This week Microsoft purchased MinecraftEdu, the Minecraft version made for schools. The New York Times reported that Microsoft will charge schools $5 per students to use this wildly popular game in the classroom. More than 7,000 classrooms in 40 countries already use MinecraftEdu, according to the Times. (Microsoft acquires MinecraftEdu tailored for schools)minecraftedu
  • 4. Kids drop sports as pressure wins out over fun. The high-stakes world of youth sports may be running into trouble. With 70 percent of kids reportedly leaving organized sports by the age of 13 and more kids getting injured, maybe it’s time to change the game plan back to fun and away from ultra-competitiveness. Kelly Wallace’s column on CNN.com hits a line drive at the problem and gives parents some good sport tips.
  • 5. Oscar nominations all grown up. No kid actors were nominated for leading or supporting roles this year. The youngest nominee ever for best actress in a leading role was 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis in 2012; youngest nominee for best actor in a leading role Jackie Cooper, also at age 9, in 1930. Check out Common Sense Media’s Oscar Nominated Films list to see which nominated movies are kid-friendly.

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