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10 ways you're helping your child fail in school and don't even realize it
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You already went to school! Been there, done that. You have too much work to do now to fit in reading a good book or showing your child that you still love art. Never talk about what inspired you to get where you are today; that will just bore her. - photo by Alicia Walters
School can be difficult. But are you encouraging or hindering your child's success? Here are 10 habits you may not realize are damaging to his or her success in school.

1. Forget about tomorrow morning.

Let her stay up late! Its not like she needs a full nights rest to do well in school; she can sleep in her desk! Besides, she hates bedtime and its so much easier to let her stay up with you and watch some of those funny late night television shows.

2. Dont ask her about her homework every day or how school is going.

You dont want to be a nag. Shes probably got it all figured out and will get great grades without your getting involved.

3. Dont worry about grades until a week or two before they come out.

You have plenty of time! Your schedule is too busy anyway to be bogged down with your childs education. If she misses class or a few assignments here and there, the teacher will gladly accept them until the last day of the term and if he doesnt, you can just call the principal and shell sort it all out.

4. Yell at your child until she gets her homework done.

Ground her and take away her cell phone. Thats how you really get someone motivated to work hard. If she complains, tell her you walked to school uphill both ways in the snow with no shoes; shell quickly realize that shes being ungrateful and get right to work.

5. Dont worry about attending Parent-Teacher Conference.

That teacher couldnt have anything helpful to say about how she is doing in his class. After all, what did he do with his life? Hes just a teacher. He better just shape up and do what you say, after all; youre the parent and you pay taxes.

6. Whenever she has a doctor or dentist appointment, be sure to make that appointment during her hardest class.

It will give her a much needed break and its not like youre worried about her making up the work. Thats the teachers problem, not yours.

7. Dont worry about whether your child has breakfast before she heads to school.

School is early enough; its not worth getting up earlier to make breakfast. Besides, its not like learning is a bodily function; its more of a brain function.

8. Dont praise your child if she does something well in school; it will just go to her head.

Your job is to motivate her by pointing out only the things she does wrong. After all, if you dont say it, who will?

9. If you have a complaint, always go straight to the top!

Principals love to get involved in every little situation; thats why theyre called princi-pals.

10. Dont worry about setting a good example of continued learning.

You already went to school! Been there, done that. You have too much work to do now to fit in reading a good book or showing your child that you still love art. Never talk about what inspired you to get where you are today; that will just bore her.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.