Author Archive

The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life by Majid Fotuhi offers a five-pillar plan that anyone can use to improve their brain and body. Following this plan will help you avoid cognitive problems and even help you get rid of any cognitive problems you have at any age. You only have one body, so make sure you follow this advice. This book is a must.

Introduction

• The brain is capable of miraculous feats of growth and rejuvenation. It often finds a way around any damage. Use it, and it gets smarter and better at anything. Your genes matter, but your family environment, education, work, social interactions, hobbies, and dedication to learning matter more. You need to feed it a proper diet, provide it with blood and oxygen via exercise, and sleep well to allow it to repair itself.
• Your lifestyle impacts brain function. When it comes to diseases like Alzheimers, most neurologists agree that prevention is possible. You have a lot of control over how your brain ages. Majid has developed and tested a 12-week brain fitness program that has improved brain functioning in over 80% of adults and children who tried it. This includes children with ADHD. The purpose of this book is to provide his program to the reader. It’s never too late.

Part One: A New Definition of Intelligence – 1. The Unlimited Potential of the Invincible Brain

• Recent brain imaging has greatly increased our knowledge of the brain, but there is a lot of mystery left. We do know that the hippocampus, a thumb-sized extension of our cortex is the most malleable part with the most growth potential. Your brain changes based on how you live and what you do. The parts you use grow while the parts you don’t use shrink. Your lifestyle and mindset determine how smart you get about anything.
• Studies with London cab drivers who study for four year to learn every street show that their hippocampus grows bigger during the process. The same is true for people engaged in intensive language learning. Growth is not limited to young people. Majid believes that our brain’s ability is 30% due to our genes and 70% due to our environment. IQ tests are popular because they produce a single number, but poor tools for assessing intelligence as there are many things you can’t measure like emotional intelligence, social skills, and sense of humor.

2. You Are Smarter Than You Think You Are

• Here Majid provides non comprehensive definitions for no less than 30 intelligences. He than asks the reader to subjectively rate themselves from 1 to 10 for each intelligence. Some that might not seem obvious are street-smarts, nature, cooking, and happiness. This will allow you to work on the parts of your brain that are most important to you where you would like to score higher.

3. The Invincible Brain Mindset

• There are psychological and measurable physical benefits to having a sense of purpose. People with a purpose have a reduction in cognitive impairments and dementia. Their risk of stroke is one half. They have fewer heart attacks and a lower risk of death from all causes. They are less likely to have sleep problems and less likely to be overweight. The are less likely to be depressed or lonely and more likely to be happy. They even enjoy sex more.
• There are seven questions here that can help you find your purpose like what do you like to do the most. The first step is to believe. This involves having a growth mindset. Intelligence can be developed if you believe that you can get good at anything. This will grow your brain. It’s important to see advice as helpful feedback rather than criticism. See mistakes as learning opportunities and seek quality practice over quantity.

Teaching With AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning (2nd ed.) by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson shows teachers how they can use AI to promote critical thinking. It offers a vision of how we can use it to take students to a higher learning level as it provides specific examples that teachers can use right now. Every school leader needs to read this now or risk becoming obsolete.

Part I: Thinking with AI – 1. AI Basics

• AI is the ability of commuter systems to mimic human intelligence. GPT stands for generative, pre-trained, transformer. This is because they generate new sentences, images, and ideas. If an AI system is pre-trained on text that contains bias and hate, it’s output will reflect these sources. Parameters in the system will result in the transforms we see. The first public access to a functioning GPT was on November 30, 2022.
• Which model should we use? The big three are ChatCPT from OpenAI, Gemini from Google, and Claud from Anthropic. In any case, your university or school district should have a subscription so you can use the paid version and the phone app. AI literacy will be an essential work- and life-skill for faculty and students. We need to integrate AI literacy into our classrooms, but first we need to understand how it is changing work and future careers.

2. A New Era of Work

• The authors see the impact of AI as being similar to the industrial revolution. They see it changing the nature of work for everyone. AI will eliminate some jobs. Those who can work with AI will replace those who can’t. It is emerging as a more collegial thought partner. It will allow doctors to engage in more eye contact. The number of doctors using it jumped from 38% in 2023 to 66% in 2024.
• There is considerable anxiety across the professional spectrum. 170 million jobs will be created while 92 million will be lost. Younger workers are more likely to be experimenting and seeing productivity gains. 66% of business leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. AI can process more data without getting tired, so it scales. AI-assisted breast cancer screenings detected 20% more cancer with no increase in false positives. When used to teach writing, it helps the weakest writers the most. This is like how spell checkers helped the worst spellers. It’s more than an assistant, it’s a collaborator and you are the boss. Humans are still better when facing new situations.

3. AI Prompting

• Good users of AI ask better questions, evaluate answers, and repeat. If you teach critical thinking, you are already teaching AI literacy. If you are already an expert, you have a tremendous advantage using AI. General principles for prompting include: longer prompts with more details, asking for more than you need, iterate and rarely accept the first answer, provide context such as your audience, specify the level of expertise you want, asking to show thinking, and asking to innovate.
• Be sure to specify the output type such as essay, list, or lesson plan for example. Specify the style you want such as academic, marketing, or archaic. There are two pages of sample prompts here. If you need citations, tell it the format like APA. You can even have it give you feedback on the quality of your prompt.

4. Reimagining Creativity

• Creativity depends on the quantity of ideas. The authors feel that AI will, therefore, make us all more creative. AI can help you generate examples, analogies, entry points, or explanations for teaching a new subject. If you only need one good idea for a paper, project, or dissertation, AI can be your friend.
• There are examples here of how specific AI tools have helped advance science. The best creatives can beat AI but, average thinkers will be beat by AI. Asking the right question will still be a valuable human skill. Teams of humans with an AI partner outperform human teams. AI literate students will use it to become better thinkers.

5. AI Literacy

• AI literacy requires asking better questions and evaluating the answers. AI skills, therefore, overlap substantially with the core tenets of liberal arts education. Critical thinking, teamwork, and communication are essential learning skills for work and life. 19% of higher education institutions have set up majors or minors in AI. The need to teach AI literacy is an opportunity to rethink the way we present general education.
• Key is seeing AI as something you work with, not something that does the work for you. Everyone is AI’s boss. A knowledge of the various AI tools in necessary so you know which one to use. Many institutions have purchased access to special versions of AI systems that offer FERPA compliance. Is yours? To be an effective AI boss you need to know something about the domain you are exploring. You will also need editing skills, which differ from standard writing skills.

Practical Strategies to Overcome Single Parenting Challenges and Thrive

Single parents and the educators and school administrators who support them often carry a quiet question: why does daily life feel like it’s always one step from falling apart? The emotional challenges of single parenting can stack up fast, grief, guilt, isolation, and the pressure to be the steady one, while single parent stressors keep coming without a pause. Financial difficulties for single parents add another layer, turning ordinary needs into constant calculations and hard trade-offs. Add the daily struggles of single parenthood like logistics, school communication, digital learning demands, and limited childcare, and the strain becomes predictable, not personal failure. Practical help starts with naming what’s real.

Understanding How Single-Parent Stress Stacks Up

Single parenting pressure rarely comes from one problem. It builds when emotional load, money limits, and daily logistics collide, especially around time, childcare, and who you can call when plans break.

This matters because generic advice assumes extra hours, flexible work, and backup adults. When educators understand that children under 18 living in a single parent household is common, support can shift from judgment to realistic planning and resource-sharing.

Picture a parent who gets a school behavior email during a work shift, while childcare cancels, and rent is due. That same week, 33% compared to 8% becomes more than a number, because stress keeps compounding.

With the stack identified, routines, communication, budgeting, support networks, and reliable childcare can reduce friction fast.

Use This 7-Step Playbook to Stabilize Your Week

When single-parent stress stacks up, it’s usually not one “big” problem, it’s the daily friction of time, money, logistics, and emotional load. This weekly playbook reduces decision fatigue by turning your highest-stress moments into predictable systems.

1. Lock in 3 non-negotiable routines: Choose one morning routine, one after-school routine, and one bedtime routine that happen in the same order most days (even if the timing shifts). Keep them short, 10 minutes each is enough, so you’re building consistency, not perfection. Predictable routines lower conflict, support kids’ regulation, and make it easier for you to spot what’s actually going wrong when a day unravels.

2. Run a 10-minute Sunday “week preview” with your kids: Use a simple weekly grid on paper: school events, work deadlines, appointments, and who is handling pickup. End with one question: “What’s the hardest part of this week?” This quick check-in prevents midweek surprises and opens a low-pressure space for kids to name worries before they show up as behavior.

3. Use one communication script for hard moments: Pick a repeatable structure: “I notice… I feel… I need… Here are two choices.” Example: “I notice homework isn’t started. I feel worried about tomorrow. I need 15 minutes of focus. Do you want to start with reading or math?” This keeps you calm and specific, reduces power struggles, and teaches effective communication skills kids can copy at school.

4. Create a ‘minimum viable week’ plan for your busiest days: Identify your two most fragile time blocks (often mornings and dinner-to-bed). Pre-decide what “good enough” looks like: a rotating 5-meal list, a standard outfit setup, and a 20-minute tidy/reset timer. When time management is the pressure point, a fallback plan protects your energy without lowering your standards, just your workload.

5. Set a 3-bucket money system you can check in 15 minutes: Label your buckets: Fixed Bills, Weekly Needs, and Cushion. Every payday, fund Fixed Bills first, then set a weekly amount for groceries/transportation, then put anything left into Cushion, even $10. This supports financial management as handling your finances so you can meet real expenses and still plan ahead.

6. Build a support network with clear, small asks: Make a list of five people or places: one neighbor, one family member, one school contact, one parent friend, and one community option. Ask for specific help tied to a timeframe: “Can you be my emergency contact for pickups?” or “Can we trade one after-school supervision hour on Thursdays?” Small, repeatable support beats occasional big rescues.

7. tabilize childcare with a “two-deep” backup plan: Write down your primary childcare option and two backups (a vetted sitter, another parent swap, a relative, a school-based program). Given that families spend on childcare, planning for coverage gaps is also a financial strategy, because last-minute care often costs more and disrupts work.

A stable week isn’t a perfect week, it’s one with fewer urgent decisions and more predictable support, which frees up the bandwidth you need to build resilience that lasts.

Sustainable Habits That Keep You Out of Survival Mode

Start with a few small habits.
These practices turn coping into capacity building, so you can apply practical strategies with confidence even when the week gets messy. They also translate well into professional development reflections for educators and parents because each habit is observable, repeatable, and easy to track.

Two-Minute Self-Check

What it is: Name one feeling, one need, and one next step in a note.

How often: Daily

Why it helps: It builds the capacity to withstand stress without ignoring what you need.

One-Problem Plan

What it is: Pick one friction point and write two fixes you can test.

How often: Weekly

Why it helps: Behavioral research links problem solving with improved effectiveness.

Anchor Meal + Backup Plate

What it is: Choose one default dinner and one no-cook backup you always stock.

How often: Weekly

Why it helps: Reduces last-minute decisions and protects evening energy.

15-Minute Paperwork Power Block

What it is: Set a timer to tackle one school form, bill, or email.

How often: 3 times weekly

Why it helps: Prevents small tasks from becoming urgent crises.

Ask-and-Thank Loop

What it is: Send one clear ask and one thank-you message to helpers.

How often: Weekly

Why it helps: Keeps support reliable and relationships strong.

Choose one habit this week, then adjust it until it fits your real life.

Common Questions Single Parents Ask

When life feels full, quick clarifications can lower the pressure.

Q: How can single parents establish a consistent daily routine to reduce stress and create stability for their children?


A: Start with two anchors that rarely change, like a wake-up routine and bedtime steps. Keep the rest “good enough” by using a simple visual schedule and prepping one item the night before. Build in recovery time by treating self-care as part of your time budget, not an extra.

Q: What are effective ways for single parents to find and build a reliable support network among friends and family?

A: Make one specific ask that includes the task, time window, and backup plan, such as “school pickup on Tuesdays, 3:00 to 3:30.” Rotate small requests so no one person carries the load, and follow up with a brief thank-you and next check-in date. Reliability grows when expectations stay clear and manageable.

Q: How can single parents manage their finances wisely to avoid feeling overwhelmed by economic pressures?


A: Create a one-page spending plan that covers essentials first, then automate bills when possible to reduce decision fatigue. Add a small “buffer” line, even if it is modest, to prevent one surprise from derailing the month. If you are unsure where to start, track three categories for two weeks to spot the fastest wins.

Q: What strategies can single parents use to communicate effectively with their children while balancing multiple responsibilities?


A: Use short, predictable touchpoints like a five-minute check-in at dinner or lights-out to hear the high, low, and next. When you are rushed, reflect feelings first and then give one clear choice or next step. This keeps connection strong without needing long talks.

Q: What options are available for single parents who want to further their education online while managing parenting and work responsibilities?


A: Look for programs with flexible pacing, clear weekly workload estimates, and strong advising, so you can plan around childcare and shifts. For RNs exploring a BSN, structured cohorts can provide steady deadlines, while competency-based paths may offer faster progress if you can dedicate focused time and compare bsn completion programs. Protect your energy by scheduling 10-15 minutes out of each day to reset before studying.

Small steps, repeated often, build a calmer home and a steadier you.

Turn Single-Parent Stress Into Steady, Sustainable Family Strength

Single parenting often means carrying the mental load, money worries, and school-day logistics all at once, with little room to breathe. The path forward isn’t doing more, it’s empowerment for single parents through applying parenting strategies with steady priorities, realistic planning, and ongoing support. When those pieces are practiced consistently, daily decisions feel clearer, kids get more predictable care, and long-term well-being becomes something you protect, not postpone. Small, consistent choices build resilience in single parenthood. Choose one next step today: pick a single routine, boundary, or support you’ll keep for the next seven days. That steady follow-through is what sustains a hopeful outlook on single parenting and builds stability for the whole family.

Emily Graham

Emily is the creator of MightyMoms.net. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family. You can email her at emilygraham@mightymoms.net. She lives in Arizona.

The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies – Then and Now by Richard Thaler and Alex Imas

is a revision of Thaler’s original work from 1992. Here you will learn about the many anomalies in human thinking that have personal economic impact. By understanding these anomalies, you can better maximize your wealth.

Preface

• The book builds on the work Richard has done since the original “The Winner’s Curse” was published in 1992. He gives Alex no credit for the original work as Alex was in grade school at the time. Together, they have rewritten the original work and added anomalies that have been discovered and reproduced since 1992. To avoid making the book too long, they left out some anomalies they felt had lesser broad interest. You can, however, read the papers on those subjects at thewinnerscurse.org.

1. The Winner’s Curse

• The origin of The Winner’s Curse came when oil companies participating in auctions to drill on federal lands found that the winner found less oil than expected. The winner of the auction was a loser in financial terms. This idea extends to any auction where there are lots of bidders as someone will almost always bid too high. The lesson is to become more conservative as the size of the group you are bidding against increases.
• This concept also applies to Major League Baseball where the team that pays the most for a free agent usually finds that he underperforms. Successful buyers of smaller companies usually find little or no gain for the buyer. Early picks in the NFL draft are often bad deals as the teams who pick top choices have to pay them more, while teams with lower picks often find hidden gems. Tom Brady, for example, was taken with the 199th pick.
• Each chapter ends with a “conclusion so far,” and “an update” from the original work. There is also a bottom line summary.

2. Cooperation

• We should be happy that cooperation in general is common in our country. Factors sited are that most people voluntarily return lost wallets, pick up after their dog, and make charitable contributions. Many people do nice things for others without expecting anything in return because it makes them feel good. (Doug: I’m one of those. Try it if you haven’t.) There is a tit-for-tat aspect to cooperation in that when cooperation isn’t returned, the person who was initially cooperating is likely to stop.
• One of the key pieces for research sited in this chapter uses the prisoner’s dilemma. Click here to find out what it is.

3. The Ultimate Game

• The big idea is that people are willing to sacrifice some of their own money to punish actions that they think are unfair. No one likes free riders and everyone likes to be treated fairly. Those who violate these social norms may be punished. Try being nice; it will make you feel good about yourself and might even increase your monetary rewards. The authors, and many other researchers, refer to The Ultimatum Game as a basis for the research that produced these findings.

4. The Endowment Effect, Loss Aversion, and Status Quo Bias

• If you demand more to sell an object than you are willing to pay for it, you are experiencing the endowment effect. This qualifies as and anomaly as you value something more if you have it than you do if you do not have it. Hanging on to something that you could sell at a profit is the status quo bias. Dealers who are used to buying and selling don’t seem to be impacted by either.
• Finely, there is loss aversion. This is where losses hurt more than equivalent gains feel good. Even though they are experienced, professional golfers try harder to make par putts than birdie putts. They seem to feel that losing out on making par hurts more than making a birdie feels good.