ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gif ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Give Me 10 ... Thousand: Parents Shell Out Small Fortunes for Kids' Personal Trainershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/08/give-me-10-thousand-parents-shell-out-small-fortunes-for-ki/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/08/give-me-10-thousand-parents-shell-out-small-fortunes-for-ki/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/08/give-me-10-thousand-parents-shell-out-small-fortunes-for-ki/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Kid serious about soccer? Better get her a trainer now. Credit: Getty


Earning a spot on the Little League roster is no longer enough. Parents are now investing in personal trainers to make sure their kid becomes the star player, sacrificing savings and sometimes their child's health in the process.

Youth sports training has grown into a $4.5 billion industry, according to IBISWorld, an industry and market research group. And, for trainers who are increasingly marketing themselves to kids and their folks, it can be a bonanza, with some charging $300 an hour for their services.

The number of kids who use health clubs has more than doubled since 1990, and more than half of fitness professionals now offer one-on-one personal training for kids 18 and younger, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. But, as more kids get additional training, their teammates who don't pay for outside help can see their performance lag and end up riding the bench.

"If they want to be competitive, they don't have a choice," says Michele Stephenson, a Brooklyn, N.Y. mom whose sons, ages 9 and 16, attend BlueStreak, a specialized sports training program at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. "If they want to eventually play college, which they're hoping for, then they need to do some individualized training."

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]]>athleticschildren athletesChildrenAthleteskids and sportsKidsAndSportspersonal trainersPersonalTrainerssportsRonda KaysenWed, 08 Sep 2010 16:45:00 ESTWhen the Stuff Hit the Fan at Pampershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/06/22/when-the-stuff-hit-the-fan-at-pampers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/06/22/when-the-stuff-hit-the-fan-at-pampers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/06/22/when-the-stuff-hit-the-fan-at-pampers/#commentsFiled under:

The diaper in question. Credit: Esmeralda Scheleur


The diaper business has been a bit poopie-laden for Procter and Gamble these days. In light of an impending report on the safety of Pampers Dry Max diapers, due any day from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, we thought it was time for a recap on what happened. Here goes:

When the company launched Dry Max Pampers last spring, they unwittingly unleashed the wrath of mommy bloggers. Fueled by social media sites, moms evoked tales of diaper rash so severe they compared it to chemical burns. The anger resulted in a federal investigation, calls for a Pampers boycott and an anti-Pampers Facebook page that has swelled to some 11,000 members and sent P&G into a huddle.

The company emerged from its huddle with a solution: Divide and conquer.

In May, P&G invited two groups of mommy bloggers to its Cincinnati, Ohio headquarters and gave them a grand tour of its facilities, giving these moms gobs of information on what goes into the making of a diaper. For the record, ParentDish editors were also invited to the plant, but did not attend.

The company simultaneously embarked on an advertising blitz to get the word out that Dry Max is safe for baby bottoms. The new Internet ad on the company's website includes a tab dubbed "Safe for Babies" and video of Jodi Allen, vice president of Pampers in North America, giving her word that the new diapers are safe.

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]]>Ronda KaysenTue, 22 Jun 2010 17:10:00 EST