Parents breeding ‘zombie generation’ by allowing kids mobiles in bed

October 1st, 2009 Del Toro urges Puerto Rico to nix monkey facilitySAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Benicio del Toro is asking Puerto Rico to halt a planned monkey-breeding facility, arguing the primates would suffer "extreme animal abuse." In a letter to Gov. Luis Fortuno, the Puerto Rico-born actor says the Mauritius-based company Bioculture's facility would be cruel.

September 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has found that children whose parents have a firm parenting approach allowing them to test the rules and learn from it are more likely to assume leadership roles as adults. For the new study published in a recent edition of The Leadership Quarterly, researchers used data from a long-term Minnesota study of twins.

September 29th, 2009 LONDON - Brit kids, as young as seven, are increasingly shopping for "shag bands"- cheap plastic bracelets with different colours, referring to various sex acts. Available for just 1 pound on any High Street, the shag bands have become the latest craze among students, and horrified parents across the country.

September 28th, 2009 LONDON - Doctors at Kingston Hospital in Surrey have revealed that the number of children being treated for accidents on a trampoline have been increasing, as parents often ignore the manufacturer's safety advice. Writing in the Emergency Medicine Journal, they have stressed the need for greater awareness among parents about the dangers.

September 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - While parents always teach their kids to be honest in life, they regularly lie to them as a way of influencing their behavior and emotions, says a new study. The research team from University of California San Diego and University of Toronto refer to this practice as "parenting by lying." During the study, they asked U.S.

August 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Schools have often been criticized for drowning students under the load of homework, however, parents see it in a much more positive light, according to a new study. It showed that while students are spending considerable time completing homework, parents are generally supportive of homework practices.

August 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Mothers, but not fathers, tend to follow in the footsteps of their own mums when it comes to learning parenting practices, suggests a new study. Experts at Ohio State University examined actual parenting methods over two generations, following parents and their kids over the years, and, subsequently, continuing to follow the children as they had their own kids.

August 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An American researcher has found that children these days enjoy more freedom at home, but they are more restricted outside the home. Dr. Markella Rutherford, from Wellesley College, says that the growth in personal autonomy at home over the last few decades could be the result of shrinking opportunities to participate in activities outside the home, without Mom and Dad looking over their shoulder.

July 29th, 2009 MELBOURNE - They are responsible money-wise, have a strong work ethic and grown up on the staple diet of Facebook, Twitter - please make way for Generation Z. Born between 1995 and 2009, Gen Z makes up for 18 per cent of the Australian population, reports The Courier Mail.

July 14th, 2009 MELBOURNE - A new survey has revealed that Aussie kids are now being given a special celebrity kind of birthday treat by their parents - a 500 dollars-an-hour Hummer ride. According to Hummer hire companies across Sydney, there is a rising demand by parents looking to give their kids a birthday with a celebrity touch.

July 8th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Australia is full of men, who belong to the generation of "mummies' boys", according to new data Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have revealed that 27 per cent of men, aged between 20 and 34, are still living with their parents - which is double the proportion of women. Social demographer Bernard Salt has said that the difference might be because men generally marry younger women.

July 4th, 2009 LONDON - Parents might be alienating their kids by allowing them to play computer games for too long, according to a leading author. Bernadette Tynan, a former child development academic, insists that the solitary nature of the games might have an adverse impact on parent-child bond, which is believed to be key to development.

June 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Bruce Springsteen has said that his kids find his rock star status "embarrassing." The Boss, who has three kids with wife Patti Scialfa - Evan, 18, Jessica, 17 and 15-year-old Sam, admitted that he faces the same challenges as any other parent does, reports Contactmusic. He says, "One day they'll say, 'Man, you rock,' then another day they'll say, 'You're embarrassing me! Don't drop me off here.

June 10th, 2009 LONDON - Your mom's lullabies might be one of your favourite childhood memories, but the tradition of singing bedtime songs for kids is now dying out in modern day Britain, according to a new research. The research, commissioned by confectionary firm Jakemans, has revealed that the rapid pace of life in modern Britain has killed the traditional lullaby.

June 4th, 2009 LONDON - While investigating the issue of self-harm among young kids, British Asian actress Meera Syal has expressed her views on the growing problem among the new generation. In an article in The Mirror, Syal has called for an urgent need to address the problem before it gets worse.