All this has given my son a healthy song vocabulary. He knows the words better than I and gets peeved when we’re having an in-home concert and I’m on the “microphone instrument” and mess up the lyrics to “Can’t Always Get What You Want.” (I can’t remember the line after “she was going to meet her connection.”)

I’ll state the obvious here and say that “Can’t Always Get” is a perfect song to reference when your child falls limp on the floor and begins to wail like a cat in heat because he can’t get what he wants, when he wants it.

Rick is all about nurturing our son’s interest in music, and I am too. But I thought 5 was a bit young for the junior drum set Rick wanted to get. So we’re compromising. Rick has talked me into getting the Wii Guitar Hero IV, which comes complete with a drum set and mic as well as the guitar. Oddly enough, while researching the merits of Guitar Hero I came across this story on Game with a Brain about how video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have piqued the interest in classic rock music among the younger generation. Parents especially love this trend because it offers another way to connect with their kids, which is what Guitar Hero I & II and Rock Band founder Alex Rigopulos calls a “big part of our secret agenda.” The games, he says, “are about connecting people to music in a deeper way.”

Post from: Blisstree

Guitar Hero making kids classic rock fans

Adventures in Parenting has the sixth and final article on effective discipline. Check out the series.

Online Teen Magazine has some tips for overcoming jealousy in a relationship.

The WSJ has an article about teens abusing prescription drugs.

A Long Island school tries to wean teens off of gossip one hour at a time.

New teen driving laws in Boston seem to be working to keep teens safe on the road.

Do you need some tips on how to talk to your teens about the upcoming election? BlogHer has you covered with links to several articles.

Kidz World has an interview with the Guitar Hero World Champ, Chris Chike. Have you played Guitar Hero? It’s quite addicting. I’ve gotten pretty good on the easy level.

A professor at Syracuse University walks out of class if students disrespect him by texting in class. How do you feel about this?

SciFi.com is launching a gaming blog. I’m pretty sure my boys will be grabbing their RSS feed.

Is using GPS to keep track of teens a way to keep them safe or is it just to spy on them?

I know some schools have boys and girls rooms on the same floor, but now some schools have mixed-gender dorm rooms. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.

The glamorization of drugs in rap music has increased considerably over the last several years.

Emo bashing has become a big problem in Mexico.

Nickelodeon is planning their own version of High School Musical, called Spectacular.

There is a graduation gap between big cities and suburbs.

Getting teens a credit card does not teach them to be responsible financially. In fact it does just the opposite.

Post from: Blisstree

Sunday Reading