ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gif ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/When You Don't Like Your Kids' Friends' Parentshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/05/19/when-you-dont-like-youre-kids-friends-parents/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/05/19/when-you-dont-like-youre-kids-friends-parents/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/05/19/when-you-dont-like-youre-kids-friends-parents/#commentsFiled under:

Two women chatting in an outdoor coffee shop.

Not all your kids' friends will have parents you'll want to be friends with. Image: sxc.hu

As parents, part of our job is to help our kids make friends. But what happens when your child makes friends with someone and you can't stand the parents? Are you obligated to socialize with them -- or even to let your child continue the friendship? It's hard to know where to draw the line when it comes to making friends with other parents. Are we obligated to socialize with our kids' friends' parents if we don't like them? And what is it about that other parent that rubs us the wrong way?

Sometimes the issue is that other parents have different rules. "My daughter spent the night" at her friend's house, says mom Julia, "and she and her friend went out for chips at midnight. If I had pre-teen kids spending the night, I'd have a pretty good idea where they were at all times, but the friend's mother didn't seem to care." But a difference about curfew wasn't the only reason that Julia wasn't interested in being friends with this other mother. "This mom was also known around school for yelling at teachers who dared to say her daughter had done something wrong. Basically, she was crazy."

So how did Julia handle the issue? She came up with reasons why her daughter was not allowed to go to the friend's house. "I didn't exactly lie; I just sort of bent the truth a little. I told my daughter she was allergic to her friend's dog so she couldn't go to her house anymore. Okay, so maybe that is a lie," she admits. But who can blame her?

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]]>friendsparentsplaydatesRoger SinasohnTue, 19 May 2009 14:00:00 ESTMom Says Get Out, Drives Offhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/27/mom-says-get-out-drives-off/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/27/mom-says-get-out-drives-off/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/27/mom-says-get-out-drives-off/#commentsFiled under:

A car on a highwayHow frustrated do you have to be to drive off and leave your children behind on a street corner? One mom found out.

Madlyn Primoff, a 45-year-old partner in a Manhattan law firm, did what many parents -- myself included -- often threaten: she pulled her car over, told her kids to get out, and drove off, leaving them behind. She is now facing a charge of endangering a child after leaving her 10- and 12-year-old daughters in a White Plains, New York business district. Apparently, the girls had been arguing and Primoff couldn't take it anymore.

What kind of mother would do that? According to her lawyer, Primoff "is a great mother connected with a great family." The lawyer also noted that Primoff "is grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and family." Nonetheless, police say she abandoned her daughters about three miles from their house; her older daughter made it home while the younger daughter was picked up by a "Good Samaritan."

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]]>cardisciplinedrivingpunishmentRoger SinasohnMon, 27 Apr 2009 14:00:00 ESTiPhone "Baby Shaker" App Pulled - What Was Apple Thinking?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/24/iphone-baby-shaker-app-pulled-what-was-apple-thinking/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/24/iphone-baby-shaker-app-pulled-what-was-apple-thinking/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/24/iphone-baby-shaker-app-pulled-what-was-apple-thinking/#commentsFiled under:

There's nothing funny about shaking a baby to make it stop crying, but that's the premise of a game that Apple temporarily approved for sale to iPhone users this week. The app, intended no doubt to be humorous, displayed a picture of a baby on the phone's screen and played a recording of a baby crying. The user then had to shake the iPhone vigorously until red X's appeared on the baby's eyes and the crying stopped.

The description of the now-unavailable app read, "On a plane, on the bus, in a theatre. Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be! They're always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it."

And of course, the description included a disclaimer: "Never, never shake a baby."



As you might imagine, there was quite an uproar over this app, primarily from parents. Patrick Donohue, founder of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, an organization that helps parents and medical professionals deal with Pediatric Acquired Brain Injuries such those as caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome, wrote directly to Apple CEO Steve Jobs to express his dismay: "As the father of a 3-year-old who was shaken by her baby nurse when she was only 5 days old, breaking 3 ribs, both collarbones and causing a severe brain injury, words cannot describe my reaction." Marilyn Bar, the founder of the US Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, goes even further: "Not only are they making fun of shaken baby syndrome, but they are actually encouraging it. This is absolutely terrible."

How Safe is Dairy

    Does milk really do a body good? Are the hormones safe? Does yogurt help with weight loss, and does kefir promote better digestion? It can be maddening trying to muddle through all the conflicting information out there. We have the down low on which dairy products your family should be eating, drinking and slurping.

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    Milk: It's one of the best sources of calcium, needed for building strong bones and teeth and safe weight loss, according to one recent study. Plus, milk is full of protein, fortified with vitamin D and protects against colon cancer. So what's the problem? Well, lactose intolerance for many, probable increased risk of prostate cancer and possible increased risk of ovarian cancer. That's the hormones, found in standard and organic milk (thanks to dairy cows being kept pregnant so that they'll lactate). And that weight-loss study? Funded by the National Dairy Council.

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    Verdict: There's currently no good scientific evidence that says that drinking more than one glass of milk per day is necessary, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Given some of the risk factors associated with consuming too much dairy, best to look to non-dairy sources for your daily requirement of calcium (1,000 to 1,200 milligrams). Go for leafy greens, beans and whole grains -- all of which offer countless other health benefits, too.

    Ray Kachatorian

    Cheese: Cheese is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the dairy world. On the one hand, we can appreciate delicate shavings of parmesan enhancing the flavor of a salad, or a slice of Bucheron complementing a glass of wine. On the other, we see a slop of melted cheddar oozing over nachos, a roadside stop on the path to obesity or clogged arteries.

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    Verdict: Think moderation. Most cheese is high in sodium and isn't exactly low-calorie. But the combination of fat and protein in cheese is very satisfying, and it can keep your appetite in check for hours after eating. The endless variety of cheeses can accommodate most tastes and diets: Feta is low in saturated fats, firm ricotta is low in sodium and Swiss offers a real protein punch. Plus, cheese happens to be great for your teeth -- in addition to providing calcium, it changes the pH in your mouth to discourage bacteria.

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    Yogurt: Yogurt offers all the benefits of milk, and then some. It's more easily digested than milk and contains friendly bacteria that's good for your intestinal tract. Some studies even show it to boost immunity and fight cancerous tumors. Unfortunately, most of the yogurt you see on supermarket shelves is so highly sweetened that most of the calories in the product come from the sugar, not the yogurt itself.


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    Verdict: Buy plain yogurt. It is more nutritious in every way and it's easily sweetened with fruit, maple syrup or agave nectar. Or, don't sweeten it and use it in place of sour cream, milk or mayonnaise when making pancakes, muffins or tuna salad. Also, avoid any yogurt at the store called "lite," as it likely contains artificial sweeteners and colors.

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    Kefir: Kefir, which is just now more widely available, is a cultured, enzyme-rich food that contains even more beneficial bacteria than yogurt, as well as healthy yeasts. It also contains the essential amino acid tryptophan, which has a calming effect on the nerves.


    jupiterimages

    Verdict: Ta-da! Kefir is he healthiest of all the dairy products. But, as with yogurt, it's best to avoid the overly sweetened commercial varieties. Choose plain kefir, or, better yet, you can purchase a starter culture and easily make your own using whatever milk you normally buy.

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Apple has removed the program from their iPhone app store and the developer, Sikalosoft, no longer lists it on their website.

We've all experienced the frustration that comes with a baby that won't stop crying. I spent the first three months of my oldest son's life trudging up and down the stairs all night long because that was the only thing that would stop him from crying. And it can be even worse when it's someone else's baby disturbing your meal or interrupting your movie. But, of course, physical abuse is never an option for dealing with an unhappy or inconsolable child. And yet, the developer of this application seems to find this kind of behavior amusing.

I'm sure someone, somewhere, thought, at some point, that this was funny, but someone at Apple, which has been criticized for being too particular about the apps they do approve, certainly made a mistake in approving this one.

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]]>appappleiphonephoto galleryPhotoGalleryshaken baby syndromeShakenBabySyndromeRoger SinasohnFri, 24 Apr 2009 05:00:00 ESTLike Daughter, Like Motherhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/20/like-daughter-like-mother/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/20/like-daughter-like-mother/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/20/like-daughter-like-mother/#commentsFiled under:

A young girl looking in the mirrorA British mom is spending big bucks to look like her daughter. Creepy or cool?

It's not unusual for kids -- at least when they're younger -- to want to be just like mum or dad. It's charming, it's flattering, and it's not at all odd. After all, who are the grown-ups little kids are most familiar with? Which adults provide for them and make sure they're tucked in tight at night? Why wouldn't you want to be like them? They're about as close to superheroes as you're going to find, outside a comic book or movie theatre.

That's all well and good, and some kids do follow in their parents' footsteps, choosing the same profession or taking up similar hobbies. And, of course, due to genetics, children often end up looking much like one or the other of their parents. That's to be expected. What's unexpected, however, is when a parent wants to take after their child and ends up looking like their own offspring.

Such is the case with Janet and Jane Cunliffe. Janet is actually Jane's mother -- although you might not realize that if you met them together at a party. You'd be more likely to think they were sisters and, as if that weren't enough, you might not even be able to guess which is the elder of the pair. Jane and Janet look very much a like, but only partly due to the genes they have in common -- Janet has spent more than £10,000 -- around $15,000 US dollars -- on plastic surgery and other enhancements so that she can look just like her daughter.

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]]>agingdaughtermotherplastic surgeryPlasticSurgeryRoger SinasohnMon, 20 Apr 2009 13:00:00 ESTPost-Baby Curves are the New Sexyhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/17/post-baby-curves-are-the-new-sexy/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/17/post-baby-curves-are-the-new-sexy/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/17/post-baby-curves-are-the-new-sexy/#commentsFiled under:

A Winding Road warning sign Whether it was the designers dictating style or giving women what they asked for, for far too long the popular look has been all but anorexic, with the "heroin chic" trend of the 90's being the most extreme example. Models and movie stars have been, in recent years, mere shadows of their hearty, healthy predecessors: Strong, sexy women like Betty Grable who were full-bodied and full of life.

However, it appears that all that is changing. Reality is hitting the fashion and entertainment world and the curves are coming out of hiding. The Times points to "curve-packing dresses" of Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway on the hit TV series "Mad Men," and English model Daisy Lowe as examples of the new trend.

The Times notes that the "whippet-thin" body is stereotypical of "the high-maintenance woman with a husband in corporate finance" and in today's economy -- or what's left of it -- that doesn't seem quite so appealing. The article also points out the importance of the right clothing to show off your shape: "the silhouette-hugging dresses, not the billowing harem pants."

So what's this mean for moms who don't moonlight as fashion models? It means you can stop worrying if you haven't lost all your pregnancy weight. The fact is, guys -- at least all the guys I know -- like a little shape in their women. Those outrageously thin models all look like they'd snap in half if you even look at them wrong. If you're a mom and you've got that glorious mom shape, enjoy it -- heck, even flaunt it.

Beauty After Motherhood

    Angelina Jolie
    The actress and her partner Brad Pitt have three adopted children -- Maddox, 7, Pax, 4, and Zahara, 3 -- and three biological children -- Shiloh, 2, and baby twins Knox and Vivienne. "I know this is going to sound corny, but I first became happy with the way I look when I became a mother."

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    Halle Berry

    Berry and boyfriend French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry have one child, Nahla Ariela, born on March 16, 2008. It was her role in the film, "Things We Lost in the Fire," that convinced her motherhood was for her. "I think it validated that I was meant to be a mother because every day I dealt with the character as a mother and thinking as a mother...It let me know that I must be a mother."

    Getty Images / FilmMagic

    Gwyneth Paltrow

    Has two children, Apple, 4, and Moses, 2, named after a song her husband Chris Martin. "It's like being the most in love you've ever been...but mixed with the worst heartbreak...because one day you're not going to be together anymore."

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    Julia Roberts

    Julia Roberts and her husband Danny Moder, have 4-year-old twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, and a boy Henry, 17 months. She told Vanity Fair: "At this point I'm having so much fun with them. You only have so much energy and you want to put so much energy into each child. I wouldn't know how to have five kids. And they're a really good trio, these three."

    Getty Images / AP

    Jennifer Lopez
    her twins with husband Marc Anthony, Emme and Maximillian, were born 2008 by C-section. According to People, "Jennifer described it [motherhood] as the most magical time of her life. She said, 'You know what? You can win an Oscar, you can win a Golden Globe, and as an ambitious artist you strive for those things. But when you have a kid, all of that is irrelevant."

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    Gwen Stefani

    She says that Zuma Nesta Rock and Kingston have brought her closer to husband Gavin Rossdale. Also, "I've gotten a little more feminine over the last few years. "As the years go by, you get more comfortable with looking more like a woman."

    Getty Images / FilmMagic

    Uma Thurman

    She's says she's open to the possibility of having more children. "If it's meant to happen, it will. I love and adore being a mother." Thurman has two children with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, Maya, 10, and Levon, 6.

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    Thandie Newton
    The British actress, most recently starring in "W" as Condoleezza Rice, has two daughters, Ripley, 8, and Nico, nearly 4. "So many people thought I was a really cold person, but I was just painfully shy. But having a kid made me explore how I was going to guide another beautiful being in this world. I was released -- it doesn't happen for everyone, but it happened for me."

    WireImage.com

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]]>fashionphoto galleryPhotoGalleryskinnystylethinweightRoger SinasohnFri, 17 Apr 2009 11:00:00 ESTLose Your Temper, Lose Your Kidhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/14/lose-your-temper-lose-your-kid/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/14/lose-your-temper-lose-your-kid/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/14/lose-your-temper-lose-your-kid/#commentsFiled under:

A hairbrush
Every parent worries about being a good enough mom or dad, and we all make mistakes. But could a simple mistake be the reason our kids get taken away?

She was having a difficult morning and her eight-year-old son wasn't helping matters by refusing to get dressed for school. Unfortunately, the 42-year-old British mother, whose identity is being withheld by the courts, responded by smacking her son twice on the shoulder with a hairbrush. Sadly, she did so hard enough that the boy was still in pain when he arrived at school. Seeing this, one of the boy's teacher's contacted child protective services.

The boy was placed in foster care and the mother was charged with assault. After admitting that she had a "moment of madness," the mother ended up pleading guilty to the charges. She is now only allowed to see her son for two hours a week. Her lawyer noted that she was the boy's only caregiver despite being sick for the past two years. He explained that she "lost her temper, and struck the child twice, but immediately apologised afterwards."

In England, hitting a child hard enough to bruise is illegal, but lesser blows are permitted. The mother is going to take an anger management course voluntarily and will be sentenced later this month. A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children applauded the actions of the local government, saying "Nobody could get away with hitting an adult with a hairbrush, so they should not be able to get away with hitting a child with one. There is a danger that the use of physical punishment by parents and carers can escalate, and may result in serious harm to a child."

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]]>abusedisciplinepunishmentspankingRoger SinasohnTue, 14 Apr 2009 14:00:00 ESTTraffic School Is Elementary For Six-Year-Oldhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/10/traffic-school-is-elementary-for-six-year-old/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/10/traffic-school-is-elementary-for-six-year-old/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/10/traffic-school-is-elementary-for-six-year-old/#commentsFiled under:

An orange and white striped traffic coneGetting kids to wear seat belts can be tough. One mom was struggling to keep her son belted in -- until a creative judge stepped in to help.

At six years old, kids think they are invincible; specifically, they don't comprehend just how dangerous riding in a car can be. And seat belts can be so gosh-darned confining. So it's understandable that kids may not want to wear them -- and at six, they are perfectly capable of unbuckling them themselves.

Recently a mom in Los Lunas, New Mexico, found herself with a six-year-old son who repeatedly removed his seat belt. Jessica would stop to put it back on, but her son kept unbuckling it. Eventually, Jessica got pulled over and the boy even took the belt off right in front of the police officer. Jessica ended up in front of Judge John "Buddy" Sanchez for failing to restrain her child. So she asked the judge for help.

"She didn't want to plead guilty to it because it was her son that was actually not obeying her," the judge said -- and he agreed.

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]]>courtdisciplinedrivingseat beltSeatBelttraffic schoolTrafficSchoolRoger SinasohnFri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:00 ESTLetting Kids Roam Alone - Would You?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/24/letting-kids-roam-alone-would-you/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/24/letting-kids-roam-alone-would-you/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/24/letting-kids-roam-alone-would-you/#commentsFiled under:

A girl crossing a bridge by herselfKids are wandering around their neighborhood on their own. Everybody panic!

Lenore Skenazy, author of the book Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry, recently shared the tale of an independent child, a trusting mom, and an over-zealous police officer on her blog: A ten-year-old boy wanted to walk to soccer practice alone and his mom agreed. On the way, the boy was stopped by police and eventually taken to the soccer field where the police officers told the mother that they had received "hundreds" of 911 calls about the boy and that she could be charged with child endangerment.

Now, had this been a four-year-old in downtown Manhattan, the police would likely be chastised for letting the mother off easily -- if the police had even found the kid. In this case, however, the boy was ten years old, the soccer field was a third of a mile away, and this all went down in a safe neighborhood of a small Mississippi town. The boy knew the route, had his mother's cell phone, and the mom was on her way to the field, too, just after the start of practice.

It turned out okay in the end, though. The mom e-mailed the police chief for statistics on crime in her neighborhood and explained what happened. He called her to apologize and told her that she did indeed live in a very safe neighborhood. When I was that age, I was wandering around some of the worst neighborhoods of San Francisco by myself at night -- but that was a long time ago and times are different now. Or are they?

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]]>independencepolicesafetyRoger SinasohnTue, 24 Mar 2009 15:00:00 ESTNew Research Offers Hope for Peanut Allergieshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/20/new-research-offers-hope-for-peanut-allergies/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/20/new-research-offers-hope-for-peanut-allergies/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/20/new-research-offers-hope-for-peanut-allergies/#commentsFiled under:

A scattering of peanutsStudies suggest that it may be possible to cure peanut allergies -- but parents should not try this at home.

Having a child who is allergic to peanuts has got to be difficult. It's hard enough making sure kids don't eat rocks and sand, small toys and buttons, coins and screws -- it must be doubly hard to make sure they don't eat or, in some cases, even come in contact with something that the rest of the world considers a delicious, healthy food. And yet, for millions of Americans, the delicious peanut can be deadly.

There is, however, hope for those parents who must deal with peanut allergies on a daily basis. The results of two clinical trials have allergists feeling positive about the future of peanut allergy treatment. The studies looked at oral immunotherapy where children with peanut allergies were given miniscule amounts of peanuts; over time, the amount of peanuts the children were given was slowly increased.

Of the children being tested, a number have been able to subsequently eat peanut products without incident, even after the therapy was discontinued. "They're eating peanut candy, peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, whatever they want," said Dr. Wesley Burks, a pediatric allergist at Duke University. Still, while these trials look promising and research will undoubtedly continue, it is important to note that this is not something that should be tried at home.

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]]>allergiespeanut allergyPeanutAllergypeanutsresearchstudiesRoger SinasohnFri, 20 Mar 2009 14:00:00 ESTPumping at Work - The New Disability?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/11/pumping-at-work-the-new-disability/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/11/pumping-at-work-the-new-disability/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/03/11/pumping-at-work-the-new-disability/#commentsFiled under:

A baby breastfeedingThese days, companies have to do a lot to accommodate employees with special needs. From ensuring access for the physically challenged to preventing discrimination, the rules and regulations can be complex and confusing. But how far should business have to go in adapting the workplace and the position to meet the needs of an employee? Does every need have to be accommodated, including personal choices such as nursing, or only involuntary medical and physical conditions?

It looks like, in Ohio, at least, the state's Supreme Court will be deciding some of these questions. Should nursing mothers be given opportunities to pump during their work day? Should companies be required to offer time to moms so that they can pump? Or should companies be able to tell mothers they want employees who aren't going to waste half their day sitting in the bathroom with machinery attached to their chest?

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]]>breastfeedinglawsuitohiopumpingpumping at workPumpingAtWorkRoger SinasohnWed, 11 Mar 2009 16:00:00 ESTReading to Your Kids is a Crimehttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/reading-to-your-kids-is-a-crime/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/reading-to-your-kids-is-a-crime/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/reading-to-your-kids-is-a-crime/#commentsFiled under:

The new Amazon Kindle 2 electronic book.Do you read your kids a story before bed? The National Children's Reading Foundation recommends that you spend twenty minutes each day reading out loud to your kids. The problem is, if you follow the NCRF recommendation, you'll be committing a crime. At least, that's the accusation of Paul Aitken, executive director of the Authors Guild, a writers' advocacy group.

According to Aitken, the read-aloud feature of the new Kindle 2, Amazon's latest version of their electronic book, is illegal. The Kindle is a popular device that lets you download books and magazines to read on the go. The newly announced second version will actually read the books to you.

That's where the problem is. Says Aitken, "They don't have the right to read a book out loud. That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law." I guess Aitken feels that having a computer read a book to you is the same as making a movie out of it. Does that go for parents, too?

So what does this mean for all the moms and dads out there who want to do the right thing and read to their children? Ben Sheffner, a well-known copyright attorney, wrote on his website that "clearly reading to one's kids is a private performance (for which no license is required), not a public performance for which the Copyright Act requires the copyright owner's permission." So, bedtime stories are probably okay; you can read "Where the Wild Things Are" with a clear conscience.

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]]>amazonbedtimebedtime storiesBedtimeStoriesbookbookscopyrightkindlereadingstorystory timestorytellingStoryTimeRoger SinasohnFri, 13 Feb 2009 10:00:00 ESTEmpathy Comes From Mom and Dadhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/empathy-comes-from-mom-and-dad/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/empathy-comes-from-mom-and-dad/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/13/empathy-comes-from-mom-and-dad/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A tiny mouse sitting in a person's hand.New research suggests that empathy -- that so-called "sensitivity chip" Jennifer Aniston famously said Brad Pitt is missing -- is at least partly controlled by our genes. If you feel things, really feel them, thank mom and dad.

This finding is based on a study of the responses of genetically different mice. Scientists tested two groups of mice, one social and one composed of little furry Melvin Udalls. The social critters exhibited distress after watching and hearing another test mouse receive electrical shocks, while their less social mates, well, didn't seem to care much.

The researchers believe this points to an empathy gene. It's an interesting proposition. But as our kids grow, it's really our job to ease them out of the "It's all about me" stage; not to sit back and wait for their empathy genes to kick in.

There are techniques for teaching empathy, including labeling feelings -- "Look, your brother is feeling sad today" -- and praising empathetic actions. Model this behavior yourself and don't overlook basic politeness: Play nice. Be nice. Watch out for your sister. Give Grandma a kiss.

Most importantly, expect the same thing from boys and girls. "We set up this 'boy code' that goes on and on throughout their lives," says Jerry L. Wyckoff, a psychologist and co-author of "Twenty Teachable Virtues." "But if we're careful to teach them, boys can learn empathy just like girls."

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]]>Roger SinasohnFri, 13 Feb 2009 09:00:00 ESTTennis Prodigy Not Old Enough for Kindergartenhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/11/tennis-prodigy-too-young-for-kindergarten/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/11/tennis-prodigy-too-young-for-kindergarten/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/11/tennis-prodigy-too-young-for-kindergarten/#commentsFiled under: ,

A Tennis racket leaning up against a net.It's no secret I don't care for organized sports, especially for kids. I believe they cause far too much stress, encourage an unhealthy emphasis on winning and create over-inflated egos -- and that's just the parents. Kids stand to lose much more, including their childhood. Take, for example, four-year-old Mia Lines from Wantirna South in Australia.

The girl is not old enough for American kindergarten and yet she is here in this country training with renowned tennis coach Rick Macci. Venus and Serena Williams are among those Macci has coached. The Williams sisters, however, are grown-ups.

What is a four-year-old doing traveling halfway around the globe for tennis lessons? "When I found out my child was going to be a girl I ran round telling everyone that she is going to be a tennis player," says her father, Glenn. "I have always been a tennis fan so I knew of Rick Macci. As she progressed year on year I wondered whether I had a special child, so I got in contact with Rick."

This is actually Mia's second session with Macci. He agrees that the girl has potential. "Mia's technique is incredible and what she is doing is bringing foot-work you can't teach to the table," he said. Having started with a tennis racket when she was but one, it is perhaps no surprise that she is talented. Macci notes that "my opinion is that she cannot be any better than she is at this age." But what of the poor girl's childhood?

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]]>childhoodcompetitionorganized sportsOrganizedSportsprodigysportstennisRoger SinasohnWed, 11 Feb 2009 10:00:00 ESTTeens Online Spend Hours on Porn and Dieting Siteshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/teens-online-spend-hours-on-porn-and-dieting-sites/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/teens-online-spend-hours-on-porn-and-dieting-sites/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/teens-online-spend-hours-on-porn-and-dieting-sites/#commentsFiled under:

I guess teenagers really are the same everywhere. A new survey shows that the average teenager in the UK spends more than 80 hours a year looking at pornography on the Internet. That translates to an hour and 40 minutes a week.

Of course, watching dirty movies is not all the kids are doing on the Internet. They're also spending an hour-and-a-half on dieting Web sites and one hour researching cosmetic surgery.

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The poll asked more than a thousand kids, aged 13 to 15, how much time they spent online and what they did with it. The average teen spends more than 30 hours surfing the Web. In addition to porn, dieting and surgery, the kids are squeezing in over three hours of homework and research online. That's a good thing.

But then there's the hour-and-a-half downloading music, two hours on YouTube and more than three hours spent shopping or on auction sites each week. And lest we forget these are teenagers, there is the five hours a week spent on dating or social networking sites.

Mind you, this doesn't strike me as any different -- other than the technology used -- from teenagers in my day. (Now, when I was in high school, if we had had access to the Internet, an hour and a half would have been a daily total for most of the guys I knew -- on days when they were busy with other activities. Just saying.)

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]]>photo galleryPhotoGalleryRoger SinasohnTue, 10 Feb 2009 17:00:00 ESTBad Grades Lead to Public Shamehttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/bad-grades-lead-to-public-shame/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/bad-grades-lead-to-public-shame/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/bad-grades-lead-to-public-shame/#commentsFiled under:

A binder with homework15-year-old Trenton O'Neal's parents were unhappy with his report card, so they forced him to wear a sandwich board for hours at a busy intersection in his hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia. The sign listed his grades and said "My Future = Shaky!"

Unhappy with his performance in school, Trenton's parents came up with the punishment as a way of getting his attention. "He hadn't been trying at all," said the high school freshman's father, Rev. Donald General Jr., pastor of Perfecting Saints Church of God in Christ in Virginia Beach. "He's not even handing in work he does when we supervise him. My wife and I are not going to give up on Tre."

It seems to me that if a teenager isn't doing well in school, the parents need to find out what the problem is, rather than try to embarrass the child into suddenly becoming a top-notch student. If they really are supervising him while he does his work and, yet the work is not getting turned in, then perhaps one of the parents needs to walk into the classroom with him to make sure the homework is turned in.

Given that his friends saw him standing on the corner, he's either now the cool bad kid or even less cool than he was beforehand. Either way, I'm not sure this will actually help. Would you do something like this to your kids just for getting bad grades?

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]]>disciplineeducationgradespunishmentschoolRoger SinasohnTue, 10 Feb 2009 13:00:00 ESTValentine's Day Best Gifts, Goodies and Games for Familieshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/valentines-day-best-gifts-goodies-and-games-for-families/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/valentines-day-best-gifts-goodies-and-games-for-families/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/10/valentines-day-best-gifts-goodies-and-games-for-families/#commentsFiled under:

Valentine's Day is, for many people, a very special time. It can be difficult, however, when you have kids to keep that romantic feeling alive, especially without excluding the kids. A diamond bracelet or pearl necklace may be beautiful and great to receive, but perhaps there are better ways for parents to celebrate a day of love and caring.

I've collected my suggestions for the best gifts, goodies, and games for families to keep love -- and fun -- in their lives. If you've got more suggestions, I'd love to hear them; feel free to post them in the comments!

Valentines Day Bests

    Best Song
    You might think I would suggest something really sappy like Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All or something a little hokey like Love Will Keep Us Together or even a classic like Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, but instead, I'm going with a little known instrumental by Carlos Santana called Mornings in Marin. It's a peaceful piece that features children laughing and really evokes the ideal situation -- a quiet morning of contented joy with family. What more could you ask for?

    Amazon

    Best Movie
    I considered the classic romantic comedy Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn or even the great animated fairy tale Shrek but I chose something else. A trip to Target confirmed my choice -- there, amidst the red and pink candy and cards was, in special Valentine's Day packaging, my choice for the best romantic family film: The Princess Bride. Sure, it has great sword fights and torture and Rodents Of Unusual Size, but deep down, hidden beneath all the cool stuff, is a tale of true love. As Wesley explains, "Death cannot stop true love; all it can do is delay it for a while."

    Amazon

    Best Book
    Sure you could suggest Shel Silverstein's controversial story The Giving Tree or perhaps Robert Munsch's Love You Forever, but in the end I decided on Guess How Much I Love You which offers insight on the difficulty of measuring love while still being entertaining. This classic story is loved by children and adults alike.

    Amazon

    Best Jewelry
    I love nice jewelry, especially the kind that is as much a work of art as it is a wardrobe accessory. I designed my wife's wedding ring and love to see jewelry designed by true artists. But having a family means that priorities change and precious metals and gems are not so precious any more. Save a bit of cash for the kids' college fund and get these parent-friendly earrings instead. Featuring LEGO flowers, they'll just look like cute earrings to most people but other parents will recognize them for what they are in a heartbeat.

    Swank

    Best Meal
    Sure, you could spend a lot of money to eat a great meal in a fancy restaurant, but that's not what Valentine's Day is all about. It's about the people you care about and sharing the love you have for them with them. So what better way to do that than to spread out a blanket and have a picnic? Don't let the bitter cold of winter dissuade you either -- you can always have your picnic on your bed or on the living room floor.

    Bethtt on SXC

    Best Game
    While there are a lot of love-themed games and even games designed to, shall we say, stimulate romance, for families there is a lot more to think about than a bit of quick fun. So turn to the old party stand-by, Charades. It doesn't require any equipment or special skills, so even little ones can join in. It encourages creativity, movement, and laughter.

    Hysterical Bertha on flickr

    Best Candy
    There are lots of brands and types of candy -- especially at this time of year. There is cheap candy and expensive, but for a mom or dad, the best choice is one they can share with their kids without feeling guilty for feeding them poor quality chocolate. Yes, I'm talking about the classic Hershey's Kisses. After all, what says love better than a kiss?

    Amazon

    Best Kitchen Activity
    Get the whole family in the kitchen and in the Valentine's Day mood with this spiffy silicone heart mold pan. You can make six heart-shaped cupcakes at a time -- enough for most families -- and have fun doing it. Let the kids help with the mixing and measuring and don't forget to let them lick the bowl!

    Amazon

    Best Flowers
    Flowers are wonderful to look at, but are they worth the money? Well, yes, they are, if they cheer up you home and make it feel more lived in, more loved in. But whether you purchase flowers from a stand or pick some from your garden, you need something to put them in. That's where this beautiful vase comes in. Made of hand-blown glass, it tastefully shows your love while offering a place for those flowers.

    Amazon

    Best Memories
    Sometimes, especially when you're apart, a little reminder of the ones you love can turn a bad day into a great one. Slip a picture of your family into this frame and you'll be guaranteed smiles all day long. With heart-shaped cut-outs, it will dress up your photos for Valentine's Day and keep your love on display forever.

    Amazon



So there you have it, the best of the best for this Valentine's Day. Or is it? Got any suggestions for this list? Let us hear about them in the comments below!

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]]>bookbookscandyfilmflowerslovemoviesmusicphoto galleryPhotoGalleryromancevalentinevalentinesvalentines dayvalentines-dayValentinesDayRoger SinasohnTue, 10 Feb 2009 11:00:00 ESTCandy Land to Sweeten Movie Theatreshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/06/candy-land-to-sweeten-movie-theatres/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/06/candy-land-to-sweeten-movie-theatres/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/06/candy-land-to-sweeten-movie-theatres/#commentsFiled under:

The classic board game Candy LandIf you haven't had the pleasure of playing Candy Land with your kids, I suggest you run right out, pick up a copy and sit down for a game tonight. Especially if your kids are teenagers. If they're little ones, however, here's some sweet news to share with them: Candy Land is coming to the big screen! Yes, your favorite sugary board game is going to become a live-action motion picture.

On tap to direct is Kevin Lima, who brought us Enchanted, Tarzan and 102 Dalmatians. The screenplay is to be written by Etan Cohen, who penned the scripts for Tropic Thunder and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He's also written episodes of Beavis and Butthead which is somehow both wildly inappropriate and totally reassuring.

I'm not sure how they're going to find a plot in "pick a card, move to the next square with the same color," but considering the intended audience of Candy Land, perhaps they don't really need a plot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who are going to have to sit through this, so I do hope they come up with something at least mildly entertaining. There are tons of possibilities; why don't you share your ideas.

Of course, the bigger issue is that with all the wonderful children's literature out there just begging to be made into movies, why are they turning to Candy Land for inspiration? Personally, I'd rather see My Father's Dragon or From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. In fact, those are movies I'd look forward to seeing. Candy Land? Not so much. Which kids' books would you rather see made into movies?

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]]>board gamesBoardGamescandy landCandyLandfilmfilmsgamegamesmoviemoviesRoger SinasohnFri, 06 Feb 2009 14:00:00 ESTThe Baby That Just Won't Growhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/05/the-baby-that-just-wont-grow/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/05/the-baby-that-just-wont-grow/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/05/the-baby-that-just-wont-grow/#commentsFiled under:

At nine months old today, my son Ezra weighs 25 pounds and is 30 inches tall. He's a big kid, but not exceptionally so. Over in England, though, there is a little girl that makes Ezra seem like Andre the Giant. At 14 months, Suraya Brown weighs barely more than seven pounds and is only nineteen inches long. According to pediatric growth charts, she should weigh at least 20 pounds.

Suraya has been poked and prodded by pediatricians, nutritionists, geneticists and hormone experts. "The doctors haven't got a clue what is wrong with her," worried Atlanta Ruzman, Suraya's mom. "She cannot sit, talk or crawl, and she has to be fed through a tube to keep her alive. But she just hasn't been putting on any weight."

"She is a just like a real-life doll," said Ruzman. "In fact my other daughter has a doll that is bigger than her." Her first daughter, Akilah, at two-and-a-half, was walking at nine months and is big for her age.

One theory her doctors are investigating is that Suraya's body is resistant to its own growth hormones. "I have certainly never seen anything like this," said Dr. Jide Menakaya. "She is a very interesting little baby."

"Interesting" is a word no parent wants to hear from the pediatrician. Hopefully, Suraya will start putting on weight and grow. In the meantime, I'm going to stop complaining about Ezra weighing a ton when I carry him. I'm just glad he's thriving and healthy.

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]]>babiesbabydwarfismexpire-images:2010-2-5growthinfantmysteryRoger SinasohnThu, 05 Feb 2009 11:00:00 ESTBathroom Cameras a Good Thing, Says Schoolhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/bathroom-cameras-a-good-thing-says-school/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/bathroom-cameras-a-good-thing-says-school/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/bathroom-cameras-a-good-thing-says-school/#commentsFiled under:

Someone installs cameras in the school bathrooms, hoping to catch teenage girls involved in some "horseplay." Sounds like it's time to call the police, yes? Or Joe Francis. But wait, not only is the school well aware of the situation, it put them there.

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Some students had "expressed concern that the wash basin areas were not being respected by a small minority" -- and so the cameras were installed, claimed Aeron Rhys, head of Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi, a school in Wales. "The CCTV was installed to monitor these areas and it's done the trick. There's been a significant improvement." Improvement in what, you ask? Misuse of paper and soap, according to one school governor.

One parent, whose 14-year-old daughter was a student at the school, is having none of it. The cameras are an "outrageous invasion of privacy," he said. "The whole place is like they're on Big Brother. There are cameras all around the school, outside and in the corridors."

"Toilets can be areas where misbehavior occurs," deadpanned the school and local councils, who are behind the cameras. Literally and figuratively.

What do you think? Are cameras a solution or an invasion of students' privacy?

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]]>bathbathroomcameraphoto galleryPhotoGalleryprivacysecuritysecurity cameraSecurityCameravandalismRoger SinasohnTue, 03 Feb 2009 14:00:00 ESTDUI Not Enough - Mother Adds Grand Theft Autohttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/dui-not-enough-mother-adds-grand-theft-auto/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/dui-not-enough-mother-adds-grand-theft-auto/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/03/dui-not-enough-mother-adds-grand-theft-auto/#commentsFiled under: ,

A teenager's hands on a steering wheel.Teenagers often do, well, dumb things. I know I did my fair share. One thing I never did, however, was get behind the wheel of a car when I had been drinking. (Getting on a bicycle, now, that's another story.) One Sacramento, CA, teen, however, spent the weekend in juvie after going for a drunken ride in his mother's car.

Police spotted the sixteen-year-old driving erratically and gave chase, but instead of stopping when he saw the officers, the teen took off and smashed into the dumpster.

All that isn't terribly unusual; it happens all too often. What makes this story different from most is the reaction of the boy's mother. Instead of making excuses and proclaiming her son's innocence, she has asked police to add theft of the car to the charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license.

"He needs to know that there needs to be a stop to it, and if I don't go this way he could hurt someone or hurt himself and I don't want that to happen," the boy's mother told a local reporter. This couldn't have been an easy decision to make -- no parent wants to see their child get into trouble. "It was tough for me to make this decision," said the mom.

I do think she made the right choice. What about you? Is this an example of making the punishment really fit the crime, or tough love gone bad? Would you be able to do the same for your own children?

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]]>disciplinedrunkdrunk drivingDrunkDrivingduigrand theft autoGrandTheftAutogtaRoger SinasohnTue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST