“She found that obese kids watch no more television than kids who aren’t obese. All the thin kids watch massive amounts of television, too. There was no statistical correlation between obesity and media use, period.”

“educational television had a dramatic effect on relational aggression. The more the kids watched, the crueler they’d be to their classmates. This correlation was 2.5 times higher than the correlation between violent media and physical aggression.”

“When we changed the channel from violent television to tamer fare, kids just ended up learning the advanced skills of clique formation, friendship withdrawal, and the art of the insult.”

“And the rule still holds true: more diversity translates into more division between students.”

“Children key off their parents’ reaction more than the argument or physical discipline itself.”

“The more controlling the parent,” Caldwell explained, “the more likely a child is to experience boredom.”

“Merry Christmas to all, and y'all sleep tight.”