Researchers in the UK published findings that showed students who study and do homework while having Facebook on in the background have 20 percent lower grades than students who don't Facebook while studying. Are any of us parents really surprised? 20 years ago, when I was a teenager, my mom told me to turn off the TV and radio while doing homework. Is Facebook any different? It's still a distraction. The study isn't a reason to ban kids from Facebook. It's more of just a wake up call to parents, that maybe these kids who've lived in a world of constantly texting while making their lunch or checking out MySpace while watching TV really aren't as good at multi-tasking as they'd lead us to believe. It may appear that they're doing two things at once, but they're really only concentrating on one thing at a time, they're just jumping back and forth between things at a dizzying pace.

When it comes to multi-tasking, there's no one better at it than a mom. Who else is able to take a child to the bathroom while participating in a conference call with her boss and keep the scrambled eggs from burning on the stove all at the same time? The difference is, there's a few years experience added to the mix, and an increased level of maturity and sense of responsibility when it comes to being a parent. We can't expect teens who barely remember to take their books to school each day to multitask like pros. The constant Facebooking and texting and doing two things at once may help foster multitasking skills later on, but for the teen years (and even into college) the ability just isn't there yet.

So follow your instincts, parents! When it's study time, it's okay to set some ground rules about what's on and what's not. And as a parent of a teen who's attached to his phone like it's an extension of his body, I'm going to take this a step further and say it's okay to set some rules about when the phone (or computer) can be on and when it needs to be turned off. Maybe what we need to be fostering in our kids isn't an ability to multitask, but instead the ability to concentrate and pay attention to the important things in life, one at a time.

An interesting study came out the other day. Researchers found out that as early as the age of 4, girls think they are smarter than boys. I have a daughter, and that bit of information doesn't surprise me. But the study went even further, and found that by age 8, boys agree with the girls and also think girls are smarter. If you've ever heard the saying "perception is everything," and you happen to be the parent of a boy, then this study is worrisome. For years we've worried that girls need a push to excel in school, at least in science and math, because the stereotypes have us thinking that boys are just inherently better at these subjects. But really they're not, girls perform equally well, they're just under-represented in the fields as adults once they choose their careers.  

But what if boys think girls are smarter? It's already hard for boys to buckle down and study when they'd rather be outside playing soccer or at home playing Playstation. And sure, girls would probably rather be elsewhere some of the time too, but if any of you are parents of girls you know, they often play school, of their own free will. They actually enjoy some of the things that school is about.

If boys think girls are smarter, then they might turn it into a self-fulfilling prophecy -- maybe not studying as hard, focusing more on sports than grades, and not even aspiring to college. There is still a gender gap when it comes to college enrollment, and with the way our economy is changing, this is becoming more of a worry.

It's hard to come to very many concrete conclusions based on this story. Some kids are smarter than others, and it really has nothing to do with gender. But one thing is sure, I'll definitely be on the lookout for those stereotypes and try not to foster them, as I continue to parent both a girl and a boy!

It's happened close to us, but now the story hits home. Yesterday morning a young mother was asked to leave a Greensboro coffee shop if she was going to breastfeed her baby. The owner said she was afraid it made other customers uncomfortable and she couldn't afford to lose business right now. It turned out she lost quite a bit of business that morning. The woman she talked to happened to be a moderator on Triadmommies, a forum for moms in the Triad and a partner of Piedmont Parent magazine. She was there to meet up with other moms from the network for their regular Mocha Mondays date. Now, thanks to the way news of this affront has traveled, next Monday's meeting looks like it will become a nurse-in. You can find out more by visiting Triadmommies.com, where you can read about this controversy, and find out first-hand details of what happened in the Business Review Forum. You can also see a lot of comments and photos that have already been posted on the Cup of Serenity Facebook page.

It's hard to believe that this is still such a controversial issue, when it's clear that a woman's right to breastfeed her baby are protected by the laws of North Carolina. As new moms we're all taught breast is best, and we all want to do what's best for our kids. But for some of us, breastfeeding doesn't come very easy. So when we're already struggling to feed our kids and keep them happy, having to deal with public scrutiny doesn't make the situation easier.

For help and support in getting through the breastfeeding months, you can find great support at one of the local La Leche Leagues. And in the meantime, show your support of Becky!

Update:

On Cup of Serenity's Facebook Page:
Cup of Serenity would like to apologize to TraidMommies, and to all breastfeeding mothers for the incident in our store yesterday. We are in full support of the planned nurse-in and will also support a "Breastfeeding Friday," and breastfeeding at anytime. We hope to turn our mistake into a way to help mothers everywhe...re raise awareness. We will do whatever it takes to make everyone feel comfortable in our store.

The nurse-in planned for Monday will now be a kick-off of a Mommy Mornings every Monday. It seems this incident has brought our community together in a good way.

If you had plans of one last beach trip, Hurricane Earl has done away with those. But the weather this weekend promises to be beautiful! So take advantage of this long holiday weekend and get out with your family and enjoy it. Maybe a backyard campout is in order. Pick up a couple of flashlights and some trail mix and head out for a night under the stars, inspired by our Father Life columnist. Or if you're a little more adventurous, take those tents to one of our state's beautiful campgrounds. We also have lists of bike trails and parks on our Outdoors Triad page, and plenty of ideas for fun places to go on our Day Trip Directory and our Calendar of Events.

Whatever you do, have some fun with your family. Getting back into the daily grind of school after the summer break has taken its toll on everyone. It might seem silly to have a day off this soon in the school year, but we all need a little rejuvenation to catch our breath and start it all over again on Tuesday!

What are you reading? It's a question we regularly ask kids, but what about the parents? Now that school's back in, I've seen Facebook posts of friends saying they're excited to have time to read again, and book lists for parents whose kids have gone back to school. It's almost as big as the summer reading lists preparing people for vacations! So if you haven't found a book yet, we've got a few resources to help. After all, reading yourself is one of the best ways to encourage kids to read. And we all know how important reading is for kids, helping them increase their vocabulary and expand their imagination.

Always a good source, the most recent New York Times Bestseller list is full of good choices and familiar names, from Stephen King and Barbara Kingslover to the very popular series by Stieg Larsson, whose "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" will be made into a movie soon.

For a wide variety of reads, from classic to quirky and cutting edge, check out this blog, Caroline Bookbinder. She's a great critic and a voracious reader.

And there's always the Oprah Bookclub! She's got a list of must reads, sometimes maybe a little heavier than what you're looking for when trying to escape from everyday life, but there's such a big variety here you're sure to find something.

But what if, even with the start of school, you still hardly find time to read, between loads of laundry, homework and shuttling kids to soccer and piano? One of my favorite things to do recently has been to revisit some of my childhood favorites and read them with my children. There's nothing more heartwarming than experiencing the ups and downs of "Charlotte's Web" together. And if you haven't read the Little House on the Prairie series since you were a kid, it's worth reading them again. It's a whole new world when read through an adult perspective!

And remember, there's always magazines! This month's issue of Piedmont Parent is packed full of great articles, and even better, it's free!