Archive for December, 2010

Highlights from the boards for the week of Dec 23rd-29th:

Asking Pediatrician Non-Medical Advice… (3 Replies)

I am always surprised at how many people ask their pediatrician for non-medical advice. Just because they went to medical school doesn’t mean they’re good parents/have a parenting style you like/even have kids.

Essential Workers in a Blizzard… (167 Replies)

I’m so curious about the people who are so essential and irreplaceable that they had to go in to work today? What do you do? Where do you work? If you’re not directly supporting the exchange, or are an essential doctor/nurse, or a sanitation worker, I’m really curious about what you do that you couldn’t take the day off or work from home.

Should I Ignore My Nighttime Screaming Child?… (108 Replies)
We were given advice from pediatrician to totally ignore DCs screams for us in the middle of the night (3 yr old; screams to basically convince us to let her into our room and bed). We are talking high pitched screams that can last an hour. Will she feel abandoned? How can this be good for her?

Frugal Mom Share Tips… (30 Replies)
My new year’s resolution is to be more frugal. I’ve decided not to buy anything we need (as small as dishsoap, groceries, paper towels, bigger things like sheets, bras, oil change) until I thoroughly shop around and compare prices at all available options. No more impulse buys, I am going to try to get the best deal I can even if it means going to four or five stores.

Miscellany

iPod for 6 Year Old (28 Replies)

TV vs DVDs (100 Replies)

My DH Excels At _______ (41 Replies)

Online Toy Rental? (15 Replies)

Highlights from the boards for the week of Dec 18th-25th:

Can a School Expel a Child for Learning Difficulties? (303 Replies)
What would you say about an independent school that kicks out a young elementry DC mid-year when there is no behavioral problem, just learning difficuties?

Peanut Allergy Death in Chicago (36 Replies)
Tragic. A child died at a Chicago public school due to an allergic reaction to peanuts in Chinese food that was ordered at the school.

How Do You Know if You’re at a “Happy Ending” Massage Parlor? (19 Replies)
How do you know if you are at a happy ending/sleazy Chinese massage parlor? Because there was this one masseuse (she was excellent by the way) who kept saying things I thought were out of control inappropriate–like how nice I felt because I was waxed, how pretty I am, that she likes the tush.

In-Laws Are Late for Holiday Dinner (51 Replies)
Hosting Xmas dinner for the extended family. We asked SIL/BIL if they could come by 3 or 4 because we are wanted to have an early dinner after naptime with the kids. SIL/BIL are taking a train that will get here at 5 (we live in Philly). Do I have a right to be ticked? Or should I let it go? They have no plans that morning, I should mention.

I Want to Give Up Pumping at 7 Months (16 Replies)
WOHMs, how long did you pump? Db is almost 7 months and I am JUST SO TIRED of it. Don’t want to give up breastfeeding altogether but I really want to keep my shirt on during the workday and not have to schedule meetings around the pump room roster.

Miscellany

What Are Your Politics? (42 Replies)

I Hate Being Pregnant (29 Replies)

My Wife’s Parents Dress Like Homeless People (32 Replies)

Does Everyone Serve Turkey at Christmas? (72 Replies)

Buying fewer toys of better quality benefits the earth, lovers of uncluttered houses, and those who want to raise children who make do with what they have rather than always clamoring for more. But if you’re going to run with that idea, ideally you want to buy toys that will both last for years and that your child will want to play with for a long time.

Enter the Zen Wagon, a sustainable and knockout gorgeous version of the little red wagon we all had when we were little. And those wagons had their virtues, but they’re squeaky, awkward to pull, and the metal beds are uncomfortable when it’s cold or hot out. The Zen Wagon’s bed is made instead from satin-smooth Baltic wood that feels wonderful against the body. The natural rubber tires roll like a dream, the handle fits easily into the hands of both adults and kids. It’s a toy that just feels good to play with.

And it’s a toy that will go the distance. Older toddlers (18 months and up) can sit two at a time and be pulled, or grab the handle themselves and pull around whatever they like: dolls, supplies, maybe even Mom’s groceries. I can dream, can’t it?

Zen Wagon, $300

School vacation is in sway, and the weather outside is frightful. Holiday videos are the order of the day, but everyone’s seen the usual suspects one time too many. What do you watch? Babes in Toyland, the 1961 live-action movie that was one of Disney’s biggest flops.

Babes in Toyland is the kind of big, dumb musical you just don’t see anymore. The throwaway plot concerns Mary Quite Contrary (Annette Funicello) and Tom Piper (some Frankie Avalon-looking dude with giant hair), who are set to be married in storybook land, when their plans are thwarted by the evil Barnaby (Ray Bolger, yes, the Tin Man), who sends a couple of thugs to bump off Tom. And just about everything turns into a song-and-dance.

The dialogue is painful and the script is super-cheesy. But the action is simple and harmless enough for kids to follow, and gentle enough that they won’t freak out. The costumes, particularly the frothing-with-ruffles fairytale dresses on the female dancers, are absolutely eye-popping, and the music is cheery and catchy. And there’s plenty to look at, from the charming storybook set to the film’s most famous set-piece, a march of the wooden soldiers with stop-motion wizardry. It will kind of remind you of The Wizard of Oz, and Mary Poppins. It’s not as good as either, but it’s harmless fun that will entertain a wide swathe of ages, from preschoolers to young elementary schoolers, without getting on Mom and Dad’s nerves.

Vintage bonus: A young Sally Draper would almost certainly have been taken to see this movie in Christmastime of 1961. Babes in Toyland is available on DVD and Comcast OnDemand.

Christmas Philosophy for Everyone: Better Than a Lump of Coal Foreword by Stephen Nissenbaum

It seems that this time of year most of us are consumed with, well, consuming, whether it’s indulgent holiday fare or gift giving. But if you’ve ever found yourself contemplating some of the deeper aspects of the season, Christmas Philosophy for Everyone offers insight into the season of giving with thought and humor. Have you ever wondered:

* Should parents lie to their children about Santa Claus?
* What relevance does Christmas hold to atheists and pagans?
* What does the Bible actually say about the virgin birth?

The essays cover consumer madness, culture wars, a Puritan ban on Christmas, and even Ebenezer Scrooge. Contributions come from a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, theology, religious studies, English literature, cognitive science and moral psychology.

Available at Amazon.com

Jackie’s Gift: A True Story of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson Ages 4-8
Jackie Robinson’s daughter delivers a holiday story based on a true story of her father. When Jackie and his family move into a home in Brooklyn, they were the first black family in the neighborhood. Not everyone was welcoming, but they did befriend their neighbors who had a small son who was an avid Dodgers fan. Jackie finds out they don’t have a Christmas tree and delivers one as a friendly gesture, not realizing their were Jewish. The two families display tolerance and friendship at a time when this was not always the case.

Available at Amazon.com

The Christmas Giant by Steve Light Ages (4-8)
This is the story of Leetree the elf and his best friend Humphrey the giant. They love their job of creating all the wrapping paper for Santa. This year, Santa gives them the special assignment of growing the holiday tree for Christmastown and the two friends use their skills and resourcefulness to contribute to the spirit of the holiday. The illustrations are soft and unwrap the simple story with little need for text.

Available at Amazon.com

Stores abound with heavy-bottomed bowls, or those equipped with suction cups, which, presumably, kids can’t get off the table to spill. A few problems with that: Yes, they can (don’t know too many toddlers whose busy fingers can’t pick apart a suction cup’s seal in a few seconds), and those suction cups on the bottom make the bowls awkward to hold when you’re trying to finesse mushy peas into a wandering little mouth.

Loopa’s cool Gyroscopic Toddler Bowls, though admittedly impossible to stack in a kitchen pantry, has a literally space-age design that eliminates spilling. The gyroscopic (seen Lawnmower Man? yeah, like that) design has a heavy central bowl surrounded by two counter-rings. The outer blue one is meant for the child to grab and carry. The inner yellow ring is what keeps the bowl from spilling. No matter which way you tip the whole apparatus, the bowl returns to upright stasis.

Look, Mom! I’m eating cereal on the couch!

Loopa Gyroscopic Toddler Bowls, $9.99

Highlights from the boards for the week of Dec 9th-25th:

Mom Travels by Herself… (27 Replies)
What do you think about a mom who has 3 young kids (ages 6 and 2) taking 2 months off to travel by herself?

Parents to Eliminate Teacher’s Union… (184 Replies)
What can we do as parents, with limited free time, to eliminate the teacher’s union? It seems to me that if schools could hire and fire as they need to, and the rest of the world does, schools would improve dramatically. I understand why unions were necessary last century, but that need is gone.

Need Help with Violent 5 Year Old DD… (47 Replies)
My family is in trouble and I need supportive advice. I have 1 DD, she’s 5. She’s a good girl but can’t control her negative impulses and DH and I don’t know what to do. We’ve watch hours of supernanny and try to be consistent disciplinarians, but it’s like she can’t learn from any of it or doesn’t understand the consequences for her actions, even though they’re always the same. She’ll throws fits, is violent, talks back; and tonight she slapped me across the face. We need help. I’m so scared that this is what our life will be forever, she’s always been difficult and as she’s getting older, it’s only getting worse.

Hire a Photographer for Vacation… (14 Replies)
A friend of mine is hiring a photographer to come with her and her family on vacation to take pictures. Anyone else think this is really odd?

Family Holiday Letters… (32 Replies)
Would it bug you if your parents sent out their annual letter with wrong info and a photo that didn’t include you? I have asked my father for 2 years in a row to let me edit the letter before it gets sent, because he always gets something wrong. My cousin just showed me a copy and, again, he sent it without sharing a copy with me, and stuff is wrong.

Miscellany

Best of State with Best and Affordable In-State College? (42 Replies)

Is My Kids Smart?… (29 Replies)

TV for 18 Month Old (46 Replies)

Too Type A (19 Replies)

Everyone knows a pregnant woman shouldn’t drink, smoke, sniff glue, or take part in any number of colorful habits that can damage a fetus. But nobody talks about what Daddy contributes to the genetic pot, says a well-researched piece in Miller-McCune magazine, which surveys the many studies that show how various substances damage sperm and wonder: “Why don’t more people know about this?”

The meat of “The Bad Daddy Factor”: “Scientists also showed that it didn’t require industrial-strength chemicals to wreak havoc on men’s sperm. Smokers seemed to produce sperm with the wrong number of chromosomes, a DNA error that could lead to miscarriages or Down syndrome. (A stunning 2008 paper revealed that men with deficiencies in folate, that superstar maternal vitamin, had the same problem.) Paternal smoking has also been linked to childhood cancer, and even alcohol and caffeine can cause sperm abnormalities that derail child development.

We now know that what started as an inconceivable mystery — how could men’s environments and lifestyles possibly affect the children they would later father? — has not just one but several answers. Certain substances interfere with the earliest phase of sperm production in the testes, prompting errors in cell division that lead to genetic mutations in immature sperm cells. Chemicals can also cause what are known as epigenetic mutations, which don’t change the DNA sequence itself but alter how the body reads these genetic instructions. Essentially, an epigenetic change involves turning certain genes on or off, telling the body to pay more or less attention to the code they contain. (If genetic changes are akin to changing the lyrics of a song, epigenetic changes are like fiddling with the volume.)

Drugs can also interfere with sperm transport. A 2009 study revealed that a standard dose of paroxetine — the active drug in the antidepressant marketed as Paxil — causes a fivefold increase in the number of men who show evidence of “sperm fragmentation,” which can increase the chances of miscarriage. Researchers have known that certain antidepressants can influence ejaculatory response; it turns out that they seem to slow the transportation of sperm through the male reproductive system, causing the cells to age prematurely. ‘Sperm are being damaged because they’re not traveling properly through the body,’ says Peter Schlegel, who led the study and is a urologist at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College.”

Shhh! Do you hear that? It’s the sound of a bunch of moms-to-be demanding their husbands quit smoking.

If you’re a relatively young parent, you may remember the Magic School Bus from your own childhood or adolescence. The Magic School Bus ride started with a book series from Scholastic with the first book, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, published in 1986. This and the other books in the series followed a kooky teacher named Ms. Frizzle and her intrepid class, who learn about science via a strange school bus that can turn itself into just about anything: a rocket, a submarine the size of white blood cells. The illustrations, by author Bruce Degan (Jamberry), are a hoot, and the science information imparted is both kid-friendly (with a heavy stress on the gross and the weird), and clever.

The books were so successful that they were made into an animated series, which aired on PBS from 1994 to 1997. So why bring it up now? Because the cable channel Qubo is airing reruns of The Magic School Bus each day, allowing a whole new generation of kids to get caught up in its wacky, yet educational, adventures. See the kids learn what creepy crawlies are under the bed! Travel into a beehive! Learn how the American flag came to be!

Check local listings for airtimes.

Attention Deficit Disorder can bring a myriad of challenges for an affected child and his entire family. Diagnosis can be confusing, educational support can be lacking, and treatment options can be ineffective. With such a mounting daily struggle, it made sense to one mother to spend a year paying close attention to exactly what might restore a better family dynamic for her son and herself.

Katherine Ellison is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who put her skills to use for her own family and documents her attempts to better understand her preteen son who is afflicted with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in her new book BUZZ: A Year of Paying Attention. She takes an honest and scientific look at the meaning of ADD in a modern world filled with speed and distraction and explores what treatment options are most effective. Having been recently diagnosed with ADD herself, the journey is told with humor, insight, and careful research.

“The Canadian psychologist Virginia Douglas, a pioneer in the field of attention, tells me that the duty of a parent of a clinically scatterbrained child amounts to nothing less than changing the flow of that child’s life. On hearing this, I picture myself kneeling at the bank of a powerful river, shoveling dirt with my bare hands, and feel a mighty urge to go lie down and take a nap.” - Katherine Ellison.

Available at Amazon.com