Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.

We post an all new idea every day. If you find an idea you like... do something about it. Make it happen.

Our Latest Posts About: Parenting

Why Is Math Easier For Chinese Kids?

Monday, July 31, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

There's a reason why Chinese children learn math faster than Americans... it's all in the VOCABULARY!

When you see the number 15... what do you say? If you're an adult, you say "Fifteen", however a child will say "One Five", and that's where the problem starts.

Teaching written numbers to children starts off pretty easy:

1... One, 2... Two, 3... Three, 4... Four, 5... Five, 6... Six, 7... Seven, 8... Eight, 9... Nine.

Kids grasp that pretty easily, but that's where things start to get tricky, because as soon as you get to "Ten", things get pretty tricky. To a child 10 looks like "One Zero", 11 looks like "One One", 12 looks like "One Two"... etc. Our English math vocabulary keep changing through the teens, and they also need words for twenties, thirties, and everyth... [More]

Continue...Why Is Math Easier For Chinese Kids?...

Lessons From The Marshmallow Test

Wednesday, July 26, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why teaching your children patience is more important than any other skill.

In the 1960s, a Psychologist named Walter Mischel created a test to see how children practice self control. The premise was pretty simple. He took a group of children and and placed them alone in a room with a single marshmallow and instructions that they could eat the marshmallow any time they wanted, but if they were waited 15 minutes, they could eat two. Then hit turned on the cameras and recorded their reactions.

The study was designed to see the kinds of techniques children would use to resist their desire to eat the marshmallow. Although they knew they would get a second marshmallow if they waited the entire 15 minutes, many of the children couldn't resist and ate the marshmallow before the t... [More]

Continue...Lessons From The Marshmallow Test...

Your Kids Will HATE These 4 Mobile Phone Ideas.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you know what your children are doing with their mobile phones? Chances are, you don't, and that's the point.

The fact that most parents have no idea what their kids are doing with their mobile phones is all the evidence you need to see how bad the parental controls are on mobile phones. Today's idea of the day is a step in the right direction, and you're kids will hate all of them.

1. Parental access to every photo on their child's phone. Kids take a LOT of photos. Unfortunately, some of them are not exactly family friendly. If parents had the ability to access and delete every photo a child takes, chances are they would think twice before taking them. This is especially important for parents of very young children.

2. Parents need to be able to turn off texting a... [More]

Continue...Your Kids Will HATE These 4 Mobile Phone Ideas....

PS4, XBox, Nintendo... Give Me a BREAK!

Friday, February 3, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Parents need better parental controls that force kids to take a break if they play too long.

Most parents today have no idea how many hours their children spend playing games each day. It's not unusual for a child to literally play for 6 or more hours straight without taking a break.

What console games need is a way for parents to set limits on how long their children can spend playing before forcing mandatory breaks. To make it interesting, perhaps they can even give them incentives to return to the game after answering some math questions or by quizzing them on a reading assignment. Either way, the main objective is to make sure they take a break every now and then.

The On-Demand Generation

Thursday, January 19, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Millennials don't know what it's like to live in a world of patience and anticipation.

Technology has given the Generation Gap a new meaning. Today's Millennials grew up in an era where just about everything they do these days is on-demand.

Not only can they play their favorite songs, movies or TV shows in a matter of seconds, but they can jump directly to their favorite parts. When I grew up, there were only about 7 TV channels, which means we all watched pretty much the same shows at the same time. If you missed your favorite movies or shows, there was nothing you could do about it, unless the networks decided to play them again a few months ago. Classic movies like The Wizard of Oz played only once a year, but most never played more than once... And we accepted that... [More]

Continue...The On-Demand Generation...

Why Don't They Teach THIS In School?

Wednesday, December 21, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Schools teach just about everything a student needs to get a job, except how to find one.

Finding the right job isn't easy, especially since most students have no idea where to start. It's not just a matter of checking newspaper listings and online job sites, because a lot of students don't even know which jobs to apply for, or how to go about it.

Finding the right job is a combination of finding the right fit for the skills you've learned, creating a well crafted resume, submitting it to the right places, and most of all, knowing how to handle the interviews and subsequent negotiations. None of these skills are taught in school.

I've seen quite a few students shift careers 4 or 5 times within the first year of school, simply because the didn't apply for the right jobs.... [More]

Continue...Why Don't They Teach THIS In School?...

REAL YouTube Age Ratings?

Thursday, December 8, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why doesn't YouTube have a REAL Age Rating System?

YouTube has exactly 2 ratings. If you check a box that says "Age Restricted" when you upload your video, it's considered for adults, otherwise, it's not. That's not enough.

Very few people check the "Age Restricted" box because it turns off monetization, so there are literally billions of videos online that are not suitable for children, and there is no way for parents to filter them out.

YouTube needs a REAL ratings system that's similar to TV, Games and Movies, that let people know exactly what to expect BEFORE they play a video.

Why Parents Should Give Each Child Personalized Dishes

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

If you ask the typical child if they left their dish in the sink, there's a good chance they'll say "Not Me".

Just about every parent knows the feeling of walking into the kitchen to find a sink full of dishes, and a room full of kids who won't admit to putting them there.

One solution is to give each child their own personalized dish set, then tell each child they are responsible for keeping it clean. This not only makes it easy to determine which child left their dishes in the sink. but it also teaches them about responsibility, because they know they will be held accountable if it's not taken care of.

For this to work, they need to be aware that they are responsible for their dishes, even if a sibling uses their set, which is a great way to insure they truly understand... [More]

Continue...Why Parents Should Give Each Child Personalized Dishes...

The REAL Purpose of Education

Saturday, July 30, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

The purpose of teaching is to make teaching unnecessary.

When you think about it, the most important part of your education took place in three basic stages. Your first stage was to learn the fundamental skills like reading, writing and arithmetic. Most of that you mastered in elementary school.

With those building blocks in place, you soon moved on to more advanced studies in a variety of subjects like history and science, and finally in your third stage, you went deeper into those subjects and started to learn specific skills that you may use in your future career.

However, there is a fourth, and more important stage. It's called "Life". It's a much longer phase, but for some people, it's often neglected. In this critical stage you are faced with NEW questions every... [More]

Continue...The REAL Purpose of Education...

The KIPP Program. A Model For EVERY School to Emulate

Saturday, June 18, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

45% of lower income students who enter the KIPP program graduate college, as compared to only 9% who don't.

Low income students have less than 10% chance of graduating college, but 45% kids from the same neighborhoods who were lucky enough to get into a KIPP charter school successfully graduate college. That's amazing!

That's an even higher graduation rate than the national average, which is only 34%. With results like this, you have to wonder why EVERY school in the country doesn't try to emulate their methods.

The key to their success is that they start off with the principle that EVERY student can graduate college. They put a heavy emphasis on character building, which translates into building confidence sp that each student believes the... [More]

Continue...The KIPP Program. A Model For EVERY School to Emulate...

Detergent Pods Shouldn't Look Like Candy

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why the heck are laundry and dish washer detergent pods so colorful?

On the surface, detergent pods seem like a brilliant idea. You just pop them into your washing machine or dishwasher. There's no more measuring messy powders or liquids, what could be wrong with that? I don't actually have a problem with the concept. It's the execution that's completely messed up, and it's not the fault of the inventors.

The problem comes from the marketing departments of these companies. Instead of being satisfied that people will want to use them simply because of the convenience alone, they decided to make the pods more appealing by adding colorful dyes and flowing swirls that resemble... CANDY.

When a child bites down on a detergent pod, they literally explode into their mouth caus... [More]

Continue...Detergent Pods Shouldn't Look Like Candy...

A TV and Video Game Odometer

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you know how long you or your children spend watching TV or playing video games? You'd be surprised at how long the typical teenager spends playing video games.

I think most people today don't, so today's Idea of the Day is a TV and Video Game Odometer setting that measures how long you watch TV or play video games, so families can make smart choices for how much time they spend using the TV.

Game Consoles With Mandatory Break Time

Saturday, January 2, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What would kids do with their spare time if their game console forced them to take a break when they play too long?

It's hard for working parents to keep track of the amount of time their kids spent playing video games. While some game consoles have the ability to set parental controls, they don't have a system to limit the AMOUNT of time their kids play.

Game consoles need easy access parental controls that let parents either set a specific limit on the number of hours they can play per day, or the number of minutes between mandatory breaks.

Mandatory breaks could force kids to find something else to do, leading to better non-gaming habits.

This gives kids an opportunity to go outside and get some exercise. Who knows? Maybe some of them will open a book once in... [More]

Continue...Game Consoles With Mandatory Break Time...

Encourage Kids to Read ANYTHING

Monday, November 30, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Don't judge what they like!

When I was in young, I didn't read many books, unless I had to. I dreaded book reports because I was often assigned books that I felt were boring. As a result, I began to think of all books as boring.

Whenever I had the freedom to pick out a book, teachers often rejected my choices, so I would end up reading something I didn't like.

I remember asking one teacher in particular if I could read some of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. He had a look on his face like somebody just fed him a rotten clam.

"Ian Fleming? Dear Lord, you can do better than that!" He promptly suggested a few other books that had nothing to do with spies, womanizing, drinking, and killing. I dreaded each and every page of his "better" substitutes.

Decades la... [More]

Continue...Encourage Kids to Read ANYTHING...

Post Game Handshakes

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

I played Little League Baseball when I was young. I wasn't good at the game, but I learned something more important than baseball. I learned about Sportsmanship.

In Little League, after each game ends, both teams line up to shake hands. It's a great tradition, yet you seldom see this kind of sportsmanship in professional sports, and that's a shame. That one little gesture can bring out the best in both teams, assuming the handshake is genuine.

If boxers can spend 10 rounds beating each other senseless, and not only shake hands... but give each other a big hug when it's over, why can't baseball players shake hands?

It doesn't matter if it's a regular game, or a championship. Shaking hands after the game is a great way to let th... [More]

Continue...Post Game Handshakes...

Amazon Echo as a Baby Monitor

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Baby monitors are remote microphones and speakers... just like an Amazon Echo!

Continuing my series of Amazon Echo ideas, today's focus is on the idea of using an Amazon Echo as a baby monitor.

This idea is a variation of a previous idea... using Amazon Echo as an intercom. This one would be super simple to implement. All you need is an Amazon Echo in the baby's room to pick up the sound, and you can listen from a second one in your own bedroom or from the Amazon Echo App.

As a bonus, you could ask the Echo to play lullabies, relaxing music or nature sounds to help your baby fall asleep.

Yawning Videos For Babies

Sunday, August 2, 2015 10:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Baby won't go to sleep?

There are plenty of videos out there to stimulate and entertain babies, so why not make more videos designed specifically to make babies sleep?

Yawn

We all know that yawning is contagious. If fact, even reading the word yawn can trigger your brain to make you yawn. The fact that I've written yawn multiple times in this post is proof because whereas most of my posts will make you yawn and fall asleep in about 60 seconds, my guess is you've already yawned at least once while reading this.

Although many scientists have concluded that contagious yawning starts at about 4 years of age, I've noticed that many babies get sleepy when you yawn and act sleepy, so I think videos of soft, hy... [More]

Continue...Yawning Videos For Babies...

Frozen Vegetables That Kids Would Eat.

Monday, February 2, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Many of us remember eating spinach as a child, because we knew Popeye ate it too.

Peer pressure starts at an early age. We ate spinach, because Popeye ate spinach, and some kids even ate carrots because Bugs Bunny did. As strange as it is, there are a lot of things we did because we wanted to be like our heroes.

For kids of the 80s, Hulk Hogan would tell kids to stay fit, eat your vitamins and say your prayers, and many of them did just that.

Now there is a new generation of kids who adore Disney's Frozen so much, that even the kids that hate veggies just might enjoy a plate full of "Frozen Vegetables".

How could a true fan of Frozen turn down a bowl of Elsa Broccoli, with a side dish of Anna Corn on the Cob? Finish the meal off with some Olaf Carrots and you've... [More]

Continue...Frozen Vegetables That Kids Would Eat....

A Parental Control App for Video Games.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

You're in your office 50 miles away. Junior's been playing that game for 9 hours straight, even though he promised to work on that book report. Thank goodness you've got a remote control App on your phone.

That sounds too good to be true, but since every game today is connected to the Internet, it would be pretty easy for game companies to create a parental control that you could monitor and control from the web or even your smart phone.

To be full featured it should be able to:

1. Set start and stop times, so you can give them time to finish their homework, and insure they can't play at night.

2. Set limits on the total playing time, so you can make sure they won't play more than a pre-set amount each day.

3. Set session time limits, so you can insure they take bre... [More]

Continue...A Parental Control App for Video Games....

3 Benefits of a Device to Monitor Teenage Driving

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Here's a great idea. Spy on your kids when they drive!

Spying on your kids? What a horrible idea. How could I even suggest this? It sounds so unfair.

After all, kids today are so wonderful and we trust them to drive below the speed limit. We have no reason to think otherwise. Why wouldn't they be safe drivers, just like we were when we were that age? Um.. come to think of it. This is a great idea.

I saw a commercial for a device from Progressive Insurance that you plug into your car's computer port under the dashboard that basically let's them monitor your driving habits. As a reward for using it, you get a lower rate. This made today's idea seem quite plausible, but instead of using such a device to let an insurance company monitor your driving habits... why not... [More]

Continue...3 Benefits of a Device to Monitor Teenage Driving...

4 Cell Phone Parental Control Ideas Your Kids are Guaranteed to Hate.

Saturday, November 8, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Your kids are going to hate these ideas. That's why you'll love them.

So, your kids want a cell phone. They told you that all their friends have one, and they are the only ones in the whole school without one. You've held out all this time with the usual speech.

"When I was a kid, nobody had a cell phone... We couldn't even call or text our friends when we had to walk 7 miles to get to school... And we liked it!"

To you, it's not just the money, a cell phone can be like opening Pandora's box, because today's phones are not just for making calls. I think a lot of parents would feel better if phone makers considered some of these Parental Control Ideas.

1. Camera Screening. All photos auto-shared to the parent's account.

When the first camera phones were relea... [More]

Continue...4 Cell Phone Parental Control Ideas Your Kids are Guaranteed to Hate....

If Your Parents Are Still Around... Have You Called Them Recently?

Monday, October 13, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Last week I realized I had to scroll 5 pages of recent calls to see my parents. Had it been that long? I felt terrible.

Life can be busy at times, but I try to keep in touch with my parents. Did I actually have to scroll that far in my recent call list to see the number? Had it been over a week?

All I can say is, I won't wait that long again.

If your parents are still around... Check your Recent Call List on your phone. How far do you need to scroll to find your parents?

If it takes you a while to find them. What are you waiting for? I'm sure they would love to hear from you.

Autocorrect Should Translate Text Slang into English... Because Kids Actually Think It's Correct Grammar

Saturday, October 4, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

I don't know about you, but I HATE the way kids write. They come across to me as ignorant buffoons.

I understand why somebody would want to abbreviate as much as possible using an old touchtone dialing pad. I never felt the need to use texting on those kinds of phones, but I could understand why those who did used abbreviations.

Here's the problem. Many of today's kids use that ridiculous way of writing when they are using a full scale word processor, and even when they write on paper with a pen. Teachers are reporting that students often use TextSpeak / Text Slang when they do school work.

The problem is not just with excessive use of abbreviations with strange combinations of numbers and... [More]

Continue...Autocorrect Should Translate Text Slang into English... Because Kids Actually Think It's Correct Grammar ...

Teach Students to Pace Their Spending With Daily Scheduled Deposits

Thursday, October 2, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Does this text message conversation sound familiar?

Parent: How's school?

Student: SEND MONEY!

Parent: Didn't I just send you money?

Student: SPENT IT... PLEASE SEND MORE!

Parent: Okay, but try to pace yourself this time. This is the third time you've gone over your budget this semester.

Student: Thank U soooo much! Love U.

First of all, college students need to understand that writing "Love U" makes them look like they're still in grade school, but that should be the subject of another Idea Of The Day.

If you look at the course requirements to get a college degree, one thing that is missing is personal finance. For a lot of students, a budget is more difficult than calculus. For students who have trouble pacing themselves, it's feast... [More]

Continue...Teach Students to Pace Their Spending With Daily Scheduled Deposits...

TV Needs More Shows Like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood... The Seinfeld of Children's TV

Wednesday, October 1, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Today I was thinking about Fred Rogers, and how special Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was.

More than anything, I was thinking about how so many of today's children will never know who he was. That's sad.

There are countless shows geared at children today, including some very high quality shows, but there's a big hole in children's television where Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood once stood.

So many of today's children's shows are the product of two distinct factories of thought... entertainment or purely academic education. These shows are formulated and tested by focus groups that end up producing a highly polished, but watered down message. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that children have a lot more diversity of characters, and they gain as much watching TV as they would in... [More]

Continue...TV Needs More Shows Like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood... The Seinfeld of Children's TV...

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* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

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Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.

Our Latest Posts About: Parenting

There's a reason why Chinese children learn math faster than Americans... it's all in the VOCABULARY!

Why teaching your children patience is more important than any other skill.

Do you know what your children are doing with their mobile phones? Chances are, you don't, and that's the point.

Parents need better parental controls that force kids to take a break if they play too long.

Millennials don't know what it's like to live in a world of patience and anticipation.

Schools teach just about everything a student needs to get a job, except how to find one.

Why doesn't YouTube have a REAL Age Rating System?

If you ask the typical child if they left their dish in the sink, there's a good chance they'll say "Not Me".

The purpose of teaching is to make teaching unnecessary.

45% of lower income students who enter the KIPP program graduate college, as compared to only 9% who don't.

Why the heck are laundry and dish washer detergent pods so colorful?

What would kids do with their spare time if their game console forced them to take a break when they play too long?

Mandatory breaks could force kids to find something else to do, leading to better non-gaming habits.

Don't judge what they like!

I remember asking one teacher in particular if I could read some of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. He had a look on his face like somebody just fed him a rotten clam.

Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

If boxers can spend 10 rounds beating each other senseless, and not only shake hands... but give each other a big hug when it's over, why can't baseball players shake hands?

Baby monitors are remote microphones and speakers... just like an Amazon Echo!

Baby won't go to sleep?

Yawn

Many of us remember eating spinach as a child, because we knew Popeye ate it too.

For kids of the 80s, Hulk Hogan would tell kids to stay fit, eat your vitamins and say your prayers, and many of them did just that.

You're in your office 50 miles away. Junior's been playing that game for 9 hours straight, even though he promised to work on that book report. Thank goodness you've got a remote control App on your phone.

Here's a great idea. Spy on your kids when they drive!

Your kids are going to hate these ideas. That's why you'll love them.

1. Camera Screening. All photos auto-shared to the parent's account.

Last week I realized I had to scroll 5 pages of recent calls to see my parents. Had it been that long? I felt terrible.

If your parents are still around... Check your Recent Call List on your phone. How far do you need to scroll to find your parents?

I don't know about you, but I HATE the way kids write. They come across to me as ignorant buffoons.

Does this text message conversation sound familiar?

Today I was thinking about Fred Rogers, and how special Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was.

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