Dean of Harvard Business School May Join Citigroup’s Board
Jay O. Light, an expert in asset and risk management who has led the business school for the last three years, is one of at least three candidates being recruited as directors by the embattled bank.



Max Perutz science writing prize runner-up Clare Watkinson
Clare Watkinson, from the MRC Epidemiology Unity at Cambridge University, was a runner-up in the annual Max Perutz science writing competition with her paper on promoting physical activity for health

Do you pay attention to milestones?

Filed under: Fun & activities, Development, Life & style, Resources

Parents worry about their children. New parents, especially, often wonder and wish for a set of rules to follow or a guide to carry them through the exciting and sometimes terrifying adventure that is child-rearing. Hence, the birth of the milestone. At a certain age your child should be able to smile, sit up, crawl, walk, talk, and eventually talk back to you.

Many of us breathe a sigh of relief to have these guideposts to help us. We delight in being able to check items off the list--yes, little Bobby smiled at the "right" time; whew--Sally walked by her first birthday. Mainly, though, it's the stuff before the "whew" that gets us. Many of us spend a lot of time worrying about whether or not our children will meet those milestones; some of us worry more when our kids don't hit the mark. Milestones are also used as a way of detecting developmental disorders, especially when a child goes far beyond missing a mark.

And who sets that mark? Well, milestones are really just a set of commonly held notions. Thousands and thousands of children are surveyed and studied and the average age of what they do when becomes the milestone. Hence, it is possible for a milestone to change based on new data. New data takes a long time to produce and cement, of course--markers don't change based on the experience of one or ten or even hundreds of children. Rather, the ranges of times associated with the milestones increase or decrease over time.

Continue reading Do you pay attention to milestones?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Back-to-school changes parents' routines too

Filed under: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Education

Shortly after school let out last spring, our schedule began to slide. The kids' normally strict bedtime began inching back, and now they're often up with us enjoying the sweetness of the late summer evenings. The flip side to this, of course, is that they sleep in until 8:30 or 9 every morning... sheer indulgence for this mom of early risers.

Our summer been decidedly unscheduled -- no day camp, no babysitters, no classes or sports, save for some evening swimming lessons. After a long winter of endless colds and flus and a hectic spring, we were looking for something a little more low-key. But as I settle back to enjoy a morning of sunbathing with book in hand supervising them in their wading pool, I realize that not only do I have a lot of work to do to get them ready for fall, I need to prepare myself for the culture-shock as well.

Changes in schedule can be stressful to a family, even families who stayed on a regular routine all summer. Kids have new classrooms to adjust to, new friends to meet. There are extra-curricular activities and carpools and homework. Life just gets busier, and whether you're a parent who juggles family life from home or from your 9-5 job, those first few weeks can be kind of overwhelming.

Continue reading Back-to-school changes parents' routines too

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Halle Berry going after intrusive photogs

Filed under: Newborns, Celeb kids, Celeb parenting

I think being famous would be fun - to a point. For me, that point would be reached the moment I gave birth. Being photographed and hounded by fans might be kind of cool for a footloose and fancy-free girl, but I imagine it is a totally different story once children are involved.

It is definitely a problem for Halle Berry, who gave birth to her first child last March. Being followed by the paparazzi while out in public may be part of the celebrity job description, but being spied on while hanging out in your own back yard is most definitely not. But that is exactly how some recent photos of Berry and 4-month-old Nahla Ariela Aubry were obtained.

"The paparazzi have gone too far. [Gabriel] and I have always remained that we would never sell baby photos or otherwise exploit her in any way," Berry said in a statement.

The photos in question were distributed by Fame Pictures and published in several magazines as well as posted online. Justin Smith, a rep for Fame Pictures, doesn't deny that the photos were taken improperly and acknowledges that Berry has a right to protect her child. However, his half-hearted apology falls short with this statement: "Every Britney Spears backyard shot goes out, everyone publishes it and nothing happens," Smith said.

In other words, we got away with it with Britney, so why stop now? Apology notwithstanding, Berry's lawyer has filed a criminal complaint against Fame Pictures.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Randy Pausch, 47, Dies; His ‘Last Lecture’ Inspired Many to Live With Wonder
Dr. Pausch was the Carnegie Mellon University professor whose “last lecture” made him a Lou-Gehrig-like symbol of the beauty and briefness of life.