Filed under: Lifestyle, Moms, Dads, Child Custody, Parental relationships

Analysis of data taken from studies in the 1980's and 1990's shows that those who have children are more likely to be depressed than those who do not. This, according to Florida State University Professor Robin Simon, is due to the fact that children and worrying go hand in hand.

"Parents have more to worry about than other people do-that's the bottom line," he said. "And that worry does not diminish over time. Parents worry about their kids' emotional, social, physical and economic well-being. We worry about how they're getting along in the world."

But all worrying is not equal and the study found that those with adult children and those without custody of their young children, tend to be more depressed. "Young children in some ways are emotionally easier," Simon said. "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems." That's an understatement if I ever heard one.

While the research did show that unmarried parents were more depressed than married parents, mothers and father suffered equally. Simon speculates that part of the problem is the fact that Americans tend to raise their families in isolation and without as much community support as parents in other countries.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Outings, Marketing to kids

When I'm not parenting, or writing about parenting, I spend a lot of time making and promoting wacky performances in Austin (where I live). More often than not, the shows are for grown-ups only, but the one we're performing this weekend is actually kid-friendly.

Or, at least, I think it's kid-friendly. I'm discovering, however, that other parents might not be so sure. I've been interrogated over the phone by a number of surprisingly aggressive moms who seem to think I'm luring their children to some sadistic rock n' roll sex ritual. When I tell them that "I'm bringing my 3-year-old" they get frustrated that they show might be boring for adults -- but when I assure them that "the show was created for grown-ups, it just happens to be something kids would enjoy" they get suspicious that it must, therefore, involve the aforementioned rituals of sex, sadism, and the devil's rock music.

And I understand. Edan and I often go to kid-centric events that would be mind-numbingly boring if she wasn't having such a good time, and most of the things I find interesting and compelling contain themes, language, or ideas that might be a little beyond the maturity and/or intellectual capacity of a toddler.

But is it really such a minefield out there? Do other people really market events to families and children that might be offensive? Have you ever been suckered into something that was inappropriate for your child?

At first I thought all the other parents were weirdos, but I'm starting to think it must be me.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Child Development, Lifestyle, ParentDish Laughs, Potty training, 5 years, Jared

There are a lot of things that we all do that no one notices -- unless we don't do them. Rachel doesn't notice when I put my dirty clothes in the hamper but she does take note when I leave them in a pile on the floor. With children, however, it's important to make sure they know that we appreciate it when they do the things they're supposed to do that we would otherwise take for granted. We have to let them know that they've done good so that they'll keep doing that, rather than doing something different just to get some recognition.

And that is why I found myself in the odd position of telling Jared "Thank you for lifting the seat of the toilet when you went pee-pee this morning."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Image of the day

Looking for summery photos for the Image of the Day has been so much fun! Here's the last one for this month, posted by flickr user boopsie.daisy. I don't think it gets any sweeter or summerier than this.

In July, we'll be looking for smooches. Kisses. Love. Sugar. So, start adding those wonderful photos to the pool!

If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll select an image every day to highlight. Remember: we're on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on the main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Health and Safety, Television, DVDs and Videos, Road trip, Vacations

We made it to Disneyland and back without resorting to the use of a DVD player in the car, although we did have one with us just in case. We did the same going to Calistoga recently and to Yosemite last year. Personally, I would rather the kids look out the window and see the world or at least do something creative as we roll along.

After reading this article, my position has only gotten stronger. No, they won't necessarily rot your child's brain (unless you put on Barney or the Teletubbies) but they could kill. The German safety organization DEKRA did some tests and found that when hit from behind as slowly as 18mph, the screens could come loose, fly backwards, and smash into a child, killing them. (Although, technically, they don't fly backwards, the kid would move forward into them, but the effect is the same.)

The DVD player used in the test was installed properly, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Screens installed in the backs of headrests or in the ceiling do not pose the same risk because they are permanently and solidly affixed in place. Those hanging by a strap from the front seat, however, are dangerous.

The problem is not limited to DVD players, though. The group found that cellphones and navigation systems attached to the windscreen or to an air vent also represent a danger. For a short while, I carried a fire extinguisher in the Rover. (It's a common and prudent practice in an off-highway vehicle.) I took it out, however, and gave it to a friend because I was too nervous having it sitting loose in the back and didn't have the time (or, honestly, the skills) to install it permanently. I'd hate to think what something like that would do in a roll-over.

Read the article and see what you think; you may want to take a look at what's floating about loose in your car and either move it to the trunk, strap it down, or take it out altogether. You know, just in case. Because while you and I are surely excellent, skilled drivers, we all know there are an awful lot of idiots out there on the road who seem to have gotten their driver's license out of a crackerjack box.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Child Development, Lifestyle, Dads, 3 years, Preschooler, Adventures in Parenting, Sports, Sara

For the past couple years, Sara has been taking acrobatics classes and swim lessons every week. Due to her age, these were classes where I had to run around the gym, roll about on the floor, and skip in circles singing inane songs. In swim class, I had to get in the water and do the same sorts of things with her. Beginning today, however, no more.

Last Wednesday was Sara's third birthday. Now she's in the acrobatics class by herself and goes in the water alone. At Acrosports, I get to sit in the coffee shop and surf the web. During her swim class, I will stay dry and clothed, watching from the sidelines. No more hokey-pokey, no more "Fishies in the ocean, fishies in the sea, we all jump in on 1-2-3!" only to get a face full of water.

I know that kids grow up far too fast and that I should be in tears about this milestone as she heads off for more independent things, but truth be told, she's always been pretty darn independent anyway and it's only her calendar age that has held her back. No, I don't want Sara to grow up too fast, but for this particular landmark, I think I'll celebrate rather than mourn.

(And apologies to MLK and everyone else for a belittling use of that very powerful part of his amazing speech.)

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Health and Safety, Parks, Road trip, Vacations

It's that time of year again. You know, the time of year when the bugs come out of hiding and the news is full of fear-mongering about the West Nile virus?

As a mom who is making every attempt to de-chemicalize her home, this time of year sends extra panic into my heart as I have to decide which is scarier: covering my family in repellents with DEET, or potentially subjecting them to the possibility of West Nile.

So when one of my favourite sites, SavvyMom.ca, did a post on DOs and DONTs of bug protection, I was overjoyed. In fact I went out and tried one that they recommended -- Burt's Bees Lemongrass Outdoor Lotion (those who know me well call me a Burt's Bees-a-holic) -- and had fantastic results. The scent was reminiscent of a Thai restaurant, but we were all lemony fresh and bug free.

The article provides more than just products to try, it also has a common sense list of ways to avoid bug bites. Go check it out.

Got any tried and true natural mosquito repellents or remedies? Let me know.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Media, Birth announcement, Celebrity parents

Entertainer extraordinaire, Usher Raymond, 28, is not one to be outdone by celebrity trends. So it came as no surprise when he announced this week that he and his boo, his former stylist Tameka Foster, 36, are expecting a child together, due sometime in the fall. It's Usher's first child and Tameka's fourth.

The young overachiever will have his hands full for the rest of 2007. The couple are planning their wedding simultaneously. (Tameka is recently divorced. She and Usher have been engaged since January.) And to top it off, he's also expecting a new album to drop and the release of a fragrance this fall.

Maybe I'm being a cynic, but the first thing I thought of when I read the news item was the lyrics to Kanye West's "Gold Digger." I wonder what Usher's mother Jonetta has to say about all this?

Anyway, regardless of the potential here for drama, new babies are happy news. So congrats to the couple!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Lifestyle, Media, Toys, Movies, Monitoring your kids, Marketing to kids

A Boston-based child advocacy group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after finding ads and toys based on the PG-13 "Transformers" movie film aimed at children as young as 2 years old.

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is requesting the FTC work with the toy industry and media companies to develop a uniform rating system so toys tied to PG-13 movies not be marketed to children younger than 13. After monitoring the Nickelodeon cable channel Monday the group noted "Transformers" movie ads during the shows "Fairly Odd Parents" and "Jimmy Neutron," both rated TV-Y for all children, including those age 2 to 6. It also found ads during "Ned's Declassified," which is rated for children 7 and older. Tie-in toys from Hasbro are geared toward children as young as 3.

I was deep in my babysitter career when Transformers toys and the cartoon made their appearance in the mid-1980s. The toys themselves were on a Rubik's Cube-like complexity level, making me dependent on my young charges to do large portions of the transforming for me. When I sat, the Transformers were forced to use their fire-power in helpful ways, like to quickly slice up the tons of vegetables required for a Guinness Book of World Records pot of soup to feed a major city. (And later, to tunnel through the streets and blast the resultant sewer line blockages.) While I agree that barring the advertising of PG-13 movies during shows for younger children is logical, I find the tie-in toys less troubling. Kids can use toys in all sorts of imaginative ways, not just to re-create movie plot lines.

What do you think: Should the FTC crack down on both toys and ads aimed at kids younger than the movie rating or is this an instance of government being asked to do the job of a parent?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition, Lifestyle, Media, Eating, Marketing to kids

Need ideas getting your kids to eat more vegetables? You could:

• Cut cucumbers in creative shapes to make them more appealing (small cookies cutters make it make it a cinch)
• Hide chopped vegetables in cooked foods (spaghetti sauce or meatloaf are classic) and hope the kids don't notice
• Make a veggie pizza for snack (Bake the pizza crust available in the tube according to package directions, cool and top with cream cheese and raw vegetables, cover with a generous layer of cheddar cheese)
• Create a life-sized woman entirely of veggies that your kids will eat out of fear she'll come to life when they're not looking

A reasonable parent would look at the above suggestions and point out that a vegetable woman would be problematic for several reasons, the main one being: it's just plain creepy. Apparently the Center for Disease Control does not have many parents on staff.

Vegetable Woman was on display from January through April of this year at the CDC's new 6.9 million dollar visitor center in Atlanta, apparently as a way to inspire Americans to eat vegetables before they organize into higher life forms and turn against us.

I'm not a marketing expert, but I find Popeye the Sailor Man more motivational than Broccoli Barbie. How about you?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here