And, if so, does it bug your neighbors? Do your neighbors go so far as to complain to you about it? And, if they do, do you care? I live in New York City, in Brooklyn, in an apartment. I am surrounded, in my condo complex, by people to the right of me, on top of me and below me. I also have a fifteen month old. To say that he is rambunctious would be putting it mildly. No one has complained that my son is loud. After all, there are also a set of two-year-old twins across the hall. Many parents, however, aren't so lucky. In an article in the Real Estate section of the New York Times, the author uncovers just how a lot of neighbors feel about their neighbors' kids and how those parents feel about the neighbors. Most try to get along and make it work. Most are sympathetic--we've all had a new baby cry throughout the night and we've all greeted the following day with colic.

Some parents, however, feel like they are caught between a very rough rock and a very hard place: to be the perfect parent while being the perfect neighbor. In Brooklyn, perhaps, it is accepted that maybe you cannot be both. In places like Park Slope, which we mock all the time for being full of the mommy mafia, where we joke they won't let you in without kids, at least you know you can go to a restaurant and they'll treat you like a human being when you bring your kids with you. Your neighbors generally have kids too or at least understand what you're going through and they refrain from giving you a hard time. After all, your kids will grow up--eventually.

Elsewhere it's not so easy to be a parent and a neighbor. And, I would say the trouble isn't limited to apartment dwellers, either. Anyone with a backyard that sits next to someone else's backyard might complain your kids are making too much noise in the pool, or are coming over into their property, etc. You might respond the guests at their non-stop parties get too drunk and throw lawn darts too close to your kids' heads!!!

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Though I spent a dozen years working in special education classrooms with preschoolers and toddlers, it never once crossed my mind that the dolls my students were playing with in the housekeeping area often looked nothing like the kids themselves. They were just kids playing with dolls, doing what kids do, even if those kids had diagnoses that other children didn't -- Down's syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy.

But some doll makers, many of them parents of special needs children themselves, think that children with disabilities might benefit from having a doll that looks like them. And so they created dolls like these. With the best of intentions, I believe, they made dolls with Down's syndrome, including a heart surgery scar, dolls who have been through chemo, bald and with a catheter port, dolls in wheelchairs, dolls with leg braces.

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In an effort to help teachers and child-care workers spot budding racists, the UK's National Children's Bureau (NCB) has come out with a 366-page guide called Young Children and Racial Justice. The guide includes helpful hints and tips on what to look for in determining if a little child is a potential racist.

For example, if a child should refer to someone with the words "blackie", "Pakis" or even "those people", the guide advises that the action should be condemned and reported to authorities. Playgroup leaders are further advised that even little babies are suspect when it comes to having a racial bias since they can "recognize different people in their lives".

Now, I would agree that if I child is using some of those words, there is a good chance that child has a racist adult in his or her life. But what about the pamphlet's advice regarding food? According to the NCB, if a child reacts with "yuk" to culinary tradition other than their own, that is a sign of racism.

The pamphlet encourages workers to report as many incidents as possible to their local council, saying: "Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution. In fact, the opposite is the case." In other words, the more the better. Even if you have to invent them.

But the bigger question here is what exactly are they doing with this information? Are they going back to the parents or other adults and accusing them of racism? Is the child who dislikes spicy food going to end up with the word 'racist' in his or her permanent file?

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Hottie McHottie Matthew McConaughey can now add daddy to his resume. The Sahara star and his girlfriend, Camila Alves, a Brazilian supermodel, welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world yesterday. The child is the first for both.

Says McConaughey, who claims to have been by Camila's side throughout the entire event, both are tired and elated. He went on to talk about a child being a miracle of life--my husband said the same thing after I gave birth to our son--and the adventure he and Camila are embarking on in raising the new baby.

The child, unnamed as of press time, weighed in at seven pounds, four ounces. Regardless of what they name him, their new bundle of joy should be gorgeous! The pregnancy was revealed by Mateo in January of this year--doesn't it seem a little early for the birth? How time flies, I guess!

Congrats to the couple on what is sure to be the adventure of a lifetime!

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Shaped like trains, numbers, and stars and filled with helium, Mylar balloons have become a colorful staple at birthday parties in recent years. Unlike traditional latex balloons, Mylar balloons can last for several weeks before deflating. Latex balloons sink and shrivel up within a day of being inflated, generally. So it's understandable why they have become such a large part of the celebration industry.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to Mylar balloons too. If released, the electrically conductive inflatables can -- and do, on a regular basis, apparently -- short out power lines, causing outages and costing businesses as much as $120 million in California alone last year. And so it is that Senate Bill 1499 is making its way through various committees on its way to becoming law. If it is passed, the bill would ban the sale of helium-filled Mylar balloons.

The Save the Balloons coalition has been formed to try and save the businesses and jobs that would be affected if the bill passes. While I do like getting the kids a decorative Mylar balloon for their birthday, I also don't like it at all when the power goes out. I suppose the best solution would be for manufacturers to come up with an alternative material that will last as long as Mylar, can be made into an equal array of shapes and, most importantly, is non-conductive.

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This Fourth of July weekend must have been filled with pool parties, given the amount of darling poolside shots I've seen this morning. Thanks to tomeppy for this long-lashed gem.

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We've been taught for ages now the importance of reading to our children. From the earliest age, and even in the womb (your child can hear as soon as her ears form, even if she can't see the pictures from in the womb), parents are being instructed to read to their little ones.

Why? Well, it's supposed to make 'em smarter. Now, apparently, it makes them more tolerable nicer too. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly read Goodnight Moon ONE MORE TIME comes reason to celebrate doing so. Researchers reported to The Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology that kids whose parents gave them plenty of intellectual stimulation--that's reading to them, talking to them, etc.--during their first year of life were less likely to have behavior issues such as bullying and disobeying their parents. The study was conducted on 1,863 U.S. children and their mothers (but not their fathers, oddly enough).

Naturally, that theory only goes so far. The temperament of the child during her infant stage also plays a large part in determining how she'll be later. The actual article, however, deflects back onto the parenting skills and makes a case for giving parents the skills they need to do the job right.

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What do Rod Stewart, Michael Douglas, and Charlie Chaplin have in common? They all had children at an age when many dads are enjoying their grandchildren (60, 58, and 73, respectively, for those of you who are interested).

Though it's far more common to find a 70-year-old father than it is a mother of the same age, recent studies have shown that men have biological clocks too. And just like women, those clocks start to tick around age 35.

French researchers studied over 12,000 couple who were undergoing fertility treatments. What they discovered was that when a man is over the age of 35, the chance of his partner miscarrying increases. When a man is over the age of 40, the chances of a successful pregnancy drop even further. The culprit, say experts, is DNA damage to the sperm.

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Welcome to Mom|Style, a weekly feature where we dish about being a mom with, well, style. Of course. Each week we'll provide practical, affordable strategies for spiffing up your Mom Uniform (or avoiding the uniform all together) and for looking good on the go.

Let's start with the most basic of basic pieces: the A-line skirt. A-line skirts work for any body type; they are easy to wear and universally flattering. For moms who have given up shorts (and that's quite a few of us, honestly) the A-line skirt is a cool alternative on hot summer days. A skirt is surprsingly versatile; choose one that can be laundered at home and you can wear it from work to T-ball and beyond.

Look for hemlines that hit close to the knee, for a flattering leg line, and waistbands with clear definition, to give you shape through the middle. If you are heavier on top, opt for a skirt with some volume, for balance; if you're concerned about wee sticky hands touching you, look for prints that will camouflage stains.

So what should you shop for? That depends on your personal style. Here are five options, though, all for under $50.00! Ready? Let's get dressed!

So far, this is turning out to be a retro summer! By foregoing the organized sport/activity route, my kids are busy making themselves busy.

Two weeks ago, my budding capitalists set up a lemonade stand in our driveway. They made signs, lemonade, and used their own piggy bank money to buy supplies. They were so excited to have "customers" and I found myself surprised by how seriously they took their job.

With all this free time, there's time for elaborate dress-up games. Most mornings they come down dressed as spies in black leggings, old trench coats and a back pack full of "spy things" which consist primarily of walkie-talkies and primitive telescopes. Today they divulged their secret hiding place in the ravine by the side of the house where they "spy on the cars" that drive by.