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  • 07/07/09--09:00: Harry Potter Star Recovering from the Swine Flu (chan 1518178)

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    Rupert Grint

    Ron Weasley caught the swine flu. Photo: Getty Images

    Even celebrities -- and magic, spell-casting wizard celebs at that -- aren't immune to swine flu, which has been spreading the globe since April. Harry Potter's faithful friend Ron Weasley, aka Rupert Grint, missed a few days of filming "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" after coming down with the swine flu, also known as novel A/H1N1.

    "It has just been confirmed that Rupert Grint has taken a few days out of filming due to a mild bout of swine flu," says the actor's spokesman in a statement. "He has now recovered and is looking forward to joining his fellow cast members at the junket and premieres this week, and he will then return to filming."

    That premiere, this Tuesday in London, is for the eagerly anticipated "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Swine flu cases in the UK have tripled in the last week, rising to 6,929 cases At 20 years old, Grint and his cast mates are the swine flu's prime targets -- young adults. Luckily, like most cases, Grint's appears to have been uncomplicated.

    Continue reading Harry Potter Star Recovering from the Swine Flu

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  • 07/07/09--12:00: New Pool Drain Law is in Effect (chan 1518178)

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    Pool safety is on everyone's mind in the summer. Image: sxc.hu

    If your family is like ours, then you make good use of the public pool every summer. We go twice a week for swimming lessons and every now and then for $2 Tuesdays to take advantage of the slide and water features.

    But while pools, public or private, are a great way to enjoy the warm summer weather, safety is always a factor when kids are in the water.

    While parents know how to protect their kids from downing, some pools -- despite a 2008 law -- might still contain a hidden danger: Flat pool drains. After several children were seriously hurt or killed getting stuck on these powerful drains -- some use up to 800 pounds of suction -- the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool Safety Act was passed last fall.

    Continue reading New Pool Drain Law is in Effect

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  • 07/08/09--07:00: Jennifer Hudson, Silver Linings, and Special Needs Bill of Rights - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    Riding in the back of the station wagon: No longer allowed. Photo: sxc.hu

    Parents of kids with special needs now have their own Bill of Rights, thanks to Max's mom Ellen. "We have the right to expect our kids to be seen for who they are as individuals, not as labels or diagnoses," she writes. -- To the Max

    The Motherhood hosted a live chat yesterday with Alyson Schafer, author of "Honey, I Wrecked the Kids." Read the transcript, or find out when their next live chat will be.

    Dance recital season is over, but thanks to the wonder of video, we can relive those adorable moments again and again. Urlesque has some of the cutest little ballerinas.

    My kids are just barely in school, and already I'm saying "I wish they'd made that when my kids were babies." Cool new baby products, at Alpha Mom.

    Did you grow up in the 80s? Here are five reasons to be thankful you survived. Do you think our generation of parents go overboard, or were the safety improvements necessary? -- Strollerderby

    Love a good silver lining? Here are 25 good things about the recession: a return to good manners, focus on the family, and giving back, to name a few. -- BabyCenter

    A very, very pregnant Jennifer Hudson performed at Michael Jackson's memorial yesterday, singing the song "Will You Be There." -- Celebrity Baby Blog

    Those fireworks last weekend mean that summer's in full swing. Risa Green's got a great list of things she loves about summer -- what's your favorite? -- Mommy Track'd

    One hovering mom learns that she's got to keep her anxiety in check while letting her young teen spread her wings. Do you worry when your teens head out on their own? -- Divine Caroline

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  • 07/09/09--09:00: White House Aides Missing out on Family Time (chan 1518178)

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    Obama family

    The Obamas have family time at the White House, but they're the only ones. Photo: The Official White House Photo Stream, Flickr

    Having trouble balancing work life and family? Just be glad you don't work in the White House. White House aides with young children -- who probably thought they were landing the job of their dreams last January -- have discovered that working for the President doesn't just take hard work -- it also takes time away from their families.

    So why is this news? After all, there are plenty of parents out there working long hours, missing dinners, kissing their children goodnight after the kids have already fallen asleep -- parents who don't rub elbows with the President on a daily basis. Why should working in the White House -- running the country -- be any different?

    It's news because when President Obama and First Lady Michelle moved into the White House, both breathed an audible sigh of relief. Finally, after several long years of campaigning, they'd get to spend time together. In May, Michelle Obama told Time magazine, "It (moving to the White House) has been the greatest single benefit of this for us as a family. It means that we see each other every day. And that hasn't happened for most of the kids' lifetime."

    Continue reading White House Aides Missing out on Family Time

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  • 07/09/09--14:00: Baby Names, Male MidWives, and More - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    Helmets really do keep kids safe. Image: sxc.hu

    So you picked out a great baby name, only to find out everyone else likes it too. The Cradle has some baby name suggestions that will keep your maintain your fav name's feel, while still being original.

    Don't waste the beautiful belly bump! Here are five creative ways to celebrate that beautiful belly before your baby is born. -- LilSugar

    Momversation weighs in on who they think should raise Michael Jackson's kids. Who do you think will or should get custody of them?

    The best doctor I've ever had is a male OB, so why not a male midwife? Would you use one? -- CafeMom

    Kid complaining that you enforce that pesky bike helmet rule? Show her this: They really do work. -- New York Times

    Here's an interesting take on work/home balance: In our effort to not short-change our children, do we short-change our career? How do you strike the right balance? -- Motherlode

    Teens still play at the park, it's just that their activities aren't always appropriate. Would you confront a teen at the park so your kids could play? Or would you just find a new park? -- MomLogic

    Is too much information a terrible thing? Raina Kelley explains why she thinks a new green parenting book goes too far. -- Newsweek


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  • 07/10/09--15:00: Barbie Girls in a Barbie World - At the Prom? (chan 1518178)

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    Life size barbie dolls

    Teens are all dolled up for prom. Image: Mikael Buck, Solentnews.biz

    Prom has always been about going over the top on the glam front, but two British girls have gone to new and unusual lengths: They had themselves delivered to their prom in life-size Barbie doll boxes.

    Perhaps driven by our red carpet culture, where their favorite celebs show off the latest styles in front of the cameras, British teens in the county of Hampshire, like their American counterparts, make a big deal of their arrival at prom -- showing up in limos and daring attire, and finding other ways to make a stir. Sixteen-year-olds Sammy Burns and Megan Barton took stir-making a giant leap further. At the suggestion of Sammy's mom, Debbie, the girls went as Barbies -- not just all dolled up, but complete with box and bar code.

    Designed by Sammy's uncle, the boxes took two weeks to complete and are astonishingly accurate -- they even have a price tag. To add to the fun, Sammy's uncle and brother dressed up as delivery men and brought the girls in on hand carts. A forty-minute line -- forty minutes, that must be some prom! -- ensured that the girls' efforts paid off. Everyone noticed their arrival.

    "We stayed in the boxes for about half an hour," Sammy says. "It was really hot and a little scary at first. But we soon got used to it and we kept smiling for everyone while they took pictures of us. It was great fun. We wanted to be properly unique -- and we were."

    Properly unique for prom, yes. But Barbies are anything but individual. This stunt was definitely creative -- and well played. But as a mom, I wonder if it's entirely appropriate that these girls are packaging themselves up as dolls -- specifically, as anatomically, over-the-top playthings.

    Sammy's mom said that she was inspired by her daughter's childhood love of Barbie dolls, so I'm sure they just viewed it as a harmless stunt. But what does it say about these girls that Barbie is what they aspire to be, even just for a night? And, since the Barbie folks own American Girl, is that what they'll dress as for graduation?

    Cookie: Picks of the Week

      Blink Designs Sewing Kit
      Blink Design has produced a funky range of beautifully-designed Sew It Yourself Soft Toys; we are particularly keen on the babushka. $25, Our Green House.

      Hands to Hearts International Baby Massage DVD
      All proceeds from this instructional video will help improve the health of orphaned and vulnerable babies around the world so that you can learn basic baby massage strokes that will make both you and your little one feel better. $25, Hands to Hearts.

      Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook
      The large takeout box package (including child-friendly chopsticks) makes this Chinese Cookbook kit full of delicious and healthy Chinese recipes the perfect gift for a little chef. $28, Handstand Kids.

      Heath Ceramics Tea Towel
      We love the look of this tea towel from Heath Ceramics; the print is fun, the color is spot on, and it looks perfectly at home with any collection. $18, Heath Ceramics.

      UV Skinz
      UV Skinz sun protective swimshirts carry a UPF rating of 50+, which blocks out over 98 percent of the sun's harmful rays, protecting your children's delicate skin from those damaging rays. And better yet, the designs are definitely cool enough to rule out any arguments before beach time. $31, UV Skinz.

      Simple Toddler Shoes
      Simple has just launched their first collection of footwear for toddlers and we're smitten. The toggle laces and Velcro straps make them easy to put on and take off and their non-marking outsoles keep them from scuffing your floors. $40, Simple.

      lisa leonard designs baby's first spoon
      An easy but lovely gift the next time someone you know has a baby. These stainless steel spoons are great for everyday but extra special because they're personalized, and we especially love the font. $22, Lisa Leonard Designs.

      Vitamins On Demand
      If you're like us, figuring out exactly which vitamins and supplements you need is probably too daunting a task to bother with, but Vitamins on Demand has made it pretty darn simple. You can choose a prepared pack ready-to-go or customize your own depending on your needs. $20, Vitamins On Demand.

      Bugs in a Blanket
      Even if the thought of any kind of bed bugs completely freaks you out, we think your kids will be charmed by this story of little insects that live in and old blanket. Plus, the book evokes the coziness of the bugs' texture-rich world through the mixture of a felted wool technique and an amalgam of appliqué, fabrics, and stitching. $10, Amazon.

      Suki Shirt
      You can tell that architect and illustrator Ivo Bisignano truly understands the way kids' minds work, because his Suki shirts combine style and story time. The tees, made from 100 percent organic fabric and come in three styles, depict a group of children (including a girl named Cookie!) "who existed in a world of fantasy and dreams." Beyond 7, (646) 619-6857.



    Want to see even more of Barbie? Check out StyleList's coverage of this fashion icon!

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  • 07/13/09--11:00: New Study Finds Rich Moms Have Boys, Poor Moms Have Girls (chan 1518178)

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    gender symbols

    Poverty may play a role in a baby's gender. Image: Richard Dunstan, sxc.hu

    Ever feel like a baby's gender is just a matter of the universe flipping a giant coin? Think again: Various studies have found that gender might be dictated by environmental factors.

    In January 2009, a researcher out of Newcastle University suggested that men have a gene that decides if they're going to father girls or boys. A 2007 study found that stressed out mamas are more likely to give birth to girls. And then there's the Shettles method, which claims that gender can be influenced by timing intercourse a certain way around ovulation.

    The latest finding? Women who are poor are more likely to give birth to girls, but women with a higher social standing have more boys. I know, I know: Your well off sister-in-law has six girls, but you've got four boys bunking in a two-bedroom bungalow. We won't notice this influence here in America, because the gap between the rich and the poor may not be wide enough.

    Continue reading New Study Finds Rich Moms Have Boys, Poor Moms Have Girls

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  • 07/13/09--14:00: Baby iPhone App, Boy Finds Missing Man, and More - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    baby nursery

    Deciding who's in the delivery room is a big decision. Image: sxc.hu

    Do you track baby's every feeding, diaper change, coo and gurgle? Yep, there's an iPhone app for that. -- Cool Mom Picks

    When 11-year-old Logan Roberts when looking for a missing bottle in the woods, he didn't realized he'd come back a hero. Roberts found Ross Abinanti, a 63-year-old man -- suffering from dementia -- who'd been lost for 10 days. -- The Mommy Blog

    You want a baby; he's not ready. How do you decide when the right time is to have a baby? And is there ever a perfect time to become a parent? -- CafeMom

    One mom's dilemma: Who do I allow in the delivery room? May hospitals have a limit, but some don't. How did you decide who got to be there for the birth of your baby? -- MomLogic

    The FDA -- concerned about overdosing -- may soon ban infant Tylenol. If they don't, here are tips for safely using it with your smallest children. -- On Parenting

    Dad hopes she'll forget it about it, but Mom decides -- much to his dismay -- to eat the placenta after birth anyway. This seems like something that a couple should agree on first. -- Whoa, Momma!

    Jon Gosselin is moving on: He was spotted with his new girlfriend -- daughter of the doctor who did Kate Gosselin's tummy tuck -- in France. -- Popeater

    My husband loves to run and hopes his kids will too. Here are a few ways to get your kids into a pair of running shoes. -- That's Fit

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  • 07/14/09--08:00: Young Kids Spending More Time Online (chan 1518178)

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    Kids get friendly with the Internet. Photo: sxc.hu

    This isn't your mama's Internet: Nielsen reports from the month of May found that kids, age 11 and younger, are a rapidly growing group of Internet users -- getting online at higher rates than even their tech-savvy parents.

    The first time I used the Internet -- and I'm aging myself, here -- I was a college graduate. The year was 1996. My kids, on the other hand, could both handle a mouse quite nicely by the age of three. The Internet to them isn't a marvel -- it's just another way to entertain themselves, find information and communicate. And a Nielsen report proves that kids are incorporating the Internet into their daily lives.

    Nearly one out of ten Internet users is a child younger than 11, and the number of kids in this age group getting online has grown by 18 percent. To compare: In the same time period, the use of the Internet by all other users grew ten percent. Boys spend more time online than girls, but girls surf more websites.

    So everyone's online, and in some houses, everyone's got their own computer, too. But is this healthy?

    Continue reading Young Kids Spending More Time Online

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  • 07/14/09--11:00: Babies of Working Moms Get Just as Much Cuddle Time (chan 1518178)

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    baby

    Cuddle time is a big part of a baby's day. Photo: ScaleOvenStove, Flickr

    Babies of working moms get just as much cuddle time as babies of stay-at-home moms, says a new report out of Australia. Researchers followed parents of 3,000 babies between the ages of three months and 14 months to find out how they spent their time.

    While working moms spend less time with their babies -- about 83 minutes less a day than their stay-home counterparts -- their babies often spend those minutes with their dad or grandparents instead. Babies of both groups of moms spent 138 minutes a day being cuddled, and also enjoyed equal amounts of time being read to and talked to as well.

    Interestingly, while having a working mother doesn't have a significant effect on how much attention babies get, breastfeeding does. Babies who nursed spent an extra hour a day with mom, and received an extra half hour of cuddling, holding and talking -- probably while nursing. Then again, breastfed babies also slept about 40 minutes less a day, so that time may have taken place in the middle of the night when moms -- working or not -- would rather be sleeping.

    Continue reading Babies of Working Moms Get Just as Much Cuddle Time

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  • 07/15/09--07:00: Little Girl Fashion, Bickering Kids, and More - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    Kids are dressing better than their parents. Photo: sxc.hu

    Staying home and skipping that vacation to save money this summer? Here's a new clever name for your staycation (and some tips): Non Voyage! -- Lil Sugar

    Remember that summertime favorite, Magic Shell? You pour it on ice cream and it instantly hardens, making that treat even sweeter. Now you can make your own at home -- and maybe even share a little with the kids. -- Alpha Mom

    Do you dress your little girl in the latest fashions ... only to slip yourself into yoga pants and sneakers? One blogger asks mom to to take a closer look at why we put so much energy into dressing our daughters, but not ourselves. -- Babble

    Summer's long days make it difficult to stick to the school day sleep schedule, but kids still need a good night's sleep. Find out if your child is catching enough zzzz's at BabyCenter.

    Mira Sorvino and husband Backus welcome a son, Holden Paul Terry, their third child. -- Celebrity Baby Blog

    Do you post your vacation plans on Twitter or Facebook? One Arizona man learned the hard way that not all followers are friends -- he got robbed. Is it safe to Tweet your trip away? -- MomLogic

    Young kids notice everything, and they aren't afraid to point out what they see. But when a child starts pointing out personal info, like "You've got a big butt," where do you draw the line? -- Divine Caroline

    We're halfway through the summer -- have you pulled out your copy of "Siblings Without Rivalry" yet? Risa Green is ready to. How do you handle bickering kids? -- Mommy Track'd

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  • 07/15/09--09:00: Oops - Texting Teen Falls Into Manhole (chan 1518178)

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    OMG! Teen falls into a manhole while texting. Photo: sxc.hu

    The dangers of teen texting: High cell phone bills, provocative pictures, car accidents and now ... falling into open manholes? It was bound to happen.

    Proving that walking and texting don't mix, Staten Island 15-year-old Alexa Longueira recently found herself four feet under -- in a manhole. The teen had been sending a text message when she walked right into an uncovered manhole.

    "It was four or five feet, it was very painful," Longueria told the Staten Island Advance. "I kind of crawled out and the DEP guys came running and helped me. They were just, like, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'"

    Longueira was taken to a local hospital and treated for cuts and scrapes, while the Department of Environmental Protection was left scrambling for an explanation. Local workers had turned their backs to get orange cones to mark the manhole when Longueira fell in.

    Continue reading Oops - Texting Teen Falls Into Manhole

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  • 07/16/09--14:00: Contest Round-Up, Thumb Sucking, and Heidi Klum - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    thumb suck

    Does thumb sucking need to be "cured?" Photo: Peter Skadberg, sxc.hu

    Register for baby, win a Wii for yourself! Between now and September 15th, parents who register for baby gifts at Babies 'R Us or Toys 'R Us -- and include select Wii or Nintendo products on that registry -- will be entered to win one of 10 Wii or Nintendo DS prizes. -- Toys.com

    Pregnancy is definitely different the second time around -- just as special, but different. Veteran moms share the lessons the learned during their first pregnancy, and how it affected their second. -- The Cradle

    Taking care of kids is challenging enough. Taking care of kids while also taking care of your parents, well, that deserves a reward. Parentgiving.com is recognizing six selfless caregivers with a new contest. To nominate your favorite caregiver, visit their website before October 15th.

    Shh ... don't tell the kids. But some people think we should actually do away with summer vacation and send the kids to school all year long. What would your kids think? -- Motherlode

    Do you have any Momfinitions -- you know, words that catchy words that describe a parenting moment (like booty call: when a toddler calls you from the bathroom to tell you that they need help wiping). If you can write five, you've got a chance to win cash in ParentConnect's Momfinitions contest. -- The Mommy Blog

    Thumb sucking -- can it be defeated? Here's the bigger question: Does it really need to be? Where do you stand on the thumb sucking/pacifier issue? -- On Parenting

    For every mom who's ever caught vomit in her bare hands ... because it's better than cleaning it up off the rug, this is for you: Things that make you go eww. -- Work It, Mom!

    Parents at a local park got tired of the paps hounding Heidi Klum and her kids, so they told their kids to attack the photographers with water balloons. It worked -- the crowd and the Klum family left. -- Strollerderby

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  • 07/20/09--12:00: 10 Baby Names Most Likely to Cause Boys Trouble (chan 1518178)

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    What's in a name? As it turns out, a lot. A study of 15,000 names given to boys born between 1987 and 1991 turned up an interesting finding: The more unusual, feminine or offbeat a name, the more likely the boy is to end up a committing a crime.

    How does a name affect a boys future success, or criminal record, as the case may be? Researchers aren't sure, but they think that a lifetime of merciless teasing may prime an oddly-named boy to be an outcast, or to have low self-esteem.

    But a look at the top 10 list of names likely to land a boy in jail is confounding, because while some of these names might be awkward, they aren't really that odd or unusual: Alec, Ernest, Garland, Ivan, Kareem, Luke, Malcom. Preston, Tyrell, and Walter.

    Luke? Really?

    Continue reading 10 Baby Names Most Likely to Cause Boys Trouble

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  • 07/20/09--13:00: Bathtub Injuries - 43,000 Tots Treated Each Year (chan 1518178)

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    Toddlers get hurt falling down in the bathtub. Photo: sxc.hu

    Babyproofers beware: Drowning isn't the only hazard to be aware of in the bathtub -- 43,000 kids a year are treated in emergency rooms after slipping or falling an a tub or shower. And a new study shows that half of those kids are four years old or younger.

    "That is because young children, the ones typically injured in bathtubs and showers, they tend to topple forward," Dr. Gary Smith study author and director of Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio tells MSNBC. "They have a high center of gravity, and they tend to strike their head and their face, and that ends up with injures such as lacerations."

    Lacerations account for 60 percent of injuries, with the head most commonly involved. In fact, the study -- which will be published in the August issue of Pediatrics -- found that these kinds of injuries are more common than those from scalding water or being submerged.

    Continue reading Bathtub Injuries - 43,000 Tots Treated Each Year

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  • 07/20/09--14:00: Absentee Grandparents, Euna Lee, and More - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    grandparents

    Grandparents have their own lives, and sometimes it doesn't include their grandkids. CREDIT: Mee Lin Woon, sxc.hu

    It might be summer, but in the northern states, there hasn't been a lot of beach weather this year. Here's how to handle a summer birthday party that gets rained out. -- Alpha Mom

    Most grandparents look forward to the arrival of the next generation, but what happens when they don't? Read more about absentee grandparents. -- Babble

    Minnie Driver, talking about her son Henry, 10 months: "I'm a single mom, [but] his dad is amazing and in his life. I don't feel alone. Babies attract love...They attract people who love them."

    One dad wonders how to handle his kids' whining, especially their use of the word "hate." How do you deal with complaining kids? -- MomLogic

    Euna Lee, currently in captivity in a North Korean labor camp, sent an urgent message to her husband: Remember to sign (their daughter) up for summer camp! It's a poignant reminder that a mom is a mom, no matter her circumstances. -- Motherlode

    Priscilla and Katie Churcher are sisters married to the same man. So are they considered sisters? Or sisters-in-law? -- Lemondrop

    A teacher is fired after being accused of caring about her own kids more than her students. Teachers are supposed to be dedicated, but this school district seems to be asking too much. What do you think? -- Whoa, Momma!

    Oh no, it's raining again. Don't pop another movie into the DVD player, check out one of these cool rainy day crafts instead. -- Cool Mom Picks

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  • 07/21/09--09:00: Nudity - Boundaries for Babies? (chan 1518178)

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    naked kid

    Do your kids go naked? Photo: nkpix, Flickr

    For most adults, home is the one place where you can let it all hang out, within reason. Young kids, who don't pay attention to social norms, or completely disregard them, have a different set of clothing-optional standards. So, at what point is it appropriate for parents to set some ground rules about nudity?

    Parents often don't notice their own kids' nudity, especially if they're laid back about it themselves. There's nothing cuter than a baby's chubby bottom, and breastfeeding moms quickly become comfortable with sharing their body with their babies. But as birthdays come and go, nudity becomes an issue in some homes.

    "My mother, it used to drive her crazy how naked Ava was," Aly Mandel, mom of five, recently told The New York Times. "My mother-in-law also, they both felt it crossed the line of what was appropriate. My mother-in-law would come in and automatically say, 'Ava, put on your clothes. Put on your underwear.'" Mandel, however, saw nothing wrong with her six-year-old daughter's desire to be naked.
    Neither do many parents. A poll taken at LilSugar last year found that readers overwhelmingly thought they'd never make rules about nudity in their house. But, as Jezebel points out, there are plenty of reasons to at least have a few boundaries when it comes to nudity: Only in the house, for instance, or never in front of company. Or as Magda at Ask Moxie says, "No bare butts on the couch."

    Boundaries aside, are today's parents too worried about what their kids aren't wearing? At The Mommy Files, Amy Graff wonders, "Whatever happened to naked summers?" As soon as they start stripping down en masse, we all get a little uneasy.

    It comes down to personal comfort. Kids usually develop modesty all by themselves, in time, and once they do, that needs to be respected. But until then, is it a parents' job to teach modesty or to let them enjoy those few short years of childhood innocence?

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  • 07/21/09--12:00: 'Orphan' Angers Adoptive Parents (chan 1518178)

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    New horror flick upsets adoptive parents. CREDIT: imbd.com

    Warner Brothers new movie "Orphan" might be a horror flick, but it's scaring adoptive parents for an entirely different reason. The film, about a charming child who turns evil after being adopted by a loving family, has received criticism from the adoption community.

    In fact, the outcry was so strong that Warner Brothers removed one particularly hurtful line from the movie's trailer: "It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own."

    Katie Page Sander, Domestic Adoption Programs Coordinator for Hands Across the Water in Ann Arbor, MI, tells ParentDish that the damaging language isn't just limited to ticket buyers. "Orphan is kind of a loaded word," says Sander. It has "negative connotations."

    Sander worries that the movie will enforce false stereotypes about adopted children, an issue she confronts every day.

    "I think that there's already so many myths and misunderstandings about adoption -- especially adopting older children -- and this [movie] just perpetuates those myths," she said from her office. "I get calls every day from families with outrageous concerns about children and birth families. And those are just the families who are still interested in adoption despite the myths. How many good families never make a call because the myths scare them off?"

    As Melissa Fay Greene points out at The Daily Beast, the movie -- just like those myths -- has no basis in reality.

    "The trailer gives the impression that any couple with a yen for 'a replacement child' (as this psychologically unhealthy practice is known) can stroll into an orphanage, pick one out, and take her home," writes Greene. Greene, who is herself an adoptive parent, is incensed by this portrayal: "Even civic groups who want to 'Adopt a Highway' fill out a few forms first."

    But as we learned from the movie "Jaws," it only takes a myth to scare people out of the water, and, in this case, away from adopting the world's most vulnerable kids.

    Continue reading 'Orphan' Angers Adoptive Parents

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  • 07/22/09--07:00: Teen Jobs, Finding Time, and More - Links We Love (chan 1518178)

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    teens working

    Should teens work or concentrate on their studies? Photo Credit: quinn.anya, Flickr

    Any mother who's ever hovered nearby during a clumsy toddler's first swim will know what this seal mom is going through. Cute! -- Lemondrop

    Summer fun: The Brooklyn Cyclones hosted a "baseball and bellies" night, inviting pregnant women to a pre-game Lamaze class and serving pickles, ice cream and pizza. -- LilSugar

    As if food labels weren't confusing enough, now there's a food rating system. Not sure how to decipher all the numbers on your kids' favorite cereal box? That's Fit has some tips.

    Momversation wants to know: Should teens work to "earn their keep" or get employment experience, or does an after school/summer job interfere with school work and extracurricular activities?

    A contraception study finds that the withdrawal method is just as reliable as condoms for birth control. Would you risk it? -- Motherlode

    Parents need to squeeze every minute they can out of a day. What's your preferred method -- get up early or stay up late? -- Work It, Mom!

    They share a marriage, a home, a child ... and a girlfriend. Jenny Block talks about how opening up her marriage also saved it. -- AOL Health

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  • 07/29/09--05:00: Sand Diggers can Get Tummy Aches (chan 1518178)

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    girl digging in sand

    Sand is a breeding ground for germs, study finds. Credit: jensen chua, Flickr

    Towels, floaties, a picnic lunch and sunscreen -- there's one more thing you might want to add to your beach packing list: Hand sanitizer. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that kids who play in the sand -- and especially those who like to bury themselves -- are significantly more likely to go home with a stomach virus.

    Researchers followed 27,000 people over a four-year period -- 2003 to 2007. They noted beach visits and activity at the beach. Then, 10 to 12 days following a visit to the shore, researchers phoned families to see who had developed any symptoms of illness. What they discovered was that kids age 10 and younger who played and dug in the sand were 44 percent more likely to develop diarrhea.

    Before you cancel those vacation plans, keep this in mind: Only six percent of kids fell ill, and all of those recovered on their own at home.

    Experts say the problem lies in two major germs, E. coli and Enterococcus bacteria, both of which have to be ingested to cause illness. A simple solution is to keep an eye on the littlest beachgoers -- those who don't think twice about eating sand. And keep a bottle of hand sanitizer around to use after playing and before eating real food.

    When choosing a hand sanitizer, look for one that's alcohol-based, rather than an antibacterial brand. These have been found to be nearly as effective as using soap and water, but don't create resistant bacteria.

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