Filed under: Lifestyle, Media, 6-7 years, Television

We are pretty strict about television viewing in my house. Not only is Ellie limited in how long she can zone out in front of the tube, she is restricted from watching shows we consider too mature for her. She knows which shows are on the "do not watch" list and will change the channel herself when they come on. She's good that way. Don't get me wrong, she wants to watch "That's So Raven", but she accepts that it is intended for children older than six and is therefore not allowed.

Lately I have noticed that while she is viewing what should be age-appropriate programming, advertisers are trying to talk to me. Somewhere between the Magic School Bus and Dora the Explorer, she is being urged to clean up her credit, clear her skin and get some technical training so she can get a better paying job. It's 8am, I haven't had my coffee yet, and I am trying to explain to a six year old what 'dirty' credit is, how that skin cream really won't make me look ten years younger and how technical training won't be necessary because she will be going to a four-year college.

The worst offender is my local cable company and their advertisements for television parental controls. On the surface, it makes sense. Your kids are watching age-appropriate programming and the helpful cable company wants to let you know how you can assure they continue to watch such shows.

The problem arises in the commercials themselves. In one, a father is in his living room having a conversation with Skinny Pale Guy. Father tells Skinny Pale Guy that the violence and drug use in his show is inappropriate for his kids and he will therefore have to block him. In the spot, you can see the man's children playing outside. Obviously, this is a conversation he wanted to have in private, when the kids weren't around.

Why can't they have this talk with me when my kid isn't around?

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Infertility, Dads

It is commonly assumed that only women have biological clocks and that men can continue to father healthy children their entire lives. Just look at Tony Randall and Rupert Murdoch, who both became dads when they were in their 70's.

Geneticists have long known that older fathers risk an increase in certain birth defects, such as dwarfism, skull and facial abnormalities and neurofibromatosis. New research shows that there may be even more risks associated with becoming a father at a late age and that maybe men should be listening to ticking of their own biological clocks.

One recent study found that men over 40 were 5.75 times more likely to father a child with autism and related disorders than a man under 30 years of age. There are also indications that men over 40 may have a higher risk of having a child with schizophrenia and certain cancers.

While many are skeptical about these findings, others see this as a long overdue wake-up call for men. "The message to men is: 'Wake up,'" said Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Fertility Association, a U.S. education and advocacy group. "It's not just about women anymore, it's about you, too."

Health reasons aside, some feel that just because a man can have a child in his golden years, doesn't mean he should, and that older fathers should consider how their advanced age is going to affect their offspring.

In my own experience, keeping up with an active 6 year old was a lot easier in my 20's than it is now that I am over 40. I can still do it, but it takes more out of me. In 20 years, I am quite sure I won't be up to it. And what about being there for them as they grow up? Even though Tony Randall was able to father a healthy child at 77, his death in 2004 left a 7 year old without a father.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Media, Newborn, 0-3 months

The decision to circumcise or not just got trickier. According to report earlier this month in the journal Lancet, a study conducted by the United States National Institutes of Health concludes that circumcised males are more than 50% less likely to contract the AIDS virus than their uncut brothers.

This on the heals of a report in the November issue of Pediatrics, the results of a 25-year study show that circumcised males are less susceptible to STDs.

Circumcision used to be the norm in American hospitals, but has been on the decline for at least 20 years as its medical benefit has been questioned and ties to cultural traditions (Jewish, Muslim) have loosened. These new studies certainly shift the ball back into the "pro-" court.

How about you? Did you have your baby boy circumcised? Why or why not?

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Working from home

When my full-time job was taking care of the kids and the house, I always felt like there was plenty of time to get things done. Laundry? I can do it later! Wipe up the bathroom? Oh, that can wait! Start a casserole? I have all afternoon! I can't tell you how many days ended with no clean clothes, a bathroom covered in ick, and take-out for dinner. And I would think WHAT DO I DO HERE ALL DAY? It was very frustrating.

So when I started working--freelancing, from my house, on my own schedule, but with real commitments that required signed contractual agreements--I was a little worried. Would my family be buried in laundry and filth? Would we ever eat a balanced meal again? How was I going to get everything DONE?

It's a funny thing, time. Now that I have signed over a large chunk of my time, every day, away from my house and my family, I am getting more done. I am--gasp--more organized! I know! It's crazy! But my house is cleaner, we've not had a laundry emergency in weeks, and we have actual food for dinner--well, not every night, but more than we were.

I make lists, all the time; in the morning, while my kids eat breakfast, I write out what I need to do that day. I organize my errands by location (the video store is before the UPS place, because that way I can make a right hand turn out of the first parking lot). I take care of the housekeeping before I sit down at the computer. I give myself time to make phone calls and pay bills and deal with household paperwork. When my kids come home from school, I stop working and play with them. And yes, I typically work more in the evening after they are in bed, but my husband does too, so we sit together with our laptops, and it's almost like it was when we were in graduate school, before the kids and the craziness.

I probably could have been doing this all along, but the idea of the commitment--of being responsible to someone else for a finished product--compelled me to get all my ducks in a row. And ironically, now that I'm working again, my house is running smoother than when I was just doing that every day.

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Filed under: Teachers, Middle school, Drugs

After finding drugs in his middle-school office, police have charged John Acerra, a 50-year old principal in Allentown, Pennsylvannia, with dealing crystal methamphetamine, according to CNN.com.

You know you've reached an absolute low when the person not only in charge of students, but teachers as well, is involved in illegal drug activities - and on school property no less!

Apparently, an informant advised police in early February that the principal was both using and distributing the drug, commonly known as crystal meth or "ice". A representative from the DEA has stated that "there was no indication that Acerra sold the drug to students, but Acerra did allegedly sell the drug from his school office after hours and on weekends." The principal is in county prison on felony drug charges with bail set at $200,000.

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Filed under: Teachers, High school, Public school, Private school

A recent survey conducted by Indiana University finds that high school students are bored in class. This is not shocking. I was bored in high school. Chances are, you were born in high school. Every movie, book, TV show, stage play, comic strip, magazine article and blog post about high school usually, in some way, references the fact that kids are rarely, if ever, excited about learning between the ages of 14 and 18.

However, the study also finds that many have considered dropping out -- news which could be more alarming. In fact 75% of the 81,000 students who participated said the material wasn't interesting, with an additional 21% saying that they'd considered dropping out.

The solution, according to Ethan Yazzie-Mintz, project director of the Indiana University's Center for Evaluation Policy, is to focus on a new teaching style -- including more discussion and debate groups in the classroom -- along with a shift in the way schools discipline students who skip class. Instead of suspending students after the fact, Yazzie-Mintz thinks school leaders should talk to students to find out why they cut class in the first place.

What do you think? Is your child's high school effective in keeping him or her engaged in the learning process?

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Filed under: Grandparents, Blogs

Though we primarily focus on children here at Blogging Baby, on everything from celebrating their growth to discussing issues that can affect them throughout their lives, we also like to occasionally delve into the world of parents and grandparents, family members, caregivers, or anyone else who helps us in our quest to raise children. Who better to take a quick look at then, than someone who has been around the block a few times? More specifically, someone who has been around the block 107 times?

Olive Riley was born in 1899 and lives in Australia. She not only has grandchildren, but also great-grandchildren, as well as great-great-grandchildren! According to this report, Olive has been "married twice, raised her three children on her own, survived two world wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s, and has worked as a barmaid and accountant."

If that weren't accomplishment enough, she is now known as the world's oldest blogger.

At 107 years old, she is (with the help of a friend) writing a blog, telling tales of her family, swimming with her great-great-grand kids, and drinking the occasional shandy. If you have a moment or need a little something to brighten up your day, go give her a quick read. Absolutely classic. A little excerpt:

Good afternoon everyone. This is Olive here. First, I want to thank all of you who visited my blob. Gerard says there've been 192,000 visits but that can't be right.

Mike - It's a blog, Ollie. Not a blob.
Olive - Oh, really?
Mike - Anyway, blob is fine. Call it a blob if you like.

Though I hope she will discuss her unique perspective on being everything from a parent to a great-great-grandparent, the fact is she's 107 years old. She has definitely earned the right to blog (or blob) about whatever she likes.

(Thanks, Ann!)

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Public school, Going to school, Bullying

I guess they're having a real problem with bullying over in South Korea. So much so that the government is starting a program to offer bodyguards to kids who need them on the way to and from school. "We are going to try to protect the student who is being bullied and find out who is doing the bullying," said Park Jung-hee, an education ministry official. According to Park, the bodyguards will not sit with the children during class.

In South Korea, bullying is a serious problem; victims have even committed suicide. The bodyguards are just one part of the education ministry's efforts to curb school violence. The ministry is also providing counseling and increased training for teachers. "Violence within schools will not be eradicated right away. Changes can only take place through effective short-term and long-term policies," Park said.

I'm glad the government is taking steps to address this problem. Schools should be a place of hope and learning, not of fear and pain. As one who got his fair share of beatings at school, I applaud the South Korean government for taking steps to make their schools a safe place.

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Filed under: Child Development, Feeding & Nutrition, Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Media

My post the other day about the 196-pound young boy who was in jeopardy of being removed from his family home generated an interesting discussion. Many of you believe that the issue is more delicate and complex than might meet the eye, and wondered whether taking an 8 year old away from his parents could ever be a good thing.

It turns out that the boy will not be taken from his family after all. Social workers decided Tuesday that they would allow the boy to stay at home with his Mother, after establishing a program to help and safeguard her son.

They did not go into details about the program.

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Filed under: Media, Teachers, Public school, Teenager

A high school in California is under fire for separating students by ethnic group to provide "pep talks" on boosting test scores.

High school principal Bev Hanson says she divided students into categorized assemblies (Hispanic, Black, Asian, etc.) in order to reduce the potential for one ethnic group to harass another based on their test scores. She says the state has long reported test results based on race. Her intent was to use pep rallies to appeal to racial sensibilities -- jazz music played in the pep rally for black students, for example.

Parents protest that this smacks of blatant racism, wondering why all students weren't just treated equally. The principal response:

"In this country, race is a very uncomfortable topic, and it's time we got over it."

I don't know if this is my Canadianism showing, but I think the idea of a racially segregated assembly of any sort at a high school is weird, and yes, wrong. What do you think?

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