Filed under: High school, Eating, Teenager, 15-19 years, In the News

Participating in a student exchange program offers young people the amazing opportunity to experience another culture and explore a different part of the world but still have the safety-net of being under the supervision of a host-family, at least that's the idea.

So imagine the horror of sending your healthy, seventeen-year-old, 155 lb. son to Egypt for the school year and seeing him return too weak to even carry his own suitcase and weighing a skeletal 97 lbs.

This is exactly what the family of Jonathan McCullum experienced. Unknown to the McCullum's, Jonathan was placed with a host family of Coptic Christians, a religion that fasts more than 200 days a year. However, Jonathan didn't place the blame for his lack of nourishment on the cultural or religious difference, he says the family was just stingy and mean with very limited English speaking skills which made communication difficult, while the host father insists the entire story is a lie create by the McCullum's in hopes of financial gain.

"The truth is, the boy we hosted for nearly six months was eating for an hour and a half at every meal. The amount of food he ate at each meal was equal to six people," said Shaker Hanna, the host father. He added that the boy was active, constantly exercising and playing sports.

Families are discouraged to make contact with their children while they are abroad and Jonathan never mentioned his weight loss or constant hunger to his family. When one of Jonathan's teacher's sent the McCullum's an email saying their son was in bad shape and really need to go home, the exchange program assured the family their son had been seen by a doctor was in excellent health.

The Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students, a nonprofit advocacy group, said exchange programs are rampant with instances of abuse and neglect. "This is not an isolated incident. I'm aghast but I'm not shocked," the committee's director, Danielle Grijalva said after hearing McCullum's story.

I can completely see my older sons responding to this situation the same way as Jonathan did, staying silent and not wanting to appear babyish or weak by complaining. That's why I think any trips abroad before the kids are old enough to afford to paying for it own their own will be taken and shared with their all-the-time family.

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Filed under: Newborn, Infant / First year, Celebrity parents, In the News, Celebrity parents behaving badly

It may only be coincidence, but as Britney Spears rose in popularity from bubblegum princess to queen of pop, so did the popularity of the baby name "Britney." In the early 90s, it enjoyed top 10 status, even reaching a respectable number four. Even as late as 1997, the name was still in the top 20. Today, it's nowhere to be found and has been replaced by names like Ava, Abigail, Cailyn, Madeline, and Isabella.

Of course, the popularity of baby names change with the times, so who knows? Maybe when Britney finally makes her comeback, or at least stops having her saddest moments televised on national TV, we'll find that there's a whole new generations of little Britneys running around.

Did you consult the "most popular" lists before naming your child?

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Filed under: Siblings, Teenager, 13-14 years, 15-19 years, Discipline, Weird but True, In the News

It's one thing for Hollywood writers to go on strike and mess with months' worth of television viewing. It's a whole other thing for a mother to just decide not to parent anymore and mess with her children's lives.

Melissa Dean, mother of four teenage boys, was arrested and charged with child neglect after admitting to police that she has spent the last month "on strike," refusing to care for them. Apparently, Dean wants her kids -- ages 13, 14, 16 and 17 -- to stop fighting and start cleaning. (Shocking.)

After failing to manage them herself, she claims to have sought help from police and the courts without luck. So, she gave up and began leaving the kids for hours without supervision.

To no surprise, Dean's arrest -- prompted by a phone call from the boys -- wasn't the first time authorities had visited the home.

Say it with me?:
What do we want? Parenting skills!
When do we want them? Now!

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Filed under: Teachers, Elementary school, Public school, In the News

I have spent many hours at the school, in the principal's office or in parent-teacher conferences. Having a child with ADHD means that I might not always agree with the school or I have to be a little more assertive in dealing with some teachers to make sure my son's needs are met. However, it has never gotten so bad that I have been banned from the school.

A mother in Katy, Texas, has behaved so badly that she was told never to return to her daughter's elementary school. When she came onto the school property with her daughter, the police arrested her.

Lisa Babin was sent a letter by Katy ISD which warned her not to return to campus and if she ever needed to go on campus, to request permission. The letter stated, "Due to recent disruptions that your presence, demeanor and actions have caused at Schmalz Elementary, it has become necessary to restrict your access to facilities and staff."

Babin denies the charges, claiming the principal just doesn't like her because she asks too many questions. However, a quote from the school principal, Karen Ladner, states that Babin had been threatening school officials for years. Ladner even claims to have a recorded conversation of Babin which says, "You know, God help (Principal) Mrs. Ladner -- if I walked up to her lying on the ground, knowing CPR, I could just take my long black heel and jab it deep into her chest."

Babin denies the charges, but I'm not sure how she can do so when the conversation is recorded. Babin also claims that the principal just doesn't like her. I have had many disagreements with school officials over the years, because I have always been against medicating my son. However, no one ever banned me from the school and threatened to arrest me if I returned. The real victim here is Babin's daughter, who still goes to school there and has to be torn between what she's hearing from her mother while still attending the school.

Is there really anything that would convince you that Babin should be allowed on school property and might be a scapegoat of the school principal?

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What parent hasn't experienced this once in awhile? When it comes to our personal photo-ops, the ones I try to take while Wito is perfectly coiffed usually end up like this. However, put him in stained pajamas with some crusty boogers smeared across his face and he's suddenly baby model of the year.

Thanks, The Way You Do Everything, for this funny shot.

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 our main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

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Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition, Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Moms, Newborn

I wouldn't say I'm on a diet, exactly, but I'm going through the process of changing my pregnancy eating habits -- which can best be described as "if it contains fat, salt, sugar, or preferably all three at the same time, eat until maternity pants self-destruct" -- and embracing depressing sensible food choices such as nonfat cottage cheese. Sigh.

There are many pitfalls to overcome when you have two small children and you're trying to lose weight. First of all, there's the Reward Factor, where at the end of the day you feel like you've served back-to-back tours of 'Nam and is it really too much to ask to have just one goddamned bowl of ice cream? With cookies crumbled into it and maybe also some Pringles? There's also the Convenience Factor, which has to do with being cramped for time and having to eat over the sink while simultaneously warming a bottle and wiping up a juice spill with your foot -- that one makes preparing a nice salad far more cumbersome than, say, devouring several handfuls of Triscuits and a Red Bull.

Perhaps my biggest challenge so far is the Leftover Child's Food Factor, where I have a mini-standoff with the remnants of my toddler's meal. I certainly don't mind taking a pass on something hideous like a Gerber's "Pasta Pick-Up" (grah, why does he like those things?), but a handful of Annie's goldfish crackers, the last few spoonfuls of his macaroni and cheese, or the rind of his PB&J? Sometimes on the way to the garbage or a tupperware they somehow get lost. IN MY MOUTH.

I guess one solution to that problem would be to make sure his meals always feature vegetables and fruit instead of crackers and sugar, but really, why should we both suffer?

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Filed under: Pregnancy and Birth, Infant / First year, Books, Creative projects, Making a Difference

Did you receive one of those "On the Day You were Born" books when your baby was born? We actually ended up with two, one of which we're saving and one which I am desperately trying to find time to fill out.

See, if I don't do it now I never will. And I'll forget everything that went on the day of the delivery, etc. Yet it's hard to pinpoint all those feelings--and the facts. I was busy going through all of it, and living it--not observing any of it or filing it away for such a book later.

Still, I want to be able to record what happened before what we think happened takes the place of what actually happened. Already mu husband and I differ on the chain of events. We do agree there was Thai food involved and that we ended up with a wonderful Mr. Pickles, but the in between stuff is already getting a little fuzzy.

Is it better to record these details and events for a concrete version of what happened or let the memory stand? Hard to say, and I'm sure everyone has a different position on this. As for me, I'm going to try to fill mine out, no matter how long it takes. And I'm going to get my husband to help me. Fact or legend, I want there to be something there for me to give to Mr. Pickles as a memento from his past.

I'll probably leave out the part where I did all the screaming though.

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Filed under: Elementary school, Moms, Dads, Toddler, Preschooler, Pre-teen, Discipline, Current Studies and Research

Spanking. It's definitely old-school, but in many parenting circles, it's still around. Parents who use it claim that it's the only way to demand respect, to get kids to pay attention and listen, especially in today's modern culture. Critics call it abuse and say that spanking a child doesn't teach them anything about their misbehavior.

New research has found that there's one more reason to reconsider spanking. Adults who reported being spanked as a child were much more likely to participate in risky sex or have other sexual problems as adults. Though it's nearly impossible to study an issue like spanking in the same way you'd study, oh, the effects of vitamin C on colds, experts agree this new research is consistent with other studies done on the issue.

What's appalling to me is that there are over 20 states in the nation who still allow teachers to spank. I understand that parents parent in a multitude of ways, but children should expect to feel safe when they go to school. Even if I was a spanker (and I'm not), I'd never let another person dole out that kind of punishment. What do you think?

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Filed under: Celebrity kids, Making a Difference, In the News

After weeks of secrecy among the British press, the online site The Drudge Report broke the story that Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, had been serving in a dangerous region in Afghanistan since late December.

The younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana was denied permission serve in Iraq last year, as it was feared his presence would put him and his unit at risk.

Shortly after the news broke that there was royalty among the opposition, several Islamist websites issued alerts to be on the lookout for this high-profile soldier.

"O brothers of monotheism, if you find anyone with unusual security in his battalion, know that this could be the Prince Harry. We ask God that he gets caught on your hands," one posting read.

The British Defense Ministry said due to the leak, Prince Harry will be immediately pulled from Afghanistan.

"All my wishes have come true," Harry told reporters in last week's camp interview, noting that he had not showered in four days.

"It's very nice to be sort of a normal person for once; I think it's about as normal as I'm going to get," said Harry.

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Filed under: Discipline, Staying at home

Last Saturday, I packed up both of my kids, far too much baby gear and enough snacks to feed a small country and headed north to visit some good friends. They promised to let us stay with them for a few days, and in exchange they got to meet my new son and smell his head. Sounded like a good deal to me.

The mom part of their household is my friend Amy, who I've known since junior high. We were friends through high school, went to college together and were bridesmaids in each others' weddings. She became a parent first, and is now a stay-at-home-mom to two high-energy boys, ages 5 and 2.

After spending a few days living in her house, I'm certain that Amy is my hero. She has a pantry full of healthy snacks. Her television is rarely on while the kids are awake. Her reserves of patience and her ability to stay calm even while wrestling her youngest through a diaper change are unmatched. She seems to make the most of every teachable moment, and she cooks awesome pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.

If I didn't like her so darn much, she'd probably make me a little nauseous. (Kidding.)

I admire many of my friends for their abilities as parents, and I learn a great deal from watching them interact with their kids and with mine. Nonetheless, Amy stands out as a role model for me. It's not that she's perfect. That would be taking things WAY too far. It's that she has strengths precisely where I struggle most. It's hard not to notice her calm contrast with my hurry, her gentle redirections compare to my raised voice. I try hard to take notes to use later in improving my own parenting.

Do you have people in your life that serve as models for motherhood or fatherhood? Who? What is it about them that makes them so special?

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