Why divorce hurts the education of well-off kids more

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SUBSCRIBE to TIME Magazine Well hello there parents and other interested parties, You've made it through another week. Your dependents have been fed. Their hair is in an acceptable state. They are older than they were last time you read this newsletter. You're reasonably sure they know you love them. I think we can all agree this week was a triumph. Should you wish to read more about parenting and how to manage it, then read on. But honestly, even if you don't, I promise you, you're doing fine. You can reach me at belinda.luscombe@time.com or @luscombeland on Twitter. P.S. If you like this newsletter, please pass it on to a friend. And if you got it from a friend, sign up here for email delivery each Friday. You know, more or less. roundup First up, a really fun, nourishing essay/book review about how motherhood is like a panini press, especially if you start in your 30s, partly because you will have parents and children reaching critical stages at the same time. But also due to "that tension between the empowerment propaganda women are raised on and the gendered I-am-responsible-for-everyone's-well-being reality in which most of us still live." TIME As I mention annoyingly frequently, I also write about marriage (and yes there's a book, Marriageology, out in May, etc). One of the things I've come to realize it's that our spousal interactions have an impact on our children in ways that is hard to parse out. It's the relational water our kids swim in. So I was interested in this brand new study from UCLA has found that the kids of stable families suffer a more drastic educational setback if their parents divorce than kids from more fragile families. The reason for that is quite depressing. TIME I hope you never need an article that tells you what to watch out for if your kid has been through a traumatic event. But just in case, here it is. TIME Jean Twenge, a researcher who looks at the mental health of tweens and teens a lot, does NOT pull her punches when advising parents about children and personal digital devices. "Four large studies of teens from the U.S. and U.K. all show the same thing: happiness and mental health are highest at a half-hour to two hours of extracurricular digital media use a day; well-being then steadily decreases, with those who spend the most time online being the worst off. Twice as many heavy users of electronic devices are unhappy, depressed or distressed as light users." Her advice? Start protecting your children. TIME We often hear about these new "kidfluencers," children who have transfixed the public because of their cuteness, determination or a particularly adorable trait. But these are not entirely a current phenomenon. Back in the 30s, when quintuplets were very rare, a set was born to a Canadian couple, and the five girls instantly became celebrities. They were taken from their parents. Their image was used to sell all manner of products. And, surprise!, they later said they wouldn't wish it on anyone else. TIME The good news: the male birth control pill has passed another hurdle! The not so good news: it's at least 10 years away, by which time it will already be too late for many of us. Here's the update. TIME There's caring about your children a lot. And then there's trying to recruit a childcare-provider who will dress up like a different Disney princess each month. This seems like a great way to suck the special out of nannying AND of Disney princesses. Lets hope, at least, that Moana falls on a summer month. TIME PFFT: Parenting from Famous Types Macklemore, musician and parent of two, on life on the road "Sloane was on the road with me for the first two years of her life straight, all over the world. It's a really fun experience getting to share that with them, particularly as Sloane gets to the age where she can understand what's going on and be excited for me and with the crowd and giving ideas. " To Unsubscribe You have received this e-mail because you are subscribed to this newsletter from TIME.com. Unsubscribe here. Update Email Click here to update your email address. Privacy Policy Please read our Privacy Policy, or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://time.com/privacy TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For Further Communication Please contact parents@time.com TIME USA, LLC 225 Liberty Street New York, NY 10128 Connect with TIME Find TIME on Facebook Follow TIME on Twitter Subscribe to more TIME Newsletters Get TIME on your Mobile Device Get TIME on your iPad Subscribe to RSS Feed