Parents quickly learn that songs are a great tool for calming children and building a bond, but there is so much more music can do for them. Music isn’t just a great calming tool, it’s also a way to improve the strength of relationships with children. Music can also be effective as a teaching aide, helping kids learn words and patterns. Some have also alleged that music, particularly classical music can play a role in mental development, thanks to the so-called Mozart effect.

This post originally appeared on TheBump Family road trips are an American pastime as cherished as backyard BBQs and bouncy houses at birthday parties. Who doesn’t have a fond memory of riding in the back seat of their parents’ station wagon through the great wide open Southwest, the woods of the Northwest, or like my family, the endless concrete strip malls of the Eastern Seaboard? For parents though, these trips aren’t always magical and perfect and can involve a lot of stress.

I’ve been mentoring a few people who are interested in moving from an individual contributor to becoming a manager and they tend to have similar questions. Switching from working on individual work to managing a team is a massive transition, and one most companies don’t quite know how to manage. These people tend to be excellent performers at the individual level and are looking for new opportunities to grow and try something new, but the skills they honed as an individual don’t always translate well to a people manager.

Park City, Utah is as close to winter sports nirvana I’ve ever come. While there may be bigger or taller mountains, for sheer breadth of amazing slopes, nothing beats Park City. From the slopes of Park City to the amazing secluded Canyons, you can ski for a week and never touch the same slope. The bowls are intense but so much fun. Ski bums will absolutely dig the place. The town of Park City has enough to keep even those without a penchant for powder occupied and entertained.

Whether it was riding in a sideways facing seat in the trunk of a station wagon or the back of a minivan, we’ve all experienced road trips growing up. Driving past the biggest ball of twine, the largest thermometer, and lizard farms is a key part of many of our lives. During these trips, we were forced to learn to entertain ourselves and to interact with family much more than any other day.

Everyone is talking about Blockchain. As the technology that powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the idea of a decentralized distributed secure ledger has struck a chord with those in a wide variety of industries. The secure and distributed nature of blockchain is being explored for usages in payments, legal contracts, and even health care. Chances are your bank is already dabbling in the technology. But the hardest challenge for blockchain yet might be getting kids to do their chores.

I recently read a great post on Medium about how some people had gotten into software development and thought sharing my experiences might be interesting as well. Believe it or not, I didn’t always know I wanted to study computer science or work in technology. I actually vacillated several times both in high school when deciding where to apply and then again in college with what to major in. At one point I thought I’d become a pilot or an aeronautical engineer.

Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park is the perfect escape from Las Vegas for those looking for some nature and scenery. Only about an hour from the Strip, it’s a far cry from the fake over-the-top nonsense of Las Vegas. With National Parks nearby too, it gets a little less attention, meaning the crowds are smaller. The sights are no less spectacular though and there is plenty to see and do.

If one of my coworkers or friends just started screaming in my face during a conversation or throwing things at me, I’d probably stop talking to them and get out of there. It’s the kind of thing that would ruin a friendship. I wouldn’t interact with that person at work anymore. However, when one of my kids does it to me, I have to work through it with them. Sometimes we have this type of coworker or friend and we deal with it, but in general we stay away from them.

Bryce Canyon offers the perfect hiking mix for amateur and expert hikers alike. Weekend warriors will find plenty to challenge them while offering great views of the scenery of the park and plenty of variation in terrain. With peaks of elevation over 9000 feet, there are also short trails that are intense just because of the altitude. It isn’t just the elevation that takes hikers’ breath away, the sights over the canyon and the otherworldly hoodoos rising like columns across the canyon are just as inspiring.