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/Is Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Still Scary?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/29/michael-jackson-thriller-still-scary-holidash-asks-the-e/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/29/michael-jackson-thriller-still-scary-holidash-asks-the-e/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/29/michael-jackson-thriller-still-scary-holidash-asks-the-e/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Thriller

Do Michael Jackson's living dead still scare you? Credit: Getty Images


Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video debuted in 1982, and has been mesmerizing viewers ever since with its vision of werewolves and zombies. The dancing undead are pretty darn frightening, or at least they were 17 years ago. But has "Thriller" stood the test of time?

Our sister site, Holidash, took on this question. Reporter Nick Zaino talked with two Jackson fans, his 8-year-old niece Natalie and her 6-year-old sister, Clara, and they agreed: "Thriller" is still scary.

Holidash: Do you like the Thriller video by Michael Jackson?
Natalie: Oh my god, no.
Clara: No, we do not like it. We just hate it. We hate it.

Find out what scares Natalie and Clara at Holidash -- and see the entire video. Then decide for yourself: Is "Thriller" still the scariest music video ever?

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]]>halloween 2009Halloween2009holidashmichael jacksonMichaelJacksonthrillerSusan WagnerThu, 29 Oct 2009 15:30:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/02/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/02/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/02/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Each week our friends at Cookie magazine bring us the best of what's hot and cool for kids and parents. This week, on-the-go nap kits, a cozy fall sweater, and a backpack that gives back.

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]]>cookie-picksphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerFri, 02 Oct 2009 17:49:00 ESTKate Plus 8: TLC Bids Jon Adieuhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/29/kate-plus-8-tlc-bids-jon-adieu/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/29/kate-plus-8-tlc-bids-jon-adieu/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/29/kate-plus-8-tlc-bids-jon-adieu/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jon and Kate Gosselin

TLC is dropping Jon Gosselin from his family's reality show. Photo: Getty Images

We can't say we didn't see it coming: TLC announced Tuesday that Jon Gosselin will be leaving Jon & Kate Plus 8, and that the show will be renamed simply Kate Plus 8. A source close to Jon told PEOPLE magazine that, "Given Jon's recent antics, there was no way the show could continue to portray him as a doting Dad, not while all this other crap was going on."

Jon's "recent antics," of course, would consist mostly of his very public dating life, which apparently started before he and estranged wife Kate officially separated in June. The couple have been criticized for the way they have handled their breakup, but in recent days Kate -- who had been vilified as the bad guy in the Gosselin house -- has been focusing on her career, appearing as a guest host on The View, and reportedly filming a pilot with Paula Deen. Jon, on the other hand, has been planning his new career as a clothing designer for Ed Hardy, and going to lots of bars with much younger women.

But let's get back to what that inside source said: There's "...no way the show could continue to portray him as a doting dad." We're curious about why that is -- is it because he's not a doting dad? Because viewers don't want to see him as a doting dad? Or because TLC thinks the show will do better if the set up is single working mom Kate and her kids? Whatever the case may be, as of November 2, Kate and the eight will be on their own, at least on TLC.

What do you think -- will you miss Jon Gosselin, or is this just the beginning of the end for the Jon & Kate Plus 8 franchise? Will you keep watching once Jon is gone, or have you already changed the channel?

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]]>expire-images:2010-9-29jon gosselinkate gosselinSusan WagnerTue, 29 Sep 2009 15:28:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/23/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/23/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/23/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Each week, our friends at Cookie magazine bring us the best of what's hot and cool for parents and kids. This week: One-of-a-kind huggable bears, a book tote that helps feed kids in Nepal, and a super retro table lamp.

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]]>photo galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerWed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/17/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/17/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/17/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Each week, our friends at Cookie magazine bring us the best of what's hot and cool for kids and parents. This week: Fair trade toys, a place for all your cords, and napkin rings that hug you back.

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]]>cookie-picksphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerThu, 17 Sep 2009 09:03:00 ESTJon vs. Kate - Whose Side Are You On?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/27/jon-vs-kate-whose-side-are-you-on/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/27/jon-vs-kate-whose-side-are-you-on/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/27/jon-vs-kate-whose-side-are-you-on/#commentsFiled under: ,


ParentDish and Life and Style magazine want to know: In the Gosselin divorce, whose side are you on these days?

Jon and Kate Gosselin's 9-year-old twins, Mady and Cara, started school today, and just like moms and dads across the country, the couple were at the bus stop to send the girls off for their first day of third grade. Except, of course, the Gosselins are not just like other moms and dads -- they're reality television stars in the midst of a much-discussed divorce.


Jon Gosselin, specifically, has been a topic of conversation this week, at least on one morning show: Ex-girlfriend -- and former Star magazine reporter -- Kate Major dished about her relationship with the 32-year-old dad of eight on CBS' The Early Show last week, describing Gosselin's behavior as "some bachelor romp or whatever you want to call it." Major -- a former reporter for the tabloid Star magazine -- says she quit her job to be with Gosselin, who promised to make her his personal assistant. But that didn't pan out, and neither did the relationship. "He did not act like an adult, or a grown man, or a father. It's sad, I think the fame has just gone to his head," Major told The Early Show.

So what's Jon Gosselin up to these days? He's got a new girlfriend and a new career. Gosselin has been dating 22-year-old Hailey Glassman, whose dad happens to be estranged wife Kate's plastic surgeon. The pair were in France in July for talks with Ed Hardy designer Christian Audigier about a line of kids' clothing that Gosselin is going to design. Rumor has it he will have his own kids -- all eight of them -- modeling the togs.

Meanwhile, Kate Gosselin was home in Pennsylvania with the kids, and has been spotted wearing her wedding ring.

Jon also has eight stitches in his head right now, after an incident where he reportedly banged into a cabinet door in the dark at the Gosselin home in Pennsylvania. Kate, on the other hand, is prepping for an upcoming spot as a guest host on The View. So Kate is working and Jon is crashing into things. Interesting.

The most interesting thing, though, is this: Jon Gosselin's post-separation behavior -- his hook ups with Kate Major and Hailey Glassman (who was photographed apparently passed out in a potted plant) and his late-night parties at swanky clubs -- seems to be swaying public opinion about his soon-to-be ex-wife. After all these years of thinking that Kate was the problem with that marriage, the weirdly-tressed mama is beginning to look like the mature, responsible one, while Jon is looking like one of those pathetic mid-life crisis guys, albeit a few years too early.

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Jon & Kate Gosselin
Today we all have a window into the Gosselin's life on TLC's "Jon and Kate Plus 8." And of course, part of peeking into someone else's life is hypothesizing how we might do things differently or better, because it's always easy to imagine what you would do in someone else's shoes. Especially now.
Bauer-Griffin

Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8

    Is it splitsville for the Gosselins?
    Kate Gosselin, star of TLC's hit show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," speaks Wednesday May 13, 2009, at the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon, Mich. We may be seeing a lot more of Kate solo, now that her marriage is collapsing.

    Dave Raczkowski, MLIVE.com / AP

    Jon and Kate Gosselin of the hit TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" film an episode where they receive their own choppers (motorcycles) from the Orange County Choppers of the other TLC show, "American Chopper." The Gosselins go for a ride with the "American Chopper" cast before Kate later takes her custom pink bike for a ride of her own. All the while their children wander about the front lawn, not receiving much attention.

    Bauer-Griffin

    Over the past five years, Kate Gosselin's life has gone from miracle mom to reality TV train wreck. What's next for Gosselin and her family? Maybe a return to something closer to normal. Here, Gosselin is spotted pushing around one of her daughters in a shopping cart at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

    Bauer-Griffin

    Kate Gosselin, seen here promoting her book "Multiple Blessings," seems to have made a life for herself that doesn't include husband Jon, who is reported to have been having an affair. But what about the kids?

    David Livingston, Getty Images

    Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Gosselins were our favorite reality tv family. It was hard not to love them -- after all, we all know how parenting changes us.

    Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you had one more child? How about two more? How about SIX more?

    Four years ago, Jon and Kate Gosselin went from being parents of two to parents of eight, and their lives have never been the same.

    Getty Images

    Today we all have a window into that life on TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. And of course, part of peeking into someone else's life is hypothesizing how we might do things differently or better, because it's always easy to imagine what you would do in someone else's shoes.

    What is harder to imagine is what it would really be like to walk in those other shoes -- what's it like to wake up every morning and be Kate Gosselin? ParentDish had a chance to ask her just that recently.

    TLC.Discovery.com

    In a normal week, the Gosselins have a television crew in their house about half the time, which is a lot, if you think about it. And while they will occasionally opt out of filming specific moments with their kids, the Gosselins have no editorial control over the show -- what you see is what you get, packaged by a team of folks at Discovery and TLC. But, Kate says, this is reality TV, and it accurately reflects life at the Gosselin house; nothing is pre-planned or made up. "We don't have time to memorize scripts," she jokes.

    I believe that.

    "We set out to show the truth," Kate says, "I couldn't watch it if it weren't true." What you see, in every televised moment, is precisely what is happening -- no stage directions or do-overs. This is life at the Gosselin house.

    Getty Images

    Kate Gosselin has gotten quite a bit of flak, both from the media and from viewers, for the way she treats her husband; the two are often shown bickering during the show. Kate says the criticisms don't bother her; she doesn't Google herself or make a practice of reading about herself on or off line. "Everyone has an opinion," she says, "and I'm only paying attention to my own." But she does admit that the way the show is edited affects how people see her family and her marriage. "If Jon and I have three spats over a two day period, they're going to edit it to make it look like those happened in the 22 minute period." The show is just a small slice of her family's life, after all.

    TLC.Discovery.com

    Kate is clearly focused not on what goes on outside her family but on her children. Her goal, she says, is to treat each child like an only child -- a hard thing to do when you're the mom of eight. "I hold myself to a very high standard," she says. At the same time, though, she's not trying to be perfect, or even to appear perfect to viewers of the show. She's just living her life.

    And yes, she's living it with television cameras in her house, but it's still her real life. Kate says that while the experience of being on television has changed her life, it hasn't changed who she is. She says the same about having eight children -- "It's hard to live through what we have lived through and not change. We are the same -- it's how people treat us" that is different.

    Getty Images

    One of the hardest things about her family, Kate says, is the noise; there are days when the older girls, Cara and Mady, come home from school and their reports about what they have done are drowned out by the noise of the sextuplets. More than anything, she says, she longs for peace and quiet -- otherwise, she would not change a thing about her life.

    Getty Images

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]]>pd-pollphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerThu, 27 Aug 2009 16:25:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/25/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/25/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/25/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week, our friends at Cookie Magazine bring us the best of what's cool for kids and parents. This week: A twirly dress, some retro blocks, and three ways to store your stuff.

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]]>cookie magazinekid stylephoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerTue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 ESTOctomom: Behind the Sceneshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/octomom-behind-the-scenes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/octomom-behind-the-scenes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/octomom-behind-the-scenes/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Nadya Suleman, aka Octomom, has 14 children. She also has financial troubles and a rocky relationship with her mother. But we knew all of that already. What we don't know is what life is like in the Suleman household on a daily basis.

Thanks to FOX and RadarOnline, now we do. "Octomom: The Incredible Unseen Footage" took us inside Nadya Suleman's home and life. In a two-hour special that culled film and interviews shot over six months, we saw Suleman interacting with her children and her parents, and trying to explain how she wound up in this place.

So what's it like being the Octomom?

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How Does She Do It?
Nadya Suleman captivated us when she gave birth to octupluets -- but then we found out she had six other kids at home and we could not look away.
Fox
Jason Mitchell, BuzzFoto / FilmMagic

Octomom: Behind the Scenes

    Nadyla Suleman tends to her babies. Camera crews followed the single mom of 14 for six months to see what life as America's most famous tabloid mother is really like.

    Fox

    Suleman admits that she is not a perfect parent -- and the footage shot in her home bears this out, with shots of her children hitting her and cursing at her.

    Fox

    Nadya Suleman is living a surreal life these days, with surveillance cameras on her house and a film crew in her kitchen.

    Fox



Suleman, who once said that she would like to be a reality-TV parenting expert, talked about her personal parenting philosophy.

"You just have to show them what to do," she said into the camera. "You don't reprimand a child, no matter what age, and say don't do that, stop doing that ... You have to show them what is appropriate. You know that -- or people should know that." She laughed. "You have to model healthy behavior. You don't just punish; that's superfluous, I think. That's to no avail."

Not terrible advice, except for the fact that it's not working at all for the Suleman kids.

On an outing to the park, two-year-old Caleb, one of Suleman's twins, slapped her; she put him in a time out. He immediately stood up, called Suleman a "bitch," (twice) and walked away to play on the playground. In the background, we heard Suleman say, "Why is this happening?"

Later, Caleb slapped the camera and called the reporter a "bitch." Suleman put him in time-out, but she's giggling as she does it.

On an outing with her older children, two of them hit her; her 8-year-old had a tantrum about his ice skates. Suleman sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not the best parent in the world," Suleman said. And son Elijah, 8, piped up: "Yeah, you're not the best parent."

We can judge Nadya Suleman for her parenting skills, but she's not doing anything that other parents aren't doing. There are plenty of kids out there who misbehave because no one tells them not to. What sets Suleman apart from her parenting peers is not that her toddler hits or swears; it's the way she cultivates the media's attention, even when it means risking her children's health and well-being.

Suleman blames the media -- specifically, the tabloids -- for making her life chaotic, but she allows cameras into her home while simultaneously pushing her neighbors away. She has installed security cameras and a gate at her house, but it appears that it is the neighbors, not the paparazzi, that she is warding off. She will not let her children play with the other kids on her block, and she accuses one neighbor of looking over her fence.

"I catch myself living in fear, to a certain degree," she says. What she fears, though, is that the neighbors will come into her house and film the children.

Suleman's fame is of course a fluke; until her octuplets arrived, she was just another single mom. But Nadya Suleman was fully aware, even before her babies were born, that being the Octomom was her road to fame.

How do we know this? Because last night, FOX aired never-before-seen footage of the octuplets' birth, shot in the delivery room by a cameraperson hired by Suleman herself. The footage is shocking not because we see anything horrific in the delivery but because the woman with the camera engages in a battle with the delivery room nurses over who has the most right to be in the delivery room. A nurse tells her, "I'm trying to ensure the safety of everyone in this room," but the camera keeps rolling.

It's amazing that Suleman has that record of her children's birth -- after all, cameras are typically prohibited in operating rooms -- but what is more amazing is that she chose to have a camera crew in the delivery room in the first place. As much as we might want to believe that she puts her children's health and safety first, that bit of film, that ongoing argument between the cameraperson and the nurse about who had more right to be in the OR at that moment, leaves us wondering: Was Nadya Suleman really thinking about her children, or was she already counting on the TV deal for the film of their births?

It is impossible to feel badly for Nadya Suleman; after all, she brought this on herself. But it is equally impossible not to wonder what will become of her children. The most heart-wrenching moment in the FOX special came when Suleman admitted, "I screwed myself. I screwed up my life, I screwed up my kids' lives ... I have to put on this strong facade and I have to pretend like I don't regret it. I can't regret it now because I love them, they're here ... What was I thinking?"

We're all wondering that, honestly.

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]]>Nadya SulemanOctomomoctupletsphoto galleryPhotoGalleryreality tvSusan WagnerThu, 20 Aug 2009 17:19:00 ESTFabulous Birthday Cakeshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/you-could-serve-cupcakes-or-you-could-serve-one-of-these-cakes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/you-could-serve-cupcakes-or-you-could-serve-one-of-these-cakes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/20/you-could-serve-cupcakes-or-you-could-serve-one-of-these-cakes/#commentsFiled under:

For your next party, think outside the cake box. Credit: Amy's Creative Cakes

Any kid will tell you: The best part of the birthday party is the cake. Okay, maybe it's the gifts, but cake is a very close second. So why not go all out for your next birthday party and get a cake that will truly be the best?

We're not talking buttercream frosting or chocolate ganache filling (although those are delicious). We're talking about cakes that look like sushi and handbags and beehives -- and, of course, a cheeseburger with fries (our favorite). You can see all these fantastic cakes and more at AOL's Party Central; they've gathered the best of the bizarre birthday cakes together in one place, to inspire and amuse.

Birthdays only come once a year; this year, celebrate with an over-the-top dessert made to look like ... well, like pretty much anything you can think of.

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]]>birthday cakeSusan WagnerThu, 20 Aug 2009 10:00:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/17/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/17/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/17/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week, our friends at Cookie Magazine share their favorite products for parents and kids. This weeks picks will keep your little one dry in the rain, get rid of wrinkles on the fly, and help the whole family save water.

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]]>cookie-picksphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerMon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:00 ESTBaby's First Year, in Two Minuteshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/10/babys-first-year-in-two-minutes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/10/babys-first-year-in-two-minutes/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/10/babys-first-year-in-two-minutes/#commentsFiled under: ,


Parents are taking the baby growth chart a giant leap forward. By chronicling their children's growth in more high-tech -- and public -- ways, on blogs and Flickr and YouTube, the whole family can watch junior's expansion phases.

Like this.



"A Year of Lex" is the brainchild of Zachery Bir and Amber Smirnow of Richmond, VA. The couple, both 35, started photographing their son, Alexander, the day he was born, taking one photo each day for an entire year.

"Some friends of ours have a nicely framed set of monthly pictures of their daughter, showing her growth through her first year," Bir told ParentDish via email. "I thought that would be a great project, and I wanted to try my hand at a year's worth of daily shots. We also took weekly shots (every Wednesday) and monthly shots (on the 30th of each month and the 28th of February)."

Bir and Smirnow did minimal staging for the photos; they just let Lex do his infant thing, which included laughing and crying and messing with the props they provided, while the parents focused on the overall quality of the photos.

"We experimented a lot with the proper use of light," Bir said. "You can see early on in the movie that we were using just ambient light, and that forced a lot of post-production to try and bring out an even exposure. What ended up working the best was taking the picture at the same time each day, with only natural light, and using a bounce flash for fill." The charm of the video, of course, is that Lex is never posed; he's a real baby, doing real baby things.

Will they do it again for Lex's second year? Bir said no.

"We've stopped doing daily photos, but are continuing with weekly and monthly. For his third year, we'll be cutting back further to monthly," he said. "He's very mobile now, and doesn't have quite the patience for staying put that he had when newborn."

Bir said that he and Smirnow have been pleasantly surprised by their son's internet fame.

"We're pretty stunned ... overall, we've been really grateful for the reaction it's received," he said.

You can read more about Lex's life at Bir's blog, Urbanape, and at Smirow's blog, Princess Crankypants.

Have you photographed your child's growth?

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]]>baby-videoparenting-blogyoutubeSusan WagnerMon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:00 ESTCookie Doughhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/07/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/07/cookie-dough/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/08/07/cookie-dough/#commentsFiled under: ,


Each week, our friends at Cookie Magazine bring us the best of what's hot and cool for kids and parents. This week: Cool cocktail napkins, a warm bedtime owl, and the cutest eco-friendly diaper covers we've ever seen.

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]]>cookie-picksphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerFri, 07 Aug 2009 13:00:00 ESTBrangelina's Twins Turn 1 - But Where Are They?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/20/brangelinas-twins-turn-1-but-where-are-they/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/20/brangelinas-twins-turn-1-but-where-are-they/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/20/brangelinas-twins-turn-1-but-where-are-they/#commentsFiled under:

Last week, Hollywood's hottest twins celebrated a big milestone: Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt celebrated their first birthday with a family-only bash that included mom Angelina Jolie and dad Brad Pitt, siblings Maddox, 7, Pax, 5, Zahara, 4, and Shiloh, 3, and Pitt's parents Bill and Jane. Each twin had a cake, baked by the older Jolie-Pitt kids.

Jolie-Pitt Clan

    First Family of Hollywood
    Fans went wild as they caught a first-time glimpse of the A-list couple with all six kids in tow -- Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax and the twins Knox (carried by Pitt) and Vivienne (with Jolie). The family came together for the January 2009 Japanese premiere of "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button."

    Getty Images

    Girls' Day Out
    Zahara and Shiloh enjoy a shopping trip with mom Angelina Jolie in New York in February 2008. They look like typical little girls -- comfortable and warm and ready for fun with their mom.

    Bauer-Griffin

    Angelina Supports Clint Eastwood
    Angie attended the December 2008 premiere of "Gran Torino" to applaud her pal Clint Eastwood who directed the movie. She showed up looking laid-back in nude heels, black pants and a gray crewneck sweater.

    Getty Images

    Stepping Out
    In late 2008 Angelina and Brad graced the West Coast premiere of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" at Mann's Theatre in Westwood. Angie rocked a sophisticated black, strapless Versace grown with Ralph Lauren gold earrings and Brad showed off a mustache he grew for his upcoming film, "Inglourious Basterds."

    Getty Images

    Junk Food Rules
    Angelina was spotted in New Orleans in October 2008 with Shiloh, Pax, and Zahara. Ange wore a flowing black sundress and ballet flats and held Shiloh while Pax and Zahara played together. Later that day, the press pounced on the famous mom for letting her kids eat Cheetoes.

    Chris Wolf, FilmMagic

    Hello, Twins!
    In August 2008, the power couple granted an exclusive interview to "HELLO!," revealing details on their new life with twins Knox and Vivienne. "It is chaos," said Jolie on life at the Chateau Miraval in Provence. "But we are managing it and having a wonderful time." Dad Brad said, "Viv is proving to resemble Ange in spirit, attitude and physicality... And Knox, he's a bit of me."

    Getty Images

    Angelina's Controversy
    The November 2008 issue of "W" made waves when a smiling--and breastfeeding--Angelina graced its black and white cover. As a result, the photo inspired more new mothers to breast-feed, according to officials from various breast-feeding support organizations.

    Shopping for Baby Clothes
    While in France for the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Shiloh, Zahara, and Brad hit up children's clothing boutique Bonpoint. A source told Usmagazine.com, "They had the shop to themselves so they weren't interrupted by other customers. Maddox was running around, ducking under rails and looking at clothes."

    Lionel Cironneau, AP

    Brad Gets Busy
    Brad Pitt took a stroll with Pax and Maddox at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. Angelina's better half was in Italy for a "Burn After Reading" premiere, and a charity dinner for the humanitarian group "Not On Our Watch" which he hosted with old friend and "Ocean's 13" costar George Clooney.

    George Pimentel, WireImage.com

    Brad Rocks Out
    In June, just a few months before the arrival of his new twins, Brad Pitt took Maddox to the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The famous father was also seen that month dancing at a Radiohead concert.

    Claudio Giovannini, AFP / Getty



Absent from the festivities were all the other Hollywood kids that one would expect the Jolie-Pitts to hang out with, and -- more noticeably -- the media. In fact, Knox and Vivienne haven't been seen in public since January, which has lead to speculations about their health. "Life & Style" spoke to "an insider close to the family" and learned that both babies have health problems; Knox reportedly spits up after every feeding, while Vivienne has allergies and is underweight. Pitt and Jolie have reportedly taken the babies to for genetic testing, and have been keeping them hidden away for safety reasons. "Because of their delicate state, Knox and Vivienne need to be kept away from anything they could possibly be allergic to," the source told "Life & Style." "That's a lot easier to do when they're home and in a controlled environment."
So how worried should be we be about the littlest of Brangelina's brood? Not much, probably. There are some very good reasons why Brad and Angie might choose not to parade the twins in front of the press. If the babies do have health issues -- and honestly, reflux and allergies are pretty common these days, even in non-Hollywood tots -- then the family friend quoted in "Life & Style" is right on the money: It's easier to manage even a mild health condition in a baby with a controlled environment.

But there may be another issue here, about family life and privacy. The other Jolie-Pitt kids are rarely seen by the press, and when they are, it is most often when they're out and about with their parents. Brad and Angelina seem to have found a nice middle ground between their own superstardom and their family life, and it involves keeping the kids away from the paparazzi as much as possible. So of course they've kept the babies under wraps -- babies don't need to be in tabloids, even if they are the babies of famous people.

What do you think -- are Brad and Angle hiding their tots because something is terribly wrong, or are they just letting the babies be babies and not media magnets?

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]]>angelina-joliebrad-pittbrangelinapd-pollphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerMon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:00 ESTDying Mother Creates 'Masterclass in Motherhood' for Husbandhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/dying-mother-creates-masterclass-in-motherhood-for-husband/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/dying-mother-creates-masterclass-in-motherhood-for-husband/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/dying-mother-creates-masterclass-in-motherhood-for-husband/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jemma Oliver taught her husband to be a mom before she died. Photo: Wales News Service

When Jemma Oliver was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she set about preparing her family for her death. But rather than focusing on the funeral arrangements, the mother of two gave her husband, Jason, a detailed crash course in caring for the couple's two children, son Keaton, 4, and daughter Codi, 2. Jemma, 29, walked her husband through every aspect of being a mom and left him plenty of instructions about what to do once she was gone.
"Jemma thought of everything and then organized me so that I would be able to cope," says Jason, 32. He admits that when his wife fell ill, he had no idea how to manage most of her chores; he didn't know how to turn on the dishwasher, for example. "The house was total chaos until she took me in hand. Then slowly and patiently, Jemma told me what to do. She taught me how to do everything for the children -- and for my sake, too."

Jemma covered every possible detail in her masterclass; she hired a hairdresser to come to the house and teach Jason to braid daughter Codi's hair, telling Jason, "I can't have my girl looking scruffy. No bumps in her hair please!" She also left instructions about what clothes Codi could and could not wear, and made Jason promise to take her sisters with him when he shops for Codi.

But Jemma's masterclass didn't just focus on chores and clothes; she also chose schools for the children, and left cards for their birthdays and written instructions about how she wants them to be raised. Jemma Oliver died at her home in Wales in February, with her husband and children by her side; now that she's gone, Jason finds comfort in her notes.

"I constantly look at her plans and instructions to help me. I feel as though she's there watching over us, guiding us along the way," he says.

Who makes most of the parenting decisions in your house? If you were to die, could your partner carry on without you?

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]]>Susan WagnerFri, 17 Jul 2009 17:00:00 ESTJacadi Collection Dress, Kolo Essex Travel Book, Goodbyn Lunchboxhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/jacadi-collection-dress-kolo-essex-travel-book-goodbyn-lunchbo/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/jacadi-collection-dress-kolo-essex-travel-book-goodbyn-lunchbo/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/17/jacadi-collection-dress-kolo-essex-travel-book-goodbyn-lunchbo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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]]>cookie-picksphoto galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerFri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST6-Year-Old Shoots Hole-in-One With SpongeBob Golf Ballhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/16/6-year-old-shoots-hole-in-one-with-spongebob-golf-ball/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/16/6-year-old-shoots-hole-in-one-with-spongebob-golf-ball/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/16/6-year-old-shoots-hole-in-one-with-spongebob-golf-ball/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Was it the SpongeBob ball that brought this 6-year-old a hole in one? Photo: Deena Lynn Furlow/Manistee News Advocate

Braeden Furlow, an adorable six-year-old, is just discovering the joys of golf. Like the rest of us learning how to swing a 9-iron, he's getting the hang of it.

So much so, that when he hit the links with his parents on July 6 -- his fourth time on the course -- he teed up his SpongeBob ball on the eighth hole and hit it 85 yards for a hole-in-one.

His parents -- who both play golf but have never gotten their own hole-in-one -- were properly awed.

"It was wild," laughed dad Travis Furlow, describing how his son's ball bounced down the fairway and landed in the hole. "It was a lot of fun to watch it happen."

But Braeden's dad doesn't want this one success to go to his son's head.

"I told him he should stop playing because I don't want him to set the expectations too high on a regular basis," Furlow told the News Advocate of Manistee, MI. And while telling a 6-year-old to quit a new sport might seem extreme, Furlow clearly knows his son. "I want to play golf," Braeden told the paper. "When I'm golfing, I'm going to work on getting a hole-in-one."

We hope he'll work on more than just an ace -- clearly, he's got the potential, or luck, to be a great golfer. We see SpongeBob endorsement in his future.

Kid Sports Phenoms

    When six-year-old Braeden Furlow hit a hole in one this week, he joined the ranks of other phenomenal kid athletes.

    Deena Lyn Furlow/Manistee News Advocate

    LeBron James

    An outstanding high school basketball player, LeBron James was named Mr. Baseketball of Ohio three years in a row. In 2003, at the age of 18, James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the overall number one pick in the NBA draft.

    Tony Dejak, AP

    Michelle Wie

    WIe began playing golf at four; one week before her 15th birthday, in October of 2005, she announced that she was turning pro. The LPGA requires that professional golfers be 18, so for the first three years she played professionally, Wie was only allowed to participate in a limited number of tournaments.

    Mary Ann Chastain, AP

    Oksana Baiul

    Fifteen-year-old Baiul, an orphan from Ukraine, celebrates her gold medal performance in the ladies' finals of the 1993 World Figure Skating Championship in Prague. In 1994, she won an Olympic Gold Medal.

    Pavel Horejsi, AP

    Shannon Miller

    Gymnast Shannon Miller is the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, winning a combined total of 16 World Championships and Olympic medals between 1991 and 1996. In 1996, at 19, she capped her career with an individual Olympic gold medal in balance beam.

    Tony Duffy, Allsport / Getty Images

    Tiger Woods

    Golf prodigy Tiger Woods single-handedly changed the face of the USGA. Woods turned pro in 1996, at the age of 21, but by then he was already a phenom, having appeared on the Mike Douglas Show at age 2 to putt with Bob Hope. In April of 1997, he became the youngest player ever to win the Masters.

    Ken Levine, Allsport / Getty Images

    Tony Hawk

    Tony Hawk fell into skateboarding; when he was 8, his older brother bought a used skateboard, and their father built a ramp in the family's back yard. Hawk won his first competition at 12 and turned pro at 14.

    John Storey, Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images

    Tracy Austin

    Teen tennis phenom Tracy Austin won the US Open twice, in 1979, at age 17, and again in 1981. She and her brother Jon won the mixed doubles trophy at Wimbledon in 1980. Austin is shown here playing at Wimbledon in 1977, when she was 15.

    Tony Duffy, Getty Images

    Serena and Venus Williams

    Sisters Serena, left, age 10 and Venus Williams, 11, shake hands after a 1991 match in Compton, CA. Serena and Venus have each gone on to be individual tennis powerhouses, most recently facing off in the 2009 Wimbledon finals; Serena walked away the winner.

    Paul Harris, Online USA / Getty Images

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]]>photo galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerThu, 16 Jul 2009 20:00:00 ESTExclusive Interview - 'NYC Prep' Dad Speaks Up, Sebastian 'Has Taken it in Stride'http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/13/nyc-prep-dad-speaks-up-sebastian-has-taken-it-in-stride/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/13/nyc-prep-dad-speaks-up-sebastian-has-taken-it-in-stride/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/13/nyc-prep-dad-speaks-up-sebastian-has-taken-it-in-stride/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The buzz about the teen cast members, and their interesting behavior, on Bravo's "NYC Prep" continues to heat up. But we're curious about their parents. Are they proud? Embarrassed? Completely out of the loop?

Mostly, we just want to know why on earth anyone would agree to let their child be on a reality show.

ParentDish had an email chat with one of these parents -- Sebastian's father, Jeff Oppenheim -- about the show and how his son is handling his 15 minutes.

NYC Prep

    NYC Prep, Tuesdays on Bravo (10-11 p.m. ET) Pictured: Bottom row, left to right, Camille, Jessie, Kelli, Taylor, standing. Top row, left to right, Sebastian, PC.

    Virginia Sherwood, Bravo

    Sebastian, far left, and Kelli seated, second from right.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Kelli.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Camille, left, and Kelli, center.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Sebastian, left.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Camille, Taylor and Kelli.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Jessie, center.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Camille, Kelli and Taylor.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Sebastian.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo

    Taylor.

    Heidi Gutman, Bravo





ParentDish: How did Sebastian get involved with the show?

Jeff Oppenheim: Our son came to us and presented the opportunity. After much discussion with the producers and amongst ourselves as a family, we agreed to let our son Sebastian join the show. We knew that he was balanced enough to handle not only the professional pressures and responsibilities, but also to survive the potential maelstrom of living in the public eye.

PD: How has the show affected the daily flow around the house?

JO: Although the producers were very respectful of our son's academic life and extracurricular life, the demands of production were an added item on all of our schedules. But my wife and I were pleased at how our son treated this responsibility as he would a job or an internship and rose to the occasion. Now, everything is back to life as usual, which still means we're all juggling an active schedule.

Continue reading Exclusive Interview - 'NYC Prep' Dad Speaks Up, Sebastian 'Has Taken it in Stride'

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]]>photo galleryPhotoGallerySusan WagnerMon, 13 Jul 2009 11:00:00 ESTBlink Designs Sewing Kit, Handstand Kids Cookbook, Heath Ceramics Tea Towelhttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/10/blink-designs-sewing-kit-handstand-kids-cookbook-heath-ceramic/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/10/blink-designs-sewing-kit-handstand-kids-cookbook-heath-ceramic/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/10/blink-designs-sewing-kit-handstand-kids-cookbook-heath-ceramic/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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]]>cookie-picksSusan WagnerFri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:00 ESTSean Duffy Announces Run for Congresshttp://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/sean-duffy-announces-run-for-congress/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/sean-duffy-announces-run-for-congress/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/sean-duffy-announces-run-for-congress/#commentsFiled under: ,

Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy

The Duffy family gears up for a run for Congress. Photo: www.duffyforcongress.com.

Sean Duffy -- husband of ParentDish columnist Rachel Campos-Duffy -- has announced his intention to run for office in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. Duffy, 37, was appointed Ashland County District Attorney in 2002. He and Rachel, also 37, have five children -- Evita, 9, Jack, 7, Lucía-Belén, 5, John-Paul, 3, and Paloma, 1.

Rachel Campos-Duffy spoke to ParentDish about her husband's decision to run for public office, and about what it will mean to their family and their children. "This is a real education for [the kids]," she says. In fact, she tells us, concerns about their children's future were a driving force in her husband's decision to run for office. "The feeling that all this debt is going to get passed on to our kids is the reason he got involved. It isn't fair to our kids to borrow this money and leave it for [them] to pay back," she says.

But while a commitment to his children are a focal point of Duffy's campaign, Rachel says that the decision to run was "very complicated" specifically because of their concerns about the kids. Their children, she says, were "both the reason why he got in and the reason that gave us the most pause." The Duffys are trying to make campaigning a family affair as much as possible, for several reasons. Rachel says that her older chidren are intrested in politics and are excited about their father running for office, and she is aware that this is a unique opportunity for them. She is also aware that the work of campaigning for public office will take Sean Duffy away from his family a great deal, and she wants them to have every opportunity to be together, even if that time is in the car on the way to an event.

And at least for now, though, the kids are loving it. "The idea of a parade or a dairy breakfast or any event seems fun to them," she says. Then she adds, laughing, "They may hate it at the end but right now it seems appealing."

Of her husband and his choice to run for office, Rachel says, "I am really proud of him. I think he's really stepping outside of himself. He's a very humble person; he's not taking this lightly. He is confident in himself but he understands what he's taking on." We look forward to hearing more about the Duffy family's journey in Rachel's View from the Home Front columns -- and for more information about Sean Duffy's Congressional campaign, you can visit his web site.

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]]>Susan WagnerThu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 ESTEvian's Roller-Skating Babies Ad - Cute or Creepy?http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/evians-roller-skating-babies-ad-cute-or-creepy/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/evians-roller-skating-babies-ad-cute-or-creepy/http://www.parentdish.com/2009/07/09/evians-roller-skating-babies-ad-cute-or-creepy/#commentsFiled under: ,

Confession: I'm not a fan of commercials that feature talking babies (think: E*TRADE) -- they freak me out, honestly. But I have to admit that Evian's roller-skating babies ad got to me. It also got to more than four million people on YouTube in the past week, which is impressive.



The video -- of 96 computer-animated infants roller-skating to a remix of the Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight -- is mesmerizing. Something about babies in diapers and onesies doing sophisticated skate tricks and break-dancing moves just makes me smile. And yes, there's an element of creepy about these babies (that first one, leaning up against the boom box, is particularly weird to me), but it's hard to deny that the ad is eye-catching and, frankly, fun to watch.

Michael Aiden, Evian's worldwide brand manager, says that the company returned to the more fantasy-style ad because, "consumers expect more from a big brand..." And while we're impressed with the fancy water company's initiative, we think the real kudos should go to Evian's ad agency, BETC Euro RSCG, for coming up with the one-minute clip.

So is the ad cute or creepy? We polled people in our office, and they were split pretty much down the middle, although commenters at YouTube overwhelmingly find it cute. What do you think?

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]]>Susan WagnerThu, 09 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST