Florencia Lopez Boo

It seems that the notion of childhood is not (and has not been) a fixed concept. Actually, it does vary greatly throughout history and cultures. A 1960’s book I’ve been fascinated about, “Centuries of Childhood: a Social History of Family Life” by Ariès, argues that before the seventeenth century, childhood was not a recognized concept. It was only sometime between 1600 and the … [Read more...] about When Mini Adults became Children

By Florencia López-Boo.  I don’t think there’s any better way to ensure that children are bored and disconnected from learning than by shutting them up in a classroom and bombarding them with rules and countless tests. My field observations at child care centers and preschools have led me to think that many times children are treated like lambs in a pen instead of being … [Read more...] about Wild Child

By Florencia López-Boo.  Inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing Latin America. We’ve discussed this topic several times from different perspectives here on the blog.  Inequality perpetuates poverty and, as the British economist Tony Atkinson says, inequality of income, wealth, or education in one generation leads to inequality of opportunity in the next. … [Read more...] about Strict and Controlling with Your Children? You Probably Live in an Unequal Country

When I read that men and women in the U.S. spend roughly the same number of hours working on an average week, I couldn’t help but feel envious. At this time of year, when I have to prepare Christmas dinner for 10 people, take my daughter to the pediatrician, drive my son to soccer, and make decisions about closing the year at work, I feel like that’s not the reality that I’m … [Read more...] about Ending the Year on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown