
Just Chute Me! (Or: Do We REALLY Have to Play with Our Kids?)
Here's my husband's brilliant book idea: "The Lazy Dad's Guide to Fun with Kids." It would contain all sorts of games exhausted parents could play without ever getting off the couch. Think: Shoe store. ("Hey kids, I'd like to buy some slippers!") And bus driver. ("Everyone onto the bus!")
Of course, he never got around to writing it -- too tired -- and now our kids are 11 and 13. But it popped into my mind when I talking with a very wise pre-school teacher yesterday who she shared her secret for raising happier, spunkier kids:
"Don't. Entertain. Them."
It was like the Tiddly Winks falling from my eyes. That's it! We have taken on the job of entertaining our kids when it is THEIR job to entertain themselves!
Atlanta Billboards Proclaim 'Black Children Are An Endangered Species'
Pregnancy & Birth, In The News
Credit: Kendrick Brinson, The New York Times / Redux
The 65 billboards, one of which is pictured above, are simple -- just that phrase, a large photo of a child's face, and the Web site, TooManyAborted.com.
Canadian Hospital Offers Surgery for Obese Children
Teens & tweens, Medical Conditions, In The News
A hospital in Canada offers some obese children surgery designed to help them lose weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other potential killers.
The surgery is performed at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The hospital -- nicknamed SickKids -- is Canada's largest research hospital and one of the largest pediatric academic health science centers in the world.
The Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail reports physicians at the hospital are the first in Canada to routinely provide obesity surgery to children. The program officially launches this week.
According to the Globe and Mail, it is designed for children ages 12 to 17 with "complex obesity." That means they are overweight because of a medical condition such as a brain tumor.
Celeb Clan Close-Up: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Maddox Hit the Super Bowl
Celeb Kids, Fashion & Clothing
Angelina Jolie, Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Brad Pitt are seen leaving Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Credit: Alexander Tamargo, Getty Images
The always stylish trio attended the big game dressed in black -- their go-to color when it comes to everything from the red carpet to the football field. Mom Angelina looked sleek -- and chic -- in black slacks and a black belted trench. Dad Brad was in a black suit -- if only he'd lose that scruffy goatee and beanie he's been wearing everywhere.
And Maddox, 8, showed some New Orleans love by wearing a Saints jersey. Appropriate, since the family has had a home in the Louisiana city for the past few years.
Now, that's winning style.
Related: Celebrity Football Fans
Bob Dylan's 'All the Animals' Inspires Children's Book
In The News, That's Entertainment, Books, Music
Kid-friendly Dylan. Credit: Amazon.com
A Bob Dylan song has inspired a children's book.
No, it's not "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or "Highway 51." It's not even "Lilly, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts."
Here's a clue: "He saw an animal leavin' a muddy trail, real dirty face and a curly tail. He wasn't too small and he wasn't too big. Ah, think I'll call it a pig."
Give up? It's "Man Gave Names to All the Animals."
Drew Brees and His Son After the Super Bowl - Best Moment of the Big Game?
Fun & Activities, In The News, Sports, Opinions
Drew Brees celebrates with son Baylen and his wife, Brittany, after the Saints' Super Bowl victory. Credit: Win McNamee, Getty Images
The best moment of the big game may have happened after it was all over.
Super Bowl XLIV was as good as it gets. Two great teams played a great game, the Saints won their first Super Bowl ever (fun fact: until 2010, the franchise had won a total of just two postseason games in 43 years), and the city of New Orleans got a welcome infusion of pure joy.
But how many of us can relate to winning the Super Bowl? Not a whole lot. But any parent can relate to what happened right after the New Orleans Saints claimed victory Sunday night.
Look at this video of Super Bowl MVP Brees and his son on the field after the big game:
Did ManBabies Help Start the 'Stupid Men' Trend?
In The News, Weird But True, Media

Get more at ManBabies.com!
After a slew of Super Bowl commercials with high price tags and low IQs, many of which portrayed men as doofy, pants-less dolts, we can't help but wonder if ManBabies.com has something to do with sparking the trend.
The site is a collection of reader-submitted, mildly creepy and strangely addictive images, which you can create with Photoshop by swapping the heads of a baby and an adult. Or, for $15, you can get someone to do the work for you by putting in a "Personal Manbaby Request."
Childish? Yes. Tasteful? Perhaps not. But who cares? If nothing else, we're glad that the forces of Photoshop are finally being used for good. We're not sure if we can take any more painfully distorted models with heads larger than their hips.
Related: The Super Bowl Commercials: The Worst
Solving the SIDS Mystery?
Newborns, Babies, Safety, In The News, Sleep
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death for babies ages 1 month to 1 year old. The causes of SIDS are still not fully understood, and while the Back to Sleep campaign has eliminated many deaths, SIDS is still a worry for new parents.
Now, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston say the brain chemical serotonin may be to blame. Serotonin is partly responsible for regulating breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and other involuntary actions as we sleep. According to the researchers, low levels of serotonin may put a baby at risk of SIDS. Normally, serotonin helps babies wake up when they have breathing problems in their sleep, so they can turn their heads and breathe in fresh air. But babies with low serotonin levels may never wake.
Girl, 7, Wins Dancing Queen Title; Generates Outrage in Brazil
Kids 5-7, In The News, Weird But True, Extreme Childhood
Tiny dancer Julia Lira, 7, busts a move in Rio. Credit: Felipe Dana, AP
A 7-year-old Brazilian girl has won the coveted title of drum corps queen of a top samba school for the annual Carnaval of Brazil.
And, now, children's rights activists are outraged. The girl's father, however, sees nothing wrong with people watching his daughter dance in one of the scanty, sequined costumes associated with samba music and Carnaval.
"Any man who looks at a 7-year-old child and feels any sort of excitement should go see a doctor," Marco Lira tells the BBC, Britain's national television network.
Lira is the president of the Viradouro Samba School that chose his daughter, Julia, as its Carnaval queen.
Tinkerbell Bracelets Recalled for Lead
Safety, In The News, Toys & Games, Alerts & Recalls
A number of Tinkerbell charms contain excess lead. Credit: CPSC
Tinkerbell has been poisoned ... again.
This time, however, you can't blame Captain Hook. And it will take more than clapping to set things right.
According to Consumer Reports, more than 252,000 Tinkerbell charms are being pulled from shelves because they contain more lead than federal allows allows.
The Disney charms, manufactured by Playmates Toys, were sold as part of the Tink Tink and Friends toy jewelry set -- mostly between November 2008 and November 2009. The charm can be attached to a toy necklace, bracelet or key chain also included in the set.
If your child has one, Consumer Reports advises, take it away immediately. Contact Playmates Toys in Cosa Mesa, Calif., at 888-810-1133 or playmatestoys.com for a replacement or refund.


















