Archive for January, 2010

Are we, as parents, completely misguided when it comes to, well, being parents? Are our assumptions leading our children astray?

According to NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, “Many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked.”

“Childhood obesity might be the result of not enough sleep. Moving the argument to another room might be the worst thing parents can do. Babyspeak DVD’s may stunt your child’s verbal development (since those eight wasted hours per week weren’t spent doing something productive). How about this one: children lie more often to permissive parents than they do to parents that set rules and guidelines.” - Hugh C. Howey

In her review, Alicia Van Hecke provides a good list of basic topics covered in the book, including “The Inverse Power of Praise” and “The Search for Intelligent Life in Kindergarten.”

During the fall of 2009 the authors wrote over 90 columns for Newsweek covering such topics as “Kids’ Food Allergies are Skyrocketing – Is the Spike Real?” and “Why Going to a Diverse School Doesn’t Lead to Diverse Friendships.”

Let’s Start the Discussion: It’s a dense book with meaty topics regarding parenting and education. We encourage UrbanBaby members to read this book over the course of the next few weeks and then come back to the UB boards to discuss in detail. We’ll announce a date for a guided board conversation. Will you read it?

A genuine eye-opener.

Traditional fairy tales are so creepy. And that’s why we love them. The eye-gougings, the princes that suddenly turn into ravens, the witches burnt to death in ovens, all of it speaks to something primal within us. Adaptations of classic fairy tales by Disney and others tend to dumb down their violent and scary aspects, creating something fluffier and less offensive, but somehow less compelling as well.

The Storyteller, a television series directed and produced by Muppeteer Jim Henson in the late ’80s, does no such sweetening. Each of the nine live-action 22 minute episodes retells a traditional folk tale, usually German, and is narrated by the great John Hurt, practically unrecognizable in his fantasy makeup but retaining his customary gravitas. The tales themselves are also given a majestic weight, with screenplays by Oscar winner Anthony Mingella, and fantastic character actors such as Brenda Blethyn, Miranda Richardson, and Jennifer Saunders (years before Ab Fab). Both acting and production values are of such top quality that each episode is like a mini-movie instead of a disposable kids’ show.

And what tales, full of horrific happenings! Sapsorrow, a Cinderella-like tale in which a princess is ordered to marry her own father; the Luck Child, in which an infant is thrown bodily off a cliff (and survives!). You may not recognize the narratives, but you will recognize their mythic weight. Oh, and speaking of myths, there’s a second four-episode Storyteller series that takes on Greek myths. Both the original Storyteller and the Greek myths version aired on NBC, and, in the late ’90s, on HBO. These days both are available on DVD, as well as free for Netflix members on Netflix’s Watch Instantly.

Scenario: You grab dinner at 7pm. At 4am, you go into labor. Because it’s your first pregnancy, Junior probably won’t appear for at least 12 hours. And you’re prohibited from eating or drinking until your little bambino first bunks down in his hospital bassinet. Do the math; that’s 21 hours without so much as a snack or beverage. Oh, but you can suck on a wash cloth or ice chips.

This hypothetical could change thanks to a new review of studies indicating that the no-eating-or-drinking rules don’t appear to have any benefits for the majority of healthy women and their infants. Earlier this week, in a New York Times article entitled “Labor, a Snack or a Sip?” writer Roni Caryn Rabin reported on the conclusions of this review, which was published by the Cochrane Collaboration. The restrictions were originally intended to reduce the risk of Mendelson’s syndrome, a condition in which a patient’s stomach contents are aspirated into the lungs during general anesthesia. In rare cases, the syndrome is fatal. Rabin points out that these days general anesthesia is used infrequently on the maternity ward and cites an estimate from Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital) that “just 1 to 2 percent of women in labor are given general anesthesia.” (The concern is with emergency C-sections when the use of general anesthesia is sometimes necessary.)

In August, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines permitting patients to drink clear liquids. However, it remains to be seen whether you’ll be allowed to knock back a few slices of pizza in between contractions. According to the Times piece, anesthesiologists aren’t convinced yet that it’s time for women to dine and deliver, criticizing the sample sizes of the studies analyzed for the Cochrane Collaboration review.

So, for now, be happy with the ice chips.

Sure, you’d like the send the world a baby announcement and show ‘em all how incredibly cute your infant is, but who has the time to address, stamp, and mail a million cards when there’s an eight pound, seven ounce appendage hanging off your boob? Throughout 2010, stationery company Paper Culture has an almost-magic Mail & Message service: once you’ve ordered your card, Paper Culture will address and send your card for you, for the cost of the stamps alone! Nice! You can even include a personalized message, a different one for each card, if you wish, for no extra cost.

The cards themselves are gorgeous: thick, heavy paper stock, made entirely of post-consumer waste, with rounded corners and magnificently clear images, so they can see every tiny curve of your baby’s face. Quick, take a picture before the zits come in.

Visit paperculture.com for more information.

Every once in a while, we are jolted from the daily rhythms of parenthood and the quest to build a super child by something that gives us pause and perspective. The devastating earthquake in Haiti comes to mind. And, from time to time, Hollywood rolls out a film that inspires a sort of spiritual awakening, a realization about what’s truly important.

Extraordinary Measures is one such movie. Based on a true story, Extraordinary Measures is about John Crowley’s (Brendan Fraser) race to find a cure for a fatal genetic disorder called Pompe disease that has left two of his children attached to breathing tubes and in need of medical care costing a whopping $40,000 a month. The average lifespan of a child with Pompe is eight or nine years, a fact that is never far from the minds of Crowley and his wife, Aileen (Keri Russell). Their daughter Megan (aka “Megs” played by Meredith Droeger) has just celebrated her eighth birthday. Her health is quickly deteriorating but not her incredible spirit. The wheelchair-bound Megs proudly declares that she likes P.E. best and insists that her “special medicine,” the treatment her dad is so desperately seeking, be dark pink. After spending countless nights learning about the latest research on Pompe via the Internet and pouring over academic journals, Crowley pins his hopes on Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), a University of Nebraska prof whose research appears to be the most promising. Ford’s quirky Stonehill is perennially moody and sorely lacks people skills (but, at 67, Indiana Jones can still rock a pair of jeans).

Extraordinary Measures gives us a unique look into the world of medical R&D, corporate stumbling blocks and all. To an outsider, the process resembles an exercise in frustration and futility. Except when it’s not and miracles are created. Although the film has some tearjerker moments, its focus is on harnessing the power of possibilities and cherishing the precious gift of life.

Extraordinary Measures was released by CBS Films, a division of the CBS Corporation, parent company of UrbanBaby.

Photo credit: CBS Films

“Mile-long skyscrapers are my trees.
The subways whoosh – my summer breeze.”

Lee Bennett Hopkins’ recently published poetry book for children, City I Love, is perfect for our urban crowd. For those whose childhood is firmly rooted in the landscapes of city structures, or for the children who only imagine the busy excitement and noises from their own rural or suburban footholds, these eighteen poems invite the reader on a journey.

The meaningful illustrations by Marcellus Hall contribute a visual dimension of storytelling to the collection as the reader follows a jaunting, backpacked dog and his bird companion to cities across the globe.

“Children must read and read and read. Reading comes first. . .then comes writing. Poetry should be read every single day of the year, at all times, for all times. Poetry is magical, mystical. I maintain that more can be said or felt in 8 or 10 or 12 lines than sometimes an entire novel can convey.” Lee Bennett Hopkins, HarperCollins Author Interview

Lee Bennett Hopkins is a distinguished contributor to children’s literature and is the 2009 winner of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He has compiled numerous poetry anthologies for children throughout his career including America at War and Marvelous Math. In addition he has authored his own works of poetry, picture books, classroom materials and novels.

Join the discussion “Do you read poetry to your children? Who are some of your favorite poets?”
Available at Amazon.com

More Information
Recent interview appears at “Cynsations” Blog belonging to Cynthia Leitich Smith

Yes, you have to have navy wrap dresses and plain black separates in your wardrobe whilst gestating; anything more decorative is also more noticeable, and you’ll feel weird if people realize you wear the same pair of pants three days out of five. But when you have a special occasion to attend, a dinner, a wedding, a party, you really don’t want to come in wearing something schlumpy.

Enter the Chic Chiffon Dress, designed by Project Runway winner Christian Siriano. Siriano has been designing for the Moody Mama’s maternity label for a couple of years now, designing under the name Fierce Mamas. Most of what he’s produced is elegant and spare, often in neutral colors and designed to be a basic that’s worn often. Not so for this flirty number in teal, with a ruffly bustline that accentuates your lovely swelling bosom, and a floaty A-line skirt that camouflages the basketball you swallowed.

Speaking of Siriano, he made style news this month when Mad Men star Christina Hendricks chose one of his dresses to wear on the red carpet at the Golden Globes.

Teal Chic Chiffon Dress, $249

Granted, outfitting a play room with Vitamin Kitchen’s washing machine, oven, sink, and storage unit costs nearly as much as buying real, working appliances. But if you have cash to burn (or a grandparent in the mood to buy a toy that will go the distance), you can’t find finer fake appliances.

Designed in France and made with natural wood in Poland, all of Vitamin Kitchen’s items are painted sunny, bright colors in non-toxic lacquer and beautifully finished to the highest standards. Corners are rounded, knobs are firmly bolted on, the Plexiglass window on the stove is carefully crafted so as not to pinch and injure tiny fingers. Hey, for about $300 per appliance, it’d better be nice, right?

Considering that most play kitchenware is U-G-L-Y and crafted of the finest offgassing Chinese plastic, Vitamin Kitchen starts to seem like a pretty good deal.

Vitamin Kitchen Wooden Play Oven by Nathan, $334

Back in November, Time magazine ran a cover story about the slow parenting movement, a backlash to our hyper-parenting ways of recent years. Well, old habits die hard, especially in the ultra-competitive world of urban babyhood, where it’s never too early to start grooming Junior for the Harvard track. But said grooming doesn’t have to be grueling.

Enter Team Umizoomi, Nickelodeon’s new animated, action-adventure series that has an interactive math curriculum. Umizoomi’s superheroes use their math powers to help kids solve real-world problems. Front and center in this program for preschoolers: core concepts of counting, computations, shapes, measurement and patterns. In fact, six-year-old Umizoomi character Milli has a magical dress that can assume any pattern - how Project Runway. Milli’s brother Geo is the shapes guy and Bot the gadget guru rounds out the team. Created by two Blue’s Clues alums, the show incorporates many of the same interactive elements, such as the characters starting a “dialogue” with its mini viewers, asking them about information presented in the episode. A third Blue’s Clues alum, Donovan Patton, BC’s “Joe,” can be heard in Umizoomi.

Team Umizoomi will premiere on Nickelodeon on Monday, January 25th at 11:30am (ET/PT) with two back-to-back episodes. The two initial shows will get an encore presentation on Nick Jr. on Sun. 1/31 and Sun. 2/7 at 7pm (ET).

Pythagoras would approve.

Visit nickjr.com for activities related to the show’s math curriculum.

Mid-January is just about the time when reality intervenes and we start to lose momentum with our New Year’s resolutions. Your enthusiasm to adopt a healthier lifestyle was at an all-time high on January 1st. But you (and your family) could use some assistance the other 364 days of the year to make good on your promises. Time for reinforcements. The following may help:

Rhythm for Life: The Prenatal Belly Dance Workout DVD is a great way to mix it up when it comes to your prenatal exercise regimen. Choreographer and mother of two Suzanne Caesar takes you through gentle stretching exercises to ease pregnancy discomfort zones and build core strength. She also leads you in “firm & sexy” movements to condition thighs and hips, meditation and the highlight - Latin belly dance fusion, a low-impact dance routine. If nothing else, the sensual dancing will remind you that, even pregnant, you’ve still got it! Available at marchofdimes.com.

Bean Appetit elevates food to a true art form … literally. It shows you and Junior how to make a keyboard sculpture sandwich out of bread, honey, chicken, apples and yogurt; a palm tree using chicken, spinach and pineapple; and a dragonfly from whole wheat pita, turkey and fruit. The point of the book is to have fun and celebrate food and nutrition - a departure from recent kids’ cookbooks which advocate “hiding” and blending in the healthy stuff. Hence, the emphasis on presentation (food sculptures). Bean Appetit also includes games (”Bean-go”), activities plus amusing convo topics to encourage family dinner discussion. A great way to develop healthy eating habits. Playing with food encouraged. Coming late February. Available for pre-order at amazon.com.

Warning: This book is for a highly organized and disciplined cook. The premise - cook once a month, create enough dinners for 30 days and save money. Choose from recipes for lime-grilled mahi-mahi, gnocchi with turkey ragu, Texas-style lasagna and much more. Mary Beth Lagerborg and Mimi Wilson’s book is divided into various cycles, with each cycle listing a menu chart, pantry list, shopping list and recipes. There are even gluten-free, summer and gourmet cycles. Available at amazon.com.

For the lowdown on many of the most popular diet programs, visit UB sister site moneywatch.com. Diet Plan Review: Best Ways to Lose 20 Pounds gives you the skinny on each diet and even breaks down what it will cost you per pound lost.