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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>G.I. Joe, My Little Pony Invading TV With New Children's Network</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/toys-and-games/" rel="tag">Toys &amp; Games</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/thats-entertainment/" rel="tag">That's Entertainment</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/gi-joe-action-figure-425ds020910.jpg" />
<p>G.I. Joe from his Rise of the Cobra collection. The versatile soldier may be getting his own show. Credit: Craig Ruttle, AP</p>
<br />
G.I. Joe has plans to invade children's television.<br />
<br />
This time, he has more than a cartoon show in mind. He's looking at an entirely new network.<br />
<br />
Toymakers at Hasbro -- the company behind G.I. Joe, Transformers and My Little Pony -- announced last year they are joining forces with Discovery Communications to form a TV network called Hub.<br />
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<div class="smallthumb"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/hub-hasbro-tv-network-78ds020910-1265742118.jpg" />
<p style="text-align: center;">Credit: Discovery</p>
<br />
<br />
The Wall Street Journal reports this week that <a target="_blank" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100208-707791.html">those plans are forging ahead</a>. Hasbro CEO Bryan Goldner expects profits to dip a bit this year because of the cost of putting together the new network, according to the newspaper, but tells shareholders profits will go back up in 2011.<br />
 </div>
</div>
</div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>G.I. Joe, My Little Pony Invading TV With New Children's Network</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19350651/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/g-i-joe-my-little-pony-invading-tv-with-new-childrens-network/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>bindi the jungle girl</category><category>expire-images:2011-6-30</category><category>gi joe</category><category>Hasbro</category><category>Hasbro Discovery TV Network Childrens Toys Games</category><category>hub</category><category>my little pony</category><category>transformers</category><category>trivial pursuit</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Movies May Influence Children's Food Choices, Study Shows</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/eating-and-nutrition/" rel="tag">Eating &amp; Nutrition</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/development/" rel="tag">Development</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/movies-425th020910.gif" />
<p>Could food featured on film can lead to poor nutritional choices among kids? Credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenhester/3905584014/">Darrren Hester,</a> Flickr</p>
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Space aliens love candy and fast food.<br />
<br />
You can see them eating at a Burger King in "Men in Black 2," and of course, Steven Spielberg thoroughly documented how much E.T. loves Reece's Pieces.<br />
<br />
But that doesn't necessarily mean those are good choices for kids. Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School say <a target="_blank" href="http://www.healthcanal.com/life-style-fitness/5565.html">movies may have a profound influence on children's food choices</a>.<br />
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Movie characters often <a target="_blank" href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-0857v1?maxtoshow=&amp;hits=10&amp;RESULTFORMAT=&amp;fulltext=Lisa+Sutherland+Dartmouth&amp;searchid=1&amp;FIRSTINDEX=0&amp;sortspec=relevance&amp;resourcetype=HWCIT">eat foods high in energy and low in nutrition</a>, Lisa Sutherland tells the Web site HealthCanal.com.<br />
<br />
She's a research professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth and the lead author of the study that appears in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.<br />
<br />
Researchers from the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth found that six companies (Burger King, McDonald's, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper/Snapple and Nestle USA) account for 45 percent of the product placement in mainstream movies.<br />
<p> </p>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Movies May Influence Children's Food Choices, Study Shows</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.healthcanal.com/life-style-fitness/5565.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19350676/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/movies-may-influence-childrens-food-choices-study-shows/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>childhood obesity</category><category>movies</category><category>Movies Food Nutrition Choices Kids Product Placement</category><category>pop culture</category><category>PopCulture</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Study Suggests Link Between Autism and Parents' Ages</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/medical-conditions/" rel="tag">Medical Conditions</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/development/" rel="tag">Development</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/special-needs/" rel="tag">Special Needs</a></p><br />
As parents and researchers struggle and debate about the cause of the autism epidemic -- or if there's even an epidemic at all -- a new study suggests a link between the disorder and parents' ages.<br />
<br />
A study published Feb. 8 in the journal <a target="_blank" href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/116308170/home">Autism Research</a> concludes that older mothers are more likely than younger ones to have a child with autism. In addition, older fathers significantly contribute to the risk of autism when their partners are under 30.<br />
<br />
The New York Times reports researchers analyzed almost five million births in California during the 1990s. Some 12,159 of those children were <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/health/09autism.html">diagnosed with autism</a>.<br />
<br />
According to the Times, previous research concluded that autism diagnoses grew with the age of the father. In this latest study, researchers found when the father was older than 40 and the mother was younger than 30, the autism rate was 59 percent higher than it was for younger men. When the mothers were over 30, that number was about 12 percent.<br /><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Study Suggests Link Between Autism and Parents' Ages</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/health/09autism.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19350645/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/study-suggests-link-between-autism-and-parents-ages/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>autism</category><category>autism resarch</category><category>Autism Research Ages Parents Epidemic</category><category>research</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Canadian Hospital Offers Surgery for Obese Children</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/medical-conditions/" rel="tag">Medical Conditions</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a></p><br />
A hospital in Canada offers some <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sickkids.ca/">obese children surgery</a> designed to help them lose weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other potential killers.<br />
<br />
The surgery is performed at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The hospital -- nicknamed SickKids -- is Canada's largest research hospital and one of the largest pediatric academic health science centers in the world.<br />
<br />
The Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail reports physicians at the hospital are the first in Canada to routinely <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/sickkids-first-to-offer-teens-surgery-for-obesity/article1457031/">provide obesity surgery to children</a>. The program officially launches this week.<strong><br />
</strong><br />
According to the Globe and Mail, it is designed for children ages 12 to 17 with "complex obesity." That means they are overweight because of a medical condition such as a brain tumor.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Canadian Hospital Offers Surgery for Obese Children</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/sickkids-first-to-offer-teens-surgery-for-obesity/article1457031/>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19349052/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/09/canadian-hospital-offers-surgery-for-obese-children/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>children obesity</category><category>Children Obesity Bariatric Canada Hospital</category><category>obesity</category><category>weight loss</category><category>WeightLoss</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:51:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Bob Dylan's 'All the Animals' Inspires Children's Book</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/thats-entertainment/" rel="tag">That's Entertainment</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/books/" rel="tag">Books</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/music/" rel="tag">Music</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="photocaption"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/man-gave-animals-bob-dylan-240ds020810.jpg" />
<p>Kid-friendly Dylan. Credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Man-Gave-Names-All-Animals/dp/1402768583/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a">Amazon.com</a></p>
<br />
A Bob Dylan song has inspired a children's book.<br />
<br />
No, it's not "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or "Highway 51." It's not even "Lilly, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts."<br />
<br />
Here's a clue: <em>"He saw an animal leavin' a muddy trail, real dirty face and a curly tail. He wasn't too small and he wasn't too big. Ah, think I'll call it a pig."</em><br />
<br />
Give up? It's "Man Gave Names to All the Animals."</div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Bob Dylan's 'All the Animals' Inspires Children's Book</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book-1892349.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19348901/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/bob-dylans-all-the-animals-inspires-childrens-book/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>bob dylan</category><category>Bob Dylan Childrens Book Animals Sterling</category><category>childrens books</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Girl, 7, Wins Dancing Queen Title; Generates Outrage in Brazil</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/kids-5-7/" rel="tag">Kids 5-7</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/extreme-childhood/" rel="tag">Extreme Childhood</a></p><br />
<div class="classy">
<div class="photocaption"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/samba-julia-lira-240ds020810.jpg" alt="" />
<p>Tiny dancer Julia Lira, 7, busts a move in Rio. Credit: Felipe Dana, AP</p>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<strong>A 7-year-old Brazilian girl has won the coveted title of drum corps queen of a top samba school for the annual Carnaval of Brazil.</strong><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8501724.stm">And, now, children's rights activists are outraged.</a> The girl's father, however, sees nothing wrong with people watching his daughter dance in one of the scanty, sequined costumes associated with samba music and Carnaval.<br />
<br />
"Any man who looks at a 7-year-old child and feels any sort of excitement should go see a doctor," Marco Lira tells the BBC, Britain's national television network.<br />
<br />
Lira is the president of the Viradouro Samba School that chose his daughter, Julia, as its Carnaval queen. <strong><br />
<br />
</strong><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Girl, 7, Wins Dancing Queen Title; Generates Outrage in Brazil</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8501724.stm>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19349379/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/carnaval-dancer-7-generates-heated-controversy-for-brazil/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Carnaval of Brazlian Julia Lira 7-Year-Old Samba</category><category>CarnavalOfBrazlianJuliaLira7-year-oldSamba</category><category>carnival</category><category>expire-images:2011-6-30</category><category>rio de janeiro</category><category>RioDeJaneiro</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:49:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Tinkerbell Bracelets Recalled for Lead</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/health-and-safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/toys-and-games/" rel="tag">Toys &amp; Games</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/alerts-and-recalls/" rel="tag">Alerts &amp; Recalls</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="photocaption"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/tiny-tink-friends-recall-240ds020810.jpg" />
<p>A number of Tinkerbell charms contain excess lead. Credit: CPSC</p>
<br />
Tinkerbell has been poisoned ... again.<br />
<br />
This time, however, you can't blame Captain Hook. And it will take more than clapping to set things right.<br />
<br />
According to Consumer Reports, more than <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2010/02/recall-tiny-tink-and-friends-disney.html">252,000 Tinkerbell charms are being pulled from shelves</a> because they contain more lead than federal allows allows.<br />
<br />
The Disney charms, manufactured by Playmates Toys, were sold as part of the Tink Tink and Friends toy jewelry set -- mostly between November 2008 and November 2009. The charm can be attached to a toy necklace, bracelet or key chain also included in the set.<br />
<br />
If your child has one, Consumer Reports advises, take it away immediately. Contact Playmates Toys in Cosa Mesa, Calif., at 888-810-1133 or <a target="_blank" href="http://playmatestoys.com/index.shtml">playmatestoys.com</a> for a replacement or refund.<br />
<p> </p>
</div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Tinkerbell Bracelets Recalled for Lead</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2010/02/recall-tiny-tink-and-friends-disney.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19348931/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/08/tinkerbell-bracelets-recalled-for-lead/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>princess and the frog</category><category>Recall Tinkerbell Bracelets Consumer Reports</category><category>recalls</category><category>tinkerbell bracelets</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Big Brother May Have Your Baby's DNA</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/newborns/" rel="tag">Newborns</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/babies/" rel="tag">Babies</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/pregnancy-and-birth/" rel="tag">Pregnancy &amp; Birth</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/medical-conditions/" rel="tag">Medical Conditions</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/development/" rel="tag">Development</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/annie-brown-isabel-425ds020510.jpg" alt="" />
<p>Annie Brown, pictured with daughter Isabel, was shocked to learn that her baby's DNA was in the hands of the feds. Credit: Gregg Andersen</p>
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</div>
The government may have your baby's DNA on file.<br />
<br />
Newborns in the United States are regularly screened for various genetic diseases. These tests are mandated by the federal government.<br />
<br />
As a result, children's DNA samples are often stored -- sometimes indefinitely.<br />
<br />
Some parents are creeped out by the Orwellian image of the government keeping babies' DNA without their parents' knowledge or consent and they're filing lawsuits. Members of the Texas Legislature felt the same chill down their spines last year.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Big Brother May Have Your Baby's DNA</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/04/baby.dna.government/index.html?eref=rss_health&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_health+%28RSS%3A+Health%29&amp;utm_content=My+Yahoo>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19345985/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/big-brother-may-have-your-babys-dna/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>dna</category><category>DNA Samples Government Testing Infants Diseases</category><category>expire-images:2011-2-05</category><category>genetic testing</category><category>GeneticTesting</category><category>newborn tests</category><category>NewbornTests</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:13:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>L.A. to Focus More On Protecting Kids, Less On Reuniting Families</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/divorce-and-custody/" rel="tag">Divorce &amp; Custody</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/health-and-safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/childcare/" rel="tag">Childcare</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/environment/" rel="tag">Environment</a></p><br />
Angel Montiel was reunited with his parents after they enrolled in parenting classes and agreed to drug testing and other services.<br />
<br />
Now his mother is spending 15 years in prison. She pleaded no contest to beating the toddler to death.<br />
<br />
Angel is one reason the <a href="http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/" target="_blank">Department of Children and Family Services</a> in Los Angles County is readjusting its thinking.<br />
<br />
The overarching goal of many state and county agencies designed to protect children is to reunite and preserve troubled families.<br />
<br />
Not in Los Angeles County. Not anymore.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>L.A. to Focus More On Protecting Kids, Less On Reuniting Families</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-foster-care5-2010feb05,0,201241.story>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19346676/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/l-a-to-focus-more-on-protecting-kids-less-on-reuniting-familie/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>child abuse</category><category>foster care</category><category>Foster Care Abuse Neglect Los Angeles County Children and Family</category><category>neglect</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Boy Scouts Start Recruitment Drive In Latino Communities</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/kids-8-11/" rel="tag">Kids 8-11</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/boy-scouts-425ds020410.jpg" alt="" />
<p>The Boy Scouts are recruiting Hispanic kids. Credit: Corbis</p>
</div>
A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.<br />
<br />
And if he happens be Hispanic too, gosh, that would be swell.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14314030" target="_blank"> Scout leaders are specifically looking for Hispanic kids.</a><br />
<br />
"The challenge we have is that there's very little understanding of what Scouting is about in the Hispanic community, at least in the first- and second-generation families," Marcos Nava tells the Denver Post. He heads the Boy Scouts of America's Hispanic Initiatives project in Irving, Texas.<br />
<br />
He tells the Post that Denver is part of a national pilot project to recruit Scouts from the Hispanic community.</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Boy Scouts Start Recruitment Drive In Latino Communities</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14314030>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19345175/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/boy-scouts-start-recruitment-drive-in-hispanic-communities/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>boy scouts</category><category>Boy Scouts Hispanics Latinos Recruitment</category><category>hispanic</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Girl, 12, Taken Away in Handcuffs for Doodling on Her Desk; Dept. of Ed. Admits To Excessive Punishment</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/schools/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="photocaption"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/alexa-gonzalez-240ds020510.jpg" />
<p>Alexa Gonzalez was handcuffed and detained for doodling on her desk with erasable marker. Credit: Bryan Pace, New York Daily News</p>
</div>
<br />
A 12-year-old girl in New York City was not only suspended Monday, but taken in handcuffs to the police precinct across the street, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/05/2010-02-05_cuffed_for_doodling_on_a_desk.html">for doodling on her desk with an erasable marker</a>.<br />
<br />
Now, the New York City Department of Education has figured out that the punishment didn't fit the crime. <br />
<br />
"The principal made a mistake and the suspension has been lifted," Margie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Education, tells ParentDish in an official statement on Friday<br />
<br />
Feinberg adds the girl is back in her classroom and Principal Marilyn Grant is working to make amends with Gonzalez's family.<br />
<br />
Gonzalez was doodling her name on her desk at JHS 190 with an erasable marker when adults at the school caught her, slapped handcuffs on her and marched her to the police precinct directly across the street.
<div class="classy"><br />
Matthew Mittenthal, another spokesman for the Department of Education, confirmed the strange tale was true.<br />
<br />
The New York Daily News reported that police didn't know quite how to respond to the request to take the rogue scribbler into custody.</div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Girl, 12, Taken Away in Handcuffs for Doodling on Her Desk; Dept. of Ed. Admits To Excessive Punishment</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/05/2010-02-05_cuffed_for_doodling_on_a_desk.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19346600/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/girl-12-taken-away-in-handcuffs-for-doodling-on-her-desk/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Alexa Gonzalez</category><category>AlexaGonzalez</category><category>education</category><category>expire-images:2011-2-5</category><category>new york</category><category>NewYork</category><category>school suspension</category><category>SchoolSuspension</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:41:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Teens Just Not That Into Twitter, Study Says</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/gadgets-and-tech/" rel="tag">Gadgets &amp; Tech</a></p><br />
Kids! They're always texting, tweeting and doing who-knows-what with all their little gizmos and gadgets.<br />
<br />
Actually, not so much.<br />
<br />
Take Twitter. A new report from the Pew Research Center reveals only <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pewinternet.org/">8 percent of online teens are into Twitter</a>.<br />
<br />
Those flying fingers are more likely sending text messages or updating Facebook pages.<br />
<br />
Twitter enables people to share -- in 140 characters or less -- what is happening in their lives with just about anyone who is interested. These brief messages are called "tweets."<br /><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Teens Just Not That Into Twitter, Study Says</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020302591.html?hpid=moreheadlines>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19345113/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/05/teens-just-not-that-into-twitter-study-says/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>facebook</category><category>PewResearchCenter</category><category>teens</category><category>texting</category><category>twitter</category><category>Twitter Pew Tweets Teens Facebook Study</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Scores Down As More Kids Take Advanced Placement Tests</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/schools/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/school-425th020410.jpg" alt="" />
<p>Advanced Placement test scores are down. Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sigmaman/2866186786/" target="_blank">sigmaman,</a> Flickr</p>
</div>
</div>
Last year saw a record number of students taking the Advanced Placement test.<br />
<br />
But as more kids are taking the test, more kids are failing it -- especially in the South.<br />
<br />
An analysis by USA Today found that <a href="http://iphone.usatoday.com/News/1439957/full/;jsessionid=1BC9C029DB994AD2B58B226B43C713A8.wap1" target="_blank">more than two in five students (41.5 percent) failed with a score of 1 or 2</a>. That failure rate is up by 36.5 percent from 1999, the newspaper reports.<br />
<br />
In the South -- defined by the Census as the lower half of the United States from Texas to Delaware -- almost half of all students taking the test (48.8 percent) earned a 1 or 2.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Scores Down As More Kids Take Advanced Placement Tests</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://iphone.usatoday.com/News/1439957/full/;jsessionid=1BC9C029DB994AD2B58B226B43C713A8.wap1>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19344947/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/scores-down-as-more-kids-take-advanced-placement-tests/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Advanced Placement</category><category>AP Scores USA Today Analysis South Schools</category><category>college</category><category>education</category><category>high school</category><category>tests</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Christian Parents In Oregon Found Guilty Of Neglecting Ill Son</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/health-and-safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/medical-conditions/" rel="tag">Medical Conditions</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/religion-and-spirituality/" rel="tag">Religion &amp; Spirituality</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="captioncenter"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/faith-healing-beagley-425ds020310.jpg" alt="" />
<p>Jeff Beagley listens to testimony during his trial last month in Oregon City, Ore. Credit: Randy L. Rasmussen, Pool / AP</p>
<br />
Prosecutors argued that Jeff and Marci Beagley of Oregon refused to get their 16-year-old son traditional medical treatment. Instead, they supposedly put his fate in the hands of God.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203206.html" target="_blank">Now the couple's fate is in the hands of a judge.</a><br />
<br />
Neil Beagley died in 2008 from complications from a urinary tract blockage. An Oregon City jury found his parents guilty Feb. 2 of criminally negligent homicide.<br />
<br />
Judge Steven Maurer is scheduled to pass sentence on the couple Feb. 18. Statutory sentencing guidelines for criminally negligent homicide call for 16 to 18 months behind bars.<br />
<br />
The Beagleys belong to the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, whose members espouse faith healing over traditional medicine. An Oregon law, passed in 1999, does not allow religion as a defense in most manslaughter and criminal mistreatment cases.<br />
<p> </p>
</div>
</div><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Christian Parents In Oregon Found Guilty Of Neglecting Ill Son</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203206.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19343195/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/christian-parents-in-oregon-found-guilty-of-neglecting-ill-son/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>child death</category><category>ChildDeath</category><category>court case</category><category>CourtCase</category><category>faith healing</category><category>FaithHealing</category><category>Oregon Faith Healing Criminally Negligent Beagley</category><category>OregonFaithHealingCriminallyNegligentBeagley</category><category>religion</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:53:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Principal In Trouble After Snarky E-mail To Coworker Reaches Parents</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/kids-5-7/" rel="tag">Kids 5-7</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/kids-8-11/" rel="tag">Kids 8-11</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/schools/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><br />
Parents of students at Litchfield Elementary School in Arizona got <a target="_blank" href="http://www.azcentral.com/kpnx/pdf/litchfield-letter.pdf">a letter</a> from the principal on Jan. 26 saying their children are lazy or stupid if they can't handle classroom math assignments.<br />
<br />
And if they can, they are among the "mediocre few."<br />
<br />
Just kidding, Principal Ron Sterr said later to parents who were obviously not amused.<br />
<br />
Superintendent Julianne Lein of the Litchfield School District just west of Phoenix wasn't smiling, either. She apologized to parents, telling them Sterr has been transferred to the district office while higher ups decide how to discipline him.<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/02/02/20100202swv-offensiveletter0202-ON.html"><br />
He will not be returning to the school, </a>Lein tells the Arizona Republic.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Principal In Trouble After Snarky E-mail To Coworker Reaches Parents</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/02/02/20100202swv-offensiveletter0202-ON.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19343568/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/04/principal-in-trouble-after-snarky-e-mail-to-coworker-reaches-par/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Principal Letter Litchfield Arizona Ron Sterr</category><category>PrincipalLetterLitchfieldArizonaRonSterr</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Girl Wows Australia with Her Knowledge of Neuroscience</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/amazing-kids/" rel="tag">Amazing Kids</a></p><br />
You have to be smart to compete in the <a target="_blank" href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/perth-girl-is-brainiest-aussie-student-20100201-n8od.html">Australian Brain Bee Challenge</a>, but it's not exactly brain surgery.<br />
<br />
Still, a little knowledge of of neuroscience can come in awfully handy, as this year's 14-year-old winner found out. <br />
<br />
The Sydney Morning Herald reports Uma Jha of Perth (on the southwest coast of the continent) outsmarted more than 4,000 competitors Feb. 1.<br />
<br />
She aced the neuroscience competition in front of a live audience in Sydney on topics such as intelligence, memory, emotions, sleep, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.<br /><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Girl Wows Australia with Her Knowledge of Neuroscience</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/perth-girl-is-brainiest-aussie-student-20100201-n8od.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19341801/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/03/girl-wows-australia-with-her-knowledge-of-neuroscience/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Australia</category><category>Brain Challenge Neuroscience Australia Perth</category><category>competition</category><category>neuroscience</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Drinking with Your Kids at Home Not a Good Idea, Study Says</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/teens-and-tweens/" rel="tag">Teens &amp; tweens</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/development/" rel="tag">Development</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/alcohol-and-drugs/" rel="tag">Alcohol &amp; Drugs</a></p><br />
Thinking of having a few brewskis with your teenage son?<br />
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After all, if a kid's going to learn how to knock 'em back, he might as well learn from his old man, right?<br />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.jsad.com/">Probably not a good idea,</a> according to a study coming out of the Netherlands. The latest issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reports parents who drink with their kids put the teenagers at a higher risk of alcoholism.<br />
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Researchers looked at 428 Dutch families and found that teenagers who drank at home with their parents were more likely to drink away from home as well. Then there's the heightened risk of alcoholism and other drinking-related problems.<br />
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These problems reflected themselves in trouble at school, including cutting class and getting into brawls. <br /><p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Drinking with Your Kids at Home Not a Good Idea, Study Says</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127095930.htm>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19341749/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/drinking-with-your-kids-at-home-not-a-good-idea-study-says/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>alcohol</category><category>Drinking Teens Parents Netherlands Study</category><category>DrinkingTeensParentsNetherlandsStudy</category><category>study</category><category>teen drinking</category><category>TeenDrinking</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Superheroic 5-Year-Old Comes to His Mother's Rescue</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/kids-5-7/" rel="tag">Kids 5-7</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/medical-conditions/" rel="tag">Medical Conditions</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/amazing-kids/" rel="tag">Amazing Kids</a></p><br />
Tyler Swass doesn't remember his mother or anyone else teaching him about 911.<br />
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So when his mother had a seizure on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the 5-year-old Pennsylvania boy acted more or less on instinct. <br />
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<object id="2342" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" height="394" width="448"><param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/syndication?id=83308517&amp;path=%2Fnews%2Flocal-beat"/><embed src="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/syndication?id=83308517&amp;path=%2Fnews%2Flocal-beat" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" height="394" width="448"></embed><p style="font-size:small">View more news videos at: <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video">http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video</a>.</p></object> <br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Superhero-Kid-Saves-Seizing-Mom-83307357.html">"It was just in my head,"</a> he tells the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia. "It just came to me."<br />
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Asked where he learned about 911, Tyler replied, "I didn't learn it from anyone. I just got it from myself."<br />
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Lucky thing, too.<br />
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Tyler was at home with his mother, Amanda, and baby sister in Forks Township (about an hour and a half east of New York City) when Amanda started having a seizure. She has occasional seizures, using a stimulator in her chest to help break the episodes.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Superheroic 5-Year-Old Comes to His Mother's Rescue</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Superhero-Kid-Saves-Seizing-Mom-83307357.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19341642/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/02/superheroic-5-year-old-comes-to-his-mothers-rescue/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>911</category><category>emergency</category><category>Pennsylvania 911 Tyler Swass Mother Seizure</category><category>seizure</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>California Law Gives Powers to Parents, Troubles Teachers</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/schools/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><br />
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an education reform bill Jan. 7 that has the state's teachers peering out their windows looking for villagers with torches and pitchforks.<br />
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Teachers are worried because the new "parent trigger" law gives parents the power to demand expensive overhauls if at least half of them sign a petition declaring a school inadequate.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14304834" target="_blank">Leaders of the California Teachers Association</a> call the law a "lynch mob provision," reports the San Bernadino Sun. Many parents and legislators -- as well as the Governator himself -- call California Senate Bill 4 an important restoration of parental control.<br />
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"For too many years, too many children were trapped in low-performing schools and couldn't do anything about it," <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/speech/14136/" target="_blank">Schwarzenegger said the day he signed the bill</a>. "As a matter of fact, the exit doors might as well have been chained.<br />
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"Now, because of SB 4, parents have the right to free their children from those under-performing schools -- and that without the principal's permission," he added.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>California Law Gives Powers to Parents, Troubles Teachers</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14304834>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19340212/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/california-law-gives-powers-to-parents-troubles-teachers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arnold schwarzenegger</category><category>california</category><category>California Schwarzenegger Schools Parents Law Teachers</category><category>education</category><category>legislation</category><category>teachers</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Muslim Parents Scrap Agreement On Runaway Daughter</title><link>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/</guid><comments>http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/divorce-and-custody/" rel="tag">Divorce &amp; Custody</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/in-the-news/" rel="tag">In The News</a>, <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/category/religion-and-spirituality/" rel="tag">Religion &amp; Spirituality</a></p><div class="classy">
<div class="photocaption"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.parentdish.com/media/2010/02/rifqa-bary-240ds020110.jpg" />
<p>Fathima Rifqa Bary sits in court during her hearing in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009. Credit: Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda, Orlando Sentinel / MCT</p>
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And they lived happily ever after?<br />
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Not so fast.<br />
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Two weeks ago, it looked like the <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/01/21/muslim-girls-parents-end-fight-to-get-her-back/">Muslim parents of Fathima Rifqa Bary</a> had come to terms with their daughter running away from home and converting to Christianity.<br />
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They reached an agreement with the girl's lawyer that said she she could stay in foster care until her 18th birthday in August. Meanwhile, they would work on reconciling their differences through a mediator.<br />
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Now Mohamed and Aysha Bary of Columbus, Ohio, say that deal was made without them ever sitting in the same room as their daughter. The Columbus Dispatch reports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/29/Agreement_between_Rifqa_Bary_and_parents_tenuous.html?sid=101">the couple is withdrawing from the agreement</a>.<p><a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Muslim Parents Scrap Agreement On Runaway Daughter</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/29/Agreement_between_Rifqa_Bary_and_parents_tenuous.html?sid=101>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/forward/19340073/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/02/01/muslim-parents-scrap-agreement-on-runaway-daughter/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>child custody</category><category>expire-images:2011-2-1</category><category>Fathima Rifqa Bary Muslum Ohio Agreement Withdrawn Custody Ohio</category><category>muslim</category><category>rifqa bary</category><dc:creator>Tom Henderson</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>