Filed under: Media, Blogs, Literacy

I work a lot on my computer, so I'm always looking for ways to keep my daughter occupied while I'm checking emails, or hammering out a quick post for Blogging Baby. Here's a blog we'll definitely be checking out. The Living Animation Festival has collected animated videos of each letter of the alphabet!

They finished up with "Z" on January 26th, so you'll have to scroll down a little. Or, just browse through the January archives to find all the entries. How cool!

[via Meta Filer]

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Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition, Lifestyle, Dads, Eating, Breastfeeding

MSNBC has an interesting and surprisingly neutral article about public breastfeeding. It covers a lot of recent incidents (that have also been covered here) without going over the top. There's also a sidebar that notes some of the legal protections given breastfeeding by various states with a link to more detailed information.

What I found most intriguing, however, was a related article titled "A guy's guide to breast-feeding: Don't be a boob." Before I continue let me offer a disclaimer -- I am a guy. Maybe not the world's most macho, gun-totin', football-watchin', beer-drinking he-man of a guy, but definitely a guy. And while those that know me well would admit that I am a dirty old man, they'll also, I hope, add that it's in the nicest and most respectful way.

So what about this guide for guys? I agree one shouldn't really be craning one's neck to get a better look. (Although, I did laugh my head off at a comment on another site: "As far as I'm concerned, the only thing wrong with breast-feeding in public is that the baby's head obstructs my view.") In fact, however, to most adult males, a breastfeeding woman simply isn't sexual. What I do disagree with, however, is that men have no business getting involved in the whole breastfeeding debate at all. My wife breastfed our kids -- note that I said "our" kids, not "her" kids -- and believe you me, there's no way I would have let some mall security guard tell her to go breastfeed in the bathroom. It does affect men and it is our business to make sure that their rights are protected.

In fact, I would argue that we have a very important role to play in breastfeeding by being as supportive of the process as possible. For a lot of new mothers, breastfeeding isn't easy. Getting a baby to latch on properly, becoming comfortable to the feeling of exposing oneself in public, dealing with the pain that often accompanies breastfeeding -- all these are issues where a supportive father can mean the difference between continuing and switching to formula.

What do you think -- are men part of the breastfeeding experience or should they just stay the hell away? Guys, were you involved or did you feel left out? Moms, did you feel support from your husbands/boyfriends or were you left on your own? Would having a more supportive partner made breastfeeding easier?

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Teenager, Internet, Monitoring your kids

I recently opened up Myspace for some reason, I can't remember what, and eventually ended up searching for the profile of some teenage girls I know. I've known both of these girls, now 15 and 16, since they were very young, and have always considered them good kids.

Then, I saw their MySpace profiles. While I still think they are good kids, they are also teenage girls with MySpace accounts. There they were in itty bitty bikinis, looking a little less wholesome than I imagined. While I'm not going to say these girls are hypersexualized because, honestly, I do not know, it got me to thinking about teens that leave little to the imagination with their clothes.

Recently, some experts said it was okay for teenage girls to "go wild" on sites such as MySpace, claiming they're establishing their independence. Furthermore, they say, it shows they aren't ashamed of their bodies and that the "positive" comments they receive from others might help with self esteem.

As someone that did her fair share of scantily clad dressing during her teen years, the fact that these "positive" comments are being encouraged seems like a stretch. Yes, it is good to not be ashamed of your body. Yes, it is good to gain independence and find out who you are.

But do you really need to show all your bits and pieces in the process? Leave a little something to the imagination, girls. Besides, as I've said before, you never know who is reading your My Space profile. Do you really want a potential employer to see that you own a pink thong?

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Filed under: Nolan, Adventures in Parenting

I'm not a very physically demonstrative person. I'm not a hand-holder, or a hugger, or prone to physical displays of affection in any capacity other than squeezing my son hello at the end of a long work day. I think it's due in equal parts to leftover angst about my physical stature (hugs have always felt...uncomfy) and general bumbling social awkwardness, but I can't remember the last time I wrapped my arms around anyone but Nolan.

And I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore than Nolan is not necessarily like me in his predispositions and affections, but I was still surprised to pick him up at daycare last week and find out he'd been smooching Elise throughout the day. Else is a fetching three-year-old, with huge brown doe-eyes and long curly brown hair, apparently she and Nolan hold hands and kiss with great relish throughout the day. She is his girlfriend, I have been informed.

Yesterday I hung out for a few minutes at daycare, absorbing the comfort of a happy day home, of the quiet space at the end of the day. Cradling Nolan in my lap, I asked him. "Can you show me your girlfriend, Nolan?"

Immediately he leapt up and ran over to Elise, taking her by the arm as if to display her.

"Nice! She is very cute," I nodded, and watched as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed so hard I thought they'd both fall over. She reciprocated, knowingly, and tears took me by surprise and filled my eyes as I watched Nolan cover her cheek in drooly affection and her passionate response. There was something so innocently beautiful about their instinctive affection.

No one was wondering whether the hug felt awkward to the other person. Neither was wondering pensively if the other minded their breath/drool/height limitations.

There is something to be said for the beauty of the power of the human capability to love, inhibited, in childhood. I was inspired to see it. I want to use it as a reminder to not be inhibited, embarrassed, awkward about my affection. I'm so grateful to Nolan and his funny way of giving me a life lesson when I need it the most.

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Media, Teachers, High school, Public school

Earlier this month I wrote a post about a group of parents who wanted yoga banned as part of the physical education curriculum at a small town school. I was surprised that yoga could cause such controversy.

But now there is further controversy swirling around the ancient practise and its appropriateness for schools.

A Denver teacher convinced of the benefit of yoga for students crafted a program dubbed as "Yoga Ed". In response to Christian fundamentalist protesters, the program's founder stripped out all chanting, meditation and religious connotation out of the yoga. More than 300 physical education instructors have now been trained in this unique brand of yoga, and it's been implemented in 100 American schools.

Teachers say it helps to calm students with ADHD, may reduce childhood obesity, and serves to calm nerves before tests. Critics say that even stripped down "yoga lite" has religious and spiritual connotations and should be kept out of schools.

I'm not particularly religious so perhaps I'm off-base here, but man, I can think of so many more things that should be of focus and controversy in schools. Bullying, for example, and the meager wages teachers are paid. As a stressed out teenager prone to freaking out before exams, I would have loved a program like this in my high school.

What do you think?

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Filed under: Health and Safety

I read a story recently about a group of 50 children who were stung by bees while at their day care center in South Africa. It is uncertain what exactly provoked the attack but amazingly none of the kids proved to be allergic to the stings, though almost all visited the hospital afterwards.

This just made me think about allergy testing. My daughter isn't allergic to anything (as far as I know) but she has also never been tested. She's never been stung by a bee either, so I have no idea how her system may have reacted had she been in the above situation.

Have any of your kids undergone testing, and if so, was it because of a reaction they had to foods / allergens, or just because you wanted to know and prevent a possibly life-threatening situation?

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Filed under: Sleepover

Everyone who loves the daddy bloggers, clap your hands and say "yeah!" (Yeah!)

Welcome to Tuesday night, the most exciting night of the week for all y'all lovers of the daddy blog. For it is on Tuesday nights that I bring you my new finds, favorite oldies, and all around awesome reads from the male end of the parenting equation. Tonight is no exception. Read on.

This Mundi Life is written by a man whose tastes I can admire. The father of three kids (all under age 6) is into Jon Stewart and The Office, and recently discovered both The Weepies and The Decemberists -- two bands that are well worth listening to if you don't already. Plus, his recent post about his son's first grade school dance is just about the coolest thing I've read all week. Check out this blog.

Genuine, I gather, is sort of famous amongst dad bloggers -- or, at the very least, he's been at this for awhile. I've seen his name pop up in a couple places, so I thought I'd take the plunge and start reading. He's funny, straightforward, and topical -- plus, while I'm normally a fan of the rambling-story-type bloggers, I found Genuine's short, to-the-point style engaging and refreshing. A nice blog for browsing, and good for some laughs.

Meanwhile, my daughter and I have been flying kites, and I've been explaining to her that, starting next week, she'll be seeing a lot more of me -- which, it seems, she couldn't care less about.

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Filed under: High school, Teenager, Alcohol, Peer pressure

A New Jersey high school plans to test their students, but this has nothing to do with the curriculum. Apparently this test can detect if alcohol was consumed up to 80 hours prior. They are hoping that the test, which will be given out randomly, will prove to be a deterrent to teenagers who consume alcohol. However if the teen tests positive, they will undergo counseling and their parents will be notified.

Though I am all for coming up with ways to limit or prevent teenagers from drinking or doing drugs, I'm not sold on this idea. I'll follow up with my reasons why in a subsequent post, but for now I'd like to hear what you all think. Is this a good idea, or is this an invasion of privacy? Should this be done at all, or should it be conducted outside of the schools? Discuss.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Moms

I know stuff like this happens every day, but it still never ceases to amaze me. Sunday night a mother of two boys, aged 10 and 12, decided that she was going to head to a nightclub for a little dancing. She didn't bother going to the trouble of finding a sitter for her kids, she just brought them with her (at 10:40pm, no less) and left them in the car. Oh wait, it gets better.

Temperatures were in the low 50's, and the kids were just wearing shorts and t-shirts. No, the heat wasn't on in the car. The kids were discovered at 1:30am (!) by officers who were ticketing cars parked illegally on the highway.

This was not a careless teenager, this was not a woman in her early 20's. This was a 37-year old mother of two. In her own defense, she said that she checked on the kids every half-hour. Ohhhh, well that makes it all better, doesn't it? She is currently facing child abuse charges and has a hearing scheduled for February 14th. Happy Valentines Day.

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Filed under: Media, Teenager, Music

I am wary of the whole You Tube thing. It makes me feel crusty to say that, kind of like the blue-hairs who still cling to their computers and insist the Internet is just another one of those newfangled fads: like Beta and Coleco Vision.

Perhaps I'm a little too crusty myself to fully understand the subculture of the phenomenon, and I'm still a little indignant that that Lonelygirl15 isn't for real.

Now there are fresh accusations of a You Tube "fraud", centred around the singing career of a UK teenager named Mia Rose.

Apparently, Mia posted videos of herself singing in her bedroom, and within a matter of weeks, became the most viewed person ever on the site - more than three million people watched her in her first month alone.

Now there are rumours of a scramble to sign Mia to a record label, though an Atlantic Records rep denied any knowledge. And amidst rumours of success also come accusations of fraud. You Tube has been overwrought with claims of a "fix", saying that Mia is represented by a "media manager" who is actually a staffer at You Tube. Naysayers also allege that Mia Rose's video blog has been "artificially inflated" with fake comments.

I'm not sure. What seems evident to me is that Mia is both beautiful and talented. I wish her success.

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