Filed under: Pregnancy & birth, Celeb parenting

On Mother's Day, Michelle Duggar surprised her family with what has probably become a not totally unexpected announcement: She was pregnant, and her 18th child was due on New Year's Day. The family recently visited with the Today show and revealed that their latest addition will be a girl. That makes things a little more equal at home; once this baby is born, the family will have 10 boys and 8 girls.

But welcoming a new sister isn't the only change going on in the Duggar household. Eldest son Joshua, 20, recently married his home-school group sweetheart, Anna. The two will be setting up house near the Duggars in Arkansas. Does Anna embrace the Duggar's "we'll welcome as many children as we're blessed with" lifestyle? Is this the beginning of The Duggars: The Sequel? Or will the young couple show a little more reproductive restraint?



As for Michelle, she's not closing the door on motherhood just yet. "We would love more," she told the Today show. "We really believe each child is a gift from God. We would love to receive more gifts if the Lord sees fit. I guess we'll just wait and see." What that means is, watch for another "surprise" announcement next fall or winter, I think!

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Filed under: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Development, In the news, Education

When it comes to online schooling, Florida is leading the way. The state already funds two online kindergarten through eighth grade schools as well as one that offers middle and high school courses. Last year, more than 57,000 students took advantage of the opportunity to take some of their classes through the Florida Virtual School, but very few opted to take all of their courses online. But with a new state law going into effect next year, more students will have the option to do just that - beginning in kindergarten.

The new law not only allows Florida school districts to create their own full-time online schools, it requires that they do so by the 2008-2009 school year. "The rest of the country will be watching to see how it goes," said Julie Young, president and chief executive officer of Florida Virtual School and a board member of the North American Council for Online Learning.

Some are concerned about private companies who sell online curriculum profiting from public education dollars and others worry about the financial implications of the law's reference to providing computers and Internet access to students 'when appropriate'. But what would concern me the most is the social impact on a child who never actually spends time in a classroom with other children.

While I do think online classes (as well as home-schooling) can be appropriate for some students some of the time, I have a hard time imagining an entire generation of children who never attend school. A brick-and-mortar school not only provides book-learning, but social learning as well. For many children, the classroom is where they practice and perfect their budding social skills - cooperation with others, listening quietly, following rules, sitting still. What becomes of all of that when the classroom is at home? Would you let your child be an exclusive online learner?

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Filed under: Holidays

Though the tampered candy scare of the 70s and 80s is little more than urban legend, safety is one reason that parents may decide to opt out of trick-or-treating. Unsuitable neighborhoods, bad weather, and religious objections are other reasons to keep kids from going door-to-door.

But just because you've decided to skip out on the candy grabbing doesn't mean that you can't join in on the Halloween fun. If trick-or-treating isn't your thing, try one of these alternatives instead:

• Host a party for your kids and their friends. Carve pumpkins, bob for apples, or plan a candy scavenger hunt.
• Kids too old for trick-or-treating? Let them plan a Halloween movie night.
• Research community-organized parties in your area.
• Visit your local shopping mall, where stores often pass out candy to trick-or-treaters.
• Visit a corn maze, pumpkin farm, or haunted house as a family.
• Throw a monster-themed dinner party. Think "spaghetti and eyeballs" with a tasty witches brew to drink!
• Want the experience but not the candy? Trick-or-treat for UNICEF.
• Try "trunk-or-treating." Groups get together and decorate the trunks of their cars, then let children trick-or-treat amongst them.

Do you opt out of trick-or-treating? What do you do instead?

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Filed under: Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Love & sex, Health & safety

Nine years old is a good age to play jump-rope, dress up dolls, and maybe, just maybe, start thinking about boys as something other than totally gross. Wedding plans should be strictly the fairytales and pumpkin kind and definitely not the actual type. Unfortunately, there are those who think that nine is the perfect age for a young girl to get married.

In Britain, thousands of young girls, as young as nine, are being forced into marriages and schools are being asked to be ever more vigilant for children at risk and who suddenly stop showing up. "The youngest child we have dealt with was nine years old," said Jasvinder Sanghera, director of Karma Nirvana, a national telephone helpline for girls forced into marriage. "The girl told her teacher she was going to be forced to marry someone and initially she was not believed." Thankfully, the girl was eventually placed into foster care.

The problem is bad enough that the government operates a Forced Marriage Unit, jointly funded by the Home Office and Foreign Office. I don't know what kind of parent thinks its okay for a nine-year-old to get married. I have a thirteen-year-old niece and there's no way I would want her to miss out on her life just to satisfy some dirty old man's need to marry.

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

Call it what you will - bashful, timid, reserved - shyness can be very difficult for kids to manage on their own. Luckily, there are ways you can help your child relax and navigate what is for them the often terrifying waters of social interaction.

A recent article in the Detroit Free Press laid out a series of common-sense steps parents can take to ease their little ones' fears.

The first step is recognizing that your child is, indeed, shy. Don't downplay what he or she is feeling, because their anxiety is very, very real. Acknowledge that yes, she may be bashful, but that doesn't mean she'll spend her life as a hermit. With preparation, she can learn to function well in social situations.

Begin by exposing your kids to peer interactions at a very early age. Toddler playgroups are a great way to help kids gain confidence in group situations, and as a bonus, it's nice to have other adults to talk to, as well. You can also help ease your child's path by placing him or her in situations with a good adult-to-child ratio. By doing so, you ensure there are enough adults to prevent bad behavior and promote positive interactions.

Also, take time to prepare your child before entering a social situation to eliminate anticipatory anxiety, and arrange for playdates at your home, so he or she is in a familiar environment.

I was a chronically shy kid who dreaded making new friends and broke into a sweat just thinking about group social situations. After years of practice, I learned that meeting new people can actually be fun. It hurts to watch your kids suffer, but don't despair - just because she's a shrinking violet right now doesn't mean she can't blossom into a social butterfly later in life.

Are you outgoing or chronically shy? Is your child the same or the opposite, and how do you handle it?

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Filed under: Newborns, Babies, Health & safety

Baby powder smells good and feels good too, that's why it's been used on babies' bottoms for decades. But for the last several years, pediatricians have been telling parents to resist the urge. Not only is there little evidence that talcum powder prevents diaper rash, it's easily inhaled and can irritate the lungs.

A new study, however, gives one more solid reason to avoid using talcum powder. Researchers found that when women used talcum powder every day in their genital area, their risk of developing ovarian cancer rose as much as 40%. Experts believe that the talc travels up to the ovaries, causing inflammation that can develop into cancer. It's important to note that most women who use talc will not develop cancer, but even so, they're recommending that women either stop using powder altogether or switch to a cornstarch based formula.

I think that based on previous recommendations regarding lung health, combined with these new studies, it's probably time to put baby powder to bed for good. What do you think? Do these studies cause you concern, or are you reluctant to give up this diapering tradition?

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Filed under: Pregnancy & birth, Bump watch, Life & style, Rumors, Mommy wars, That's entertainment

Here's a newsflash--a celebrity who will have her child, or in this case, children, early! Most celebrities never make it through the ninth month or pregnancy, opting for c-sections at the eighth month in order to avoid getting ginormous during the final weeks of pregnancy. Too late, Rebecca!

Those carrying twins--celebrity or not--are more likely to give birth earlier anyway. Rebecca Romijn is both a celebrity and carrying twins, so she is expected to pop--or have her babies--sooner rather than later. She is allegedly being placed on bed rest starting in October in hopes of getting the twins she's expecting with super-lucky husband Jerry O'Connell in January through some time in December.

Romijn joins countless celebrities in recent months who've either gotten pregnant with or given birth to twins. Her husband Jerry recently commented that she was "huge" and then later apologized. Perhaps the baby hormones are affecting him too! Good luck, Rebecca! Here's to hoping you make it to the new year! I can't imagine a woman on the go like her having to deal with bed rest!!! That'll be harder than surgery!

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Filed under: Image of the Day

I don't think anyone could deny this darling package. Thanks to kcmikelle47 for sharing this moment of moving madness with us.

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.

Have a particularly great Halloween photo to share? We're assembling a reader gallery of Cute Costumed Kids -- share your photos in our Flickr pool and check AOL Living's new Holiday Hub starting October 10 to see the full package!

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Filed under: Just for moms, Weird but true, Mommy wars

An annual survey by Salary.com revealed that the average stay-at-home mom works an average of 94.4 hours per week, meaning that in the context of a normal 40-hour week, more than half of her time on the job is overtime.

The survey, administered yearly since 2000, also determined that in 2008, a full-time mother's annal salary would come in at $116,805, down from 2007's figure of $138,094. And just what does a family get in return for this princely sum?

Salary.com breaks a mother's job down into the following duties: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, laundry machine operator, computer operator, psychologist, facilities manager, van driver, and chief executive officer.

So let me get that straight -- I am working in excess of 90 hours a week, and my salary has decreased? What gives?

The company uses a number of factors to calculate mom's paycheck, and this year added a new wrinkle: companies with fewer than 25 employees tend to offer lower salaries. Your typical American family comes in way under that "25 or more" threshold. If you think the SAHM's salary is miserly, consider this -- a working mom's job description is roughly equal to that of one who stays at home, and she only nets $68,405 for her 54.6 "mom work week."

Want to know exactly how much you're worth? You and your family can calculate your personal compensation at mom.salary.com.

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Filed under: Celeb parenting

Heath Ledger may have been taken from his daughter Matilda's life far too soon, but thanks to cooperation on the part of his family members, his earnings will be taking care of her financially for a long time to come.

Heath had a will, but he'd signed it two years before Matilda was born and never updated it. He left his estate to his parents and sisters. Though he had roughly $118,000 in assets, some estimate his estate to be worth around $16 million. There was speculation that former partner and mother to Matilda, Michelle Williams, might challenge the will, but that never happened. Instead, Health's family has gifted the entire amount to Matilda.

Health's family said from the time of his death that Michelle and Matilda would be provided for, and they've been true to their word. It's a tribute to Heath that his family followed through with what they thought he, as a dad, would have wanted. And as Susan reminded us back in June, it's a reminder to all parents to have paperwork up to date so that, in a worst case scenario, kids are taken care of.

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