Filed under: Celeb parenting, Media, That's entertainment, Single parenting

Unless you've maintained one of your own, it's difficult to describe how addictive keeping a blog can be. Having a corner of the internet people visit just to read your words and thoughts on life and issues can make an ordinary housewife feel like an A-list celebrity.

So you might guess it would be easier for a celebrity to give up their blogging habit, as they already have opportunities in the limelight and have supporters and fans outside the internet. Rosie O'Donnell, who just announced plans to take a blogging break for the month of August, begs to differ. Her most recent blog post read:

i am taking off august
in blog-ville
2 c if i can
rosie unplugged
happy summer peeps
peace in
peace out

The opinionated former talk show host shared with People magazine, "I'm wondering if I can do it. Every time I watch [the TV show] Intervention I'm like, 'They need this show for people who need to get off their computers!' My real addiction is the computer and the blog."

Some things Rosie could do to help survive her non-blogging month:

• Take the kids to the beach
• Create toupees for Donald Trump out of craft supplies
• Prank call "The View"
• Cover Elizabeth Hasselbeck's toilet seats with plastic wrap
• Drop in on Martha Stewart around mealtime
• Volunteer

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Filed under: Health & safety, In the news, Environment, Toys & games

It seems like a day doesn't go by that we don't hear about another recalled toy -- lead paint, dangerous chemicals, magnets -- but that will, hopefully, become less common, due to legislation making its way through congress. It's been hailed as the "most aggressive overhaul in decades of America's consumer safety system" and comes after months of haggling where, in almost every aspect, safety came out on top.

The bill calls for stricter limits on lead in toys, beginning with 600 parts per million after six months and decreasing to 100 ppm after three years. There will be new safety standards for all-terrain vehicles and a half-dozen compounds will be banned from use in plastics. In order to make sure that companies comply with the new rules, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's budget will get a boost, state attorneys general will have the power to pull products off store shelves, and violators will face fines as high as fifteen million dollars.

Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky called the legislation "a really strong, strong bill" and said of the plans for the CPSC that "it really, in many ways, is the birth of a new agency that will have much broader authority, particularly to keep our children safe." It's a shame that this is at all necessary, but I'm glad it's in the works.

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Filed under: Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Education, Kid decor & style

Most public schools have dress codes and for good reason. Some may disagree, but I think tiny skirts, skimpy tops, underwear-revealing baggy pants and all those other banned garments really don't contribute anything to the learning process.

Of course, if you have rules, you must also have consequences for breaking those rules. I don't know how other schools handle students who violate the dress code, but the Gonzalez Independent School District in Texas has come up with a stricter code and a sure-fire way to discourage violations. After the first day of school, any student coming to school in violation of the dress code will be provided alternative clothing. This alternative clothing consists of a shapeless, dark blue, button-front jumpsuit that looks a lot like what you might see a mechanic wear. Or a plumber. Certainly not your average fashion-conscious teenager.

Parents are upset about the stricter dress code, mostly due to the timing. Many had already done their back-to-school shopping before the new code was implemented and now find much of what they bought is banned. Students say the code is too strict and that they would rather wear an orange jumpsuit every day than comply. Get it? Like they are prisoners of the Gonzalez Independent School District.

I think they all need to take a deep breath and listen to the wisdom of Class of '08 graduate Amy Ferguson. "I don't see why people are making such a big deal about this. We're going to have to wear uniforms for jobs. Plus they aren't being as strict as they could be,"

And then, if they still want to wear orange jumpsuits, I say let them.

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Filed under: Fun & activities

Last summer was our first attempt at a real family vacation (at the time, our girls were four and two). We spent our days exploring remote beaches, floating on rafts, and catching rays... heavenly. Our nights were spent at our campsite, which after four or five nights, started to feel like that place that's the opposite of Heaven. When my husband asked me if I wanted to go back there again this year, I said that I absolutely did, on one condition: Wherever we stayed had to have a kitchen, beds, and running water.

"The kids will be bummed," he said. And I knew he was right. But seven days, at this point in their childhood when they still require so much physical care, is just too long for me to sleep on the ground and cook three meals a day over a fire pit.

Over at Newsweek, Kathy Deveny talks about the difference between family vacations when you're a kid with few responsibilities, and when you're an adult who's in charge of everything. When I was a kid, my parents owned a motor home that we took off in every weekend in the summer months, exploring every corner of our state. I remember riding my bike everywhere, bug bites, s'mores. What I don't remember is my mom spending half her time packing, preparing meals, and washing dishes, though I know she must have. Vacationing is hard work.

Continue reading Family vacations - Memory-making is tiring

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Filed under: Image of the Day

Is it just me or does the little leaf in the crook of this toddler's elbow look like a grasshopper? (I think I've been looking at these photos for too long.) Thanks to sundayschoolrebel for a darling glimpse of her little horticulturist.

If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll highlight an image every day. 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: Health & safety, Celeb kids, Celeb parenting

We all know that Paris Hilton likes to party. We also know that on at least one occasion, she didn't let her inebriated state stop her from getting behind the wheel of a car. She was convicted of driving while intoxicated back in 2006 and in 2007, she spent time in jail for violating the terms of her probation. While the responsibility for those bad decisions rests firmly on Paris' own shoulders, it sounds like her mom feels at least partly to blame.

Although Kathy Hilton has never had a drinking problem, she says Paris' issues made her want to set a better example for her family. In order to "walk the walk", she says she gave up drinking altogether and recently celebrated one year of sobriety.

Based on the behavior of her famous daughter, Kathy Hilton may not be a likely candidate for mother of the year, but I respect what she is trying to do. Children do learn by example and parents have a responsibility to try to set a good one. Unfortunately, that may have come too late for the Hilton kids. Just this past February, Kathy's 18-year-old son Barron got his own DWI.

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Filed under: Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Education

One thing that can be guaranteed at the start of a new school year is back-to-school jitters, for children and parents alike. I am often asked by friends, "How do I go about getting to know my child's teacher without coming off as pushy?" etc. And I love answering that question, because it's simple, really.

Here are a few things you can do to get to know your child's teacher at the start of the school year, and throughout:

Ten Things You Can Do to Make Your Child's Teacher Love You Forever:

1) On the first day of school, feel free to introduce yourself and your child-if that's your school's policy. Many schools do not allow parents to come down to the classrooms during pick up and drop off of students-because of safety, and because it is a busy (hectic) time, where teachers are focused making sure everyone arrives safely, finds his or her materials and gets started on the morning activity. If your school does not allow parents to come down to the classroom at this time, respect the rule. It's there for a reason.

2) Acknowledge that you understand that your child's teacher is probably the busiest human on the face of the earth. Ask her what the most convenient way for her to stay in touch is, and then use that form of communication. Stopping by the classroom just before or after your child goes to lunch is a reasonable time that first week to check in and say hello to your child's teacher (if you cannot come down to the classroom during drop off.) But remember, this is also the teacher's lunch time, so keep the visit to the important minimum of asking when and how you can best informally be in touch.

3) If you want to volunteer, be specific. Tell the teacher what your areas of interest are. Come with suggestions or ideas for how you could be useful in the classroom. Teachers get overwhelmed trying to utilize parent volunteers. If we know you're really good at baking cookies and that you'd like to share that skill with the class, we're more likely to ask you to help.

4) Use Email.

5) If you have specific concerns about your child-perhaps your child has a severe food allergy, or ADHD, or you're worried about a learning disability that runs in your family, or even that your child is exceptionally gifted-email your child's teacher with your concerns, then ask for a time to meet to share important background information. You are an invaluable part of your child's academic team, and teachers want-and need-to hear from you. Just maybe not on the first day. Right at drop off.

6) Just once all year long, stop by with a large coffee for your child's teacher. It will make her think you are the nicest person in the entire world. Having your kid give his teacher a hand-decorated bag of homemade cookies will also make her think your family is the nicest family ever.

6) At the Holidays, write your child's teacher a thoughtful card noting a few reasons you really appreciate her. This goes farther than any gift you'll ever give.

7) Offer to coordinate a classroom activity such as a brunch, presentation, pizza party, etc. She'll swoon.

9) Bring in consumable supplies like tissues and wipes, without being begged to do so. (Supplies are in short demand in every school.) Other things you could randomly bring include balls for the recess yard, fun indoor recess games, or a dustpan and a kid sized broom. These things are pretty much considered GOLD by teachers.

10) Show up for your child's presentations, conferences and performances and show genuine interest in your kid. Seems totally obvious right? You'd be surprised at how many parents skip these things. Of course-work schedules make this difficult, and if this is the case, email your child's teacher ahead of time with the conflict.

That said, I know all of you who stop here regularly are already the most awesome parents and your kid's teacher's love you as it is. What are other things you've done to get to know your child's teacher that have worked well for you? And what are some things that maybe haven't?

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Filed under: Just for moms, Pregnancy & birth, Health & safety, Bump watch, Life & style, Celeb parenting, In the news, Playground bureau, Mommy wars

Is natural childbirth going the way of the dinosaur? Ask many new moms and a lot of doctors and midwives, and you may be surprised to find the answer is yes. Between increasing costs at hospitals, liability and the demand by insurance companies for medical professionals to take on more and more patients each year, thereby limiting the amount of time one can spend on an individual labor, the option for a natural childbirth seems to lessen by the day.

Instead of having a regular old labor, complete with the uncertainty of when the baby would arrive and lots of pushing and pain, more and more women--and their care providers--are getting C-sections. Celebrities like Posh Beckham have helped speed the plow in the C-section trend by making no bones about scheduling the birth of her three sons. The woman has a career to think of and I simply can't imagine her having ten extra minutes for her water to break, can you? Celebrities opting for this surgery--and, uhm, yeah, it's considered MAJOR SURGERY--have paved the way for making it a norm for regular folks too. Women are also opting to get epidurals to ease the pain of childbirth as their doctors increase the use of pitocin and other drugs to jump start a labor. Pitocin can increase the pain of childbirth, too, so when the doc gives one more often than not a woman gets an epidural too. Many feel this process causes problems which then leads to more C-sections.

Other celebrities, like Ricky Lake, are spearheading the movement of natural childbirth. Lake had her baby at home with the help of a midwife. And there are many women who prefer to go about it the non-medicalized way, without drugs or a scheduled C. Problem is, they're finding it harder and harder to do so. I don't want to get into a discussion of whether or not it's "right" to have a natural birth, a C-section or an epidural any more than I want to discuss whether expectant mothers should be playing Metallica or Brahms during labor. What I do think warrants discussion is how we as women can preserve the right to have our babies the way we want to have them, and not bowing to the demands of the insurance business or doctors who act out of fear of malpractice suits.

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Filed under: Babies, Special needs

This was just after the twins were born and we'd gotten home from the NICU: the phone rang and my husband Tom took the call. A few minutes later, he hung up. There was a dazed expression on his face.

"That was the pediatric cardiologist," Tom said. "He called to tell us the good news. We won't be taking a life flight to Seattle for emergency heart surgery. " He paused, letting the words hang in the air around us. "I didn't know," he said finally, "that such a thing was even a possibility."

I hadn't realized it, either. But there were so many things I was just beginning to understand, then. I thought back to my many ultrasounds with Tally, whose name always made me smile (each week she took a tally of our babies!) and the numerous, grainy black-and-white images of Bennett, the small bones in his back like a tiny string of pearls; or of Avery who, more often than not, was sucking his thumb.

Each measurement--of the bones in each baby's leg, or the width of each head, or the blood pumping through four chambers of each heart, was met with, "Everything looks fine," and despite what eventually followed--the twins' premature delivery and 5 days later, Avery's diagnosis of Down syndrome--I still had faith in those words. Why would anything be wrong with Avery's heart?

As it happens, babies with Down syndrome are 40-50% more likely to be born with a heart defect: some of the conditions are minor, and can be addressed with medication, but others require surgery. Hence, our cardiologist's comment to Tom, which was indeed, good news.

Since that time, I've learned even more things about being mother to a child with Down syndrome. I've learned that one of the more common problems in babies with Down syndrome is called atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), sometimes called AV canal, a condition that affects the walls between the two upper chambers and the two lower chambers of the heart.

Which is how I came to have, in my hands, a white manila envelope from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally recognized facility dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with disabilities. And though the institute is located in Baltimore, MD, and we're in Montana, I've agreed to participate in a collaborative research effort designed to help identify genetic and environmental factors related to congenital heart disease in Down syndrome.

My role in this study is minimal: since we don't have any heart issues, we'll be part of the comparison group. I need to fill out a medical questionnaire, and sign some release forms. I need to supply the team with a copy of Avery's karyotype, which is a profile of a person's chromosomes. In Avery's case, it shows 3 genes at the 21st chromosome instead of the usual 2, and was how we confirmed the diagnosis. And the researchers need a copy of the echocardiogram, the one that the cardiologist telephoned Tom about.

In a few weeks, I'll participate in a telephone interview too, answering questions about my medical history and my pregnancies. And Avery will donate 1/5 teaspoon of blood for DNA analysis--this will be, in fact, the most difficult part. Avery has his blood tested every year for TSH and T-4 Thyroid function, and we'll get the sample then. In the beginning, he'd approach these blood draws with his usual cheerfulness and good will, smiling at the nurses and even flirting a bit. It's happened often enough that now, just the sight of the medical clinic sets his chin to quivering, big teardrops already forming in the corners of his dark blue eyes.

Why would I consider such a thing? Before becoming Avery's mom, I probably wouldn't have. The world to me, then, seemed like something "out there" that was mostly none of our business. But having Avery made everything personal--the families in the NICU with us, the children we know at the CDC, the babies with heart surgeries, they are close to me, now. I'd once thought that having a child with a visible disability would isolate my family--but instead, most times, I've found the opposite to be true. Avery brings people together.

It's a small thing, our participation in the Kennedy Krieger Institute research, but it's what we can do.

When the twins were still babies, I used to sit with them in the rocking chair. I'd arrange them like the nurses in the NICU showed me, one in each arm, heads on my chest. The rhythm of the rocking chair reminded me of a heart beat, too--bump-bump. Bump-bump. And I'd feel it, then, our connectedness, all of our hearts beating as one.

For more information on the Kennedy Krieger Institute study contact Charnan Koller.

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Filed under: Development, In the news, Weird but true

If you are currently pregnant, you might want to think twice before you run out and buy a new iPhone: a recently released study found that women who use cell phones frequently during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with behavior problems. The study also found that kids who use cell phones appear to be at risk for behavior problems.

Researchers looked at 13,159 children whose mothers had signed up to participate in a Danish National Birth Cohort study during their pregnancies. When the children were seven years old, the researchers did follow-up studies in which they correlated maternal cell phone use and behavior problems in the children. According to a Reuters news report, "After the researchers adjusted for factors that could influence the results, such as a mother's psychiatric problems and socioeconomic factors, children with both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure were 80 percent more likely to have abnormal or borderline scores on tests evaluating emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, or problems with peers."

One theory is that radiofrequency exposure from the cell phones caused some kind of neurological damage to these children in utero, and that childhood cell phone use is now exacerbating that damage. And yes, the researchers also took into account the possibility that moms who talk on their cell phones a lot are ignoring their children, which may be the real cause of the bad behavior. Frankly, I'm more willing to believe that than anything.

What do you think -- are you concerned that your cell phone may be harming your unborn baby?

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