Parenting-A-Go-Go

Aww, cute! Her ears look sweet too, was that for religious reasons? - Charlotte M

I think Hinduism has some links with ear piercing, I'm not sure though. - Charlotte M

It's messy, but I let my daughter first try to drink water out of a regular cup, with my assistance, of course. I think the concept of that excited her more and she went for it. After that got her interested, I put a little bit of watered down apple juice in a sippy cup and that was all it took. After that she would drink anything out of a sippy cup. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)

We did something similar to Jen. Joelito seemed to go straight from a bottle to a regular cup. He wasn't particularly interested in sippy cups. - Michelle Martinez

However, according to researchers there is no such thing as a “sugar high”. The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 23 studies done on sugar consumption by children and found no connection between sugar and hyperactivity. One study shown parents who thought their children had consumed sugar were more likely to label their children more hyperactive. - Summer from Bookmarklet

"increasingly, child-development experts are recognizing the importance of imagination and the role it plays in understanding reality. Imagination is necessary for learning about people and events we don't directly experience, such as history or events on the other side of the world. For young kids, it allows them to ponder the future, such as what they want to do when they grow up." - Shevonne from Bookmarklet

Very interesting. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)

"Roseanne Barr -- who played one of television's most unconventional mothers and made headlines when she sang the national anthem at a pro ball game -- cleans up her act and unleashes her pipes in this collection of kid-friendly tunes, featuring a supporting cast of colorful puppets. The lively songs include "Down on the Donut Farm," "Let the Kids Boogie," "No Monsters Allowed," "Going to the Doctor" and "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart."" - Admiral Anika from Bookmarklet

Who would greenlight this??? I second Laura's no. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)

"Many 4-year-olds cannot count up to their own age when they arrive at preschool, and those at the Stanley M. Makowski Early Childhood Center are hardly prodigies. Most live in this city’s poorer districts and begin their academic life well behind the curve. But there they were on a recent Wednesday morning, three months into the school year, counting up to seven and higher, even doing some elementary addition and subtraction. At recess, one boy, Joshua, used a pointer to illustrate a math concept known as cardinality, by completing place settings on a whiteboard. “You just put one plate there, and one there, and one here,” he explained, stepping aside as two other students ambled by, one wearing a pair of clown pants as a headscarf. “That’s it. See?” For much of the last century, educators and many scientists believed that children could not learn math at all before the age of five, that their brains simply were not ready. But recent research has turned that assumption on its head —... more... - RAPatton

"“Teaching is an ancient craft, and yet we really have had no idea how it affected the developing brain,” said Kurt Fischer, director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at Harvard. “Well, that is beginning to change, and for the first time we are seeing the fields of brain science and education work together.” This relationship is new and still awkward, experts say, and there is... more... - RAPatton

"Over the past four years, the couple has tested Building Blocks in more than 400 classrooms in Buffalo, Boston and Nashville, comparing the progress of children in the program with that of peers in classes offering another math curriculum or none at all. On tests of addition, subtraction and number recognition after one school year, children who had the program scored in the 76th... more... - RAPatton

It's this: http://www.amazon.com/Sassy-R... - Rochelle

He exists, but mostly as a minor bit part. The kids are 6, 4, & 2. Early this month when I changed the calendar I remember asking the 6yo what happens in December, expecting to hear Santa or Christmas. The 4yo zooming by screams God's birthday! So I think we may be keeping the right balance. As they get older we'll tell them the stories and traditions of St. Nicholas vs the pop culture image. - Heather Solos

Yes, Santa exists for my four year old. Until this year I think he's been a bit fearful of Santa. I don't think we've done a mall Santa picture since he was a baby. We watch all the old Christmas specials like Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc. Also, there's a tape of the book Polar Express that we listen to a lot. He's not all that interested in Santa overall - he just knows that Christmas... more... - Laura Norvig

"The recall involves Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney branded infant car seat carriers with certain model numbers. They were sold at department and children's product stores nationwide from January 2008 through this month." - Rochelle from Bookmarklet

"This mean’s that “people who are good at getting cavities tend to remain good at getting cavities unless there is some significant change in their diet or use of fluorides,” Edelstein told the Health Blog. Establishing good oral health in childhood is thus important for enduring health. (For more on the battle against cavities, see today’s WSJ.)" - Shevonne from Bookmarklet

My husband and I are the same, Penguin. I've had one cavity and I'm 31. He's had none. Our kids seem to be taking after us and for that, I'm grateful. - Heather Solos

That's right: NO MORE CAILLOU! You can thank me later. - Admiral Anika

I hid Caillou, Barney, most of those tween Nickelodeon shows and my daughter's obsession with The King & I and Peter Pan is gonna make me hide those too. - Admiral Anika

"DESPERATE dad Leroy Smith resorted to Google with the request "how to deliver a baby" when his wife went into labour. He was so clueless when wife Emma suddenly started to give birth at home he opted to use the internet." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"RAGING hormones during pregnancy prompt mood swings, but may also lead to a heightened ability to recognise threatening or aggressive faces. This may have evolved because it makes future mothers hyper-vigilant, yet it could also make them more vulnerable to anxiety. Previous studies have suggested that a woman's ability to correctly identify fearful or disgusted facial expressions varies according to her stage of the menstrual cycle, with perception heightened on days associated with high levels of the hormone progesterone. Since levels of progesterone and other hormones rise dramatically in late pregnancy, Rebecca Pearson and her colleagues at the University of Bristol in the UK investigated whether the ability to read faces varies during pregnancy. They asked 76 pregnant women to assign one of six emotions to 60 computer-generated faces before the 14th week of pregnancy, and again after the 34th week. Faces expressing happiness and surprise tended to be correctly assigned at both... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"The finding builds on a recent study by Ben Jones of the University of Aberdeen in the UK who found that pregnant women - and women in stages of the menstrual cycle where progesterone levels spike - are better at identifying faces showing signs of sickness. "It's preventing them from becoming sick by interacting with people who are ill," he says." - RAPatton

last night when we were decorating the tree she started playing with it. We told her not to because it was very important to her mommy and me because she made it and it was a special family treasure. This morning, she played with it again and BROKE it. ----More---- - Gunny doesn't side-hug™

i have yet to find anything that really works for this with our oldest. i'll pipe in if i figure something out. - Joe Silence is not Santa

"The legendary book series is now on the iPhone (and iPod Touch), with tons of e-extras like "Wacky Paint" and screen-shaking "Thunder Claps." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

Got it yesterday. Best game on the iPhone in a while; brings back so many childhood memories. Waldo lives! - Mark Trapp

"We hadn’t planned on having kids. Even though I was asked these questions (which I do think is extremely rude), I was never a jackass like the author and most childless-by-choice people I see online. People did tell us that we’d change our minds and clearly we did. Otherwise, my stock answer to strangers asking “Do you plan on having children?” was “Not at the moment.” Pushers got ruder responses. To my friends, I typically responded, “The day after never!” Having kids does NOT stop these rude questions. I have a girl and a boy and people still push us to procreate. When I get the questions below, I just, smile and say, “Yeah…we’re done.” (Hey! Who says I lack tact?)" - Admiral Anika from Bookmarklet

I have a friend who loves uddercovers. She gives them as gifts at every baby shower she goes to. :) - Rochelle

"Hope Witsell was just beginning the journey from child to teen. The middle-school student had a tight-knit group of friends, the requisite poster of “Twilight” heartthrob Robert Pattinson and big plans to become a landscaper when she grew up. But one impetuous move robbed Hope of her childhood, and eventually, her life. The 13-year-old Florida girl sent a topless photo of herself to a boy in hope of gaining his attention. Instead, she got the attention of her school, as well as the high school nearby." - Itachi from Bookmarklet

My kids will be reading this tonight. Have already had incidents of them being disrepectful to each other over online content and perceptional peer pressure. - Eric Logan

"Inventor Adam Kay sent me one of his flat-pack "Cinch Seat" kids' booster chairs to play with. The Cinch Seat comes as four pieces of composite wood-board with a white, hard-wearing eggshell veneer, laser-cut so that all four pieces can be quickly slotted together to form a secure and very pretty booster-chair. A set of nylon straps threaded through the seat board keep the kid safe and also securely affix the seat to a regular chair. It's very quick to assemble and disassemble the seat, and the extremely clever design lets the chair sit at one of two different heights, depending on how you put it together. It's altogether one of the handsomest and cleverest baby-gadgets I've tried." - Rochelle from Bookmarklet

Wow. I could have used this when I traveled with my daughter as an infant. Very cool. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)

"A friend just sent me a post from dorktower.com entitled "An Open Letter to ABC from my friend, Leon." According to Leon, ABC's Tuesday broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas cut a number of classic moments (I'm quoting him here): Gone was Sally's materialistic letter to Santa, which finally sends Charlie screaming from the room when she says she will settle for 10s and 20s. Gone was Schroeder’s miraculous multiple renditions of "Jingle Bells" from a toy piano, including the one that sounds distinctly like a church organ. Gone was Linus using his blanket as an improvised slingshot to knock a can off the fence no one else can hit, complete with ricochet sound effect. Gone were the kids catching snowflakes on their tongues and commenting on their flavor. Gone even was poor Shermy's only line. He thought he had it bad because he was always tasked to play a shepherd. He had no idea. Is this true? I didn't watch the broadcast myself, but if I look at the DVD and Blu-ray details, both list... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

It's been so long since I've watched the whole thing (have it on VHS, but no VCR) that I wasn't sure what was missing, but I knew scenes were cut. After seeing an ad toward the end of the program for the Peanuts DVDs, I wondered if it was a marketing ploy or a time-saving device. Either way, it felt wrong. - Jen (SquirrelGirl) from iPhone

It seemed really short to me, but I couldn't remember what was missing. I have it on disc, somewhere... I'll have to find it and watch it. - Alix Whitmire

"PreSchool-Grade 2 A delightful tale told in rhyme and supported by captivating color illustrations. In an adventure to the moon and back, the bears and their pooch cope with weightlessness, meteor showers and moon dust. They explore, plant a flag, take notes and collect moon rocks. The Berenstains have once again produced a winner for beginning readers. Anne Wirkkala, Springfield Center Central Sch . , N.Y. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc." - Admiral Anika from Bookmarklet

I have fond memories of the super silly ones where Papa is a bit of an idiot (Learn to Ride a Bike?). But the simply rhymed ones (Bears in th Night) are great too. I absolutely hate the more complex ones with the moral spin. - Jen (SquirrelGirl) from iPhone

1. Mistake: Putting children to bed too late 2. Mistake: Relying on motion 3. Mistake: Overstimulation in dreamland 4. Mistake: Skipping the bedtime routine 5. Mistake: Inconsistency 6. Mistake: Going from a crib to a big bed too early - Shevonne from Bookmarklet

Very true Steve. For my daughter, we used to put her to bed between 10pm and midnight. Any earlier, she would just get up every 10 min. and cry. It worked for her and she would wake around 8am. But my son had to be in bed by 8pm and he would sleep until 8am. Even now, years later, they both still have different sleeping habits, which we have to fine tune since they share a room and are more mobile. - Admiral Anika

"Need a helping hand? Don't ask an eldest child. Firstborn children are more selfish and less co-operative than other youngsters, a study has found. It is thought that the arrival of a younger brother or sister has long-lasting impact on the eldest child's personality, leaving them wary of others and their motives. The French researchers asked a group of men and women to take part in a financial game designed to assess co-operation. They played in pairs and each started the game with the same number of Euros. Player A was asked to give some money to Player B. The donated cash trebled in value on receipt then Player B was asked to give some money back. The risk that Player B may return less money than he was given, or even nothing at all, means that Player A is heavily reliant on trust. More than 400 volunteers played the game, including 178 firstborns, 48 middle children, 125 lastborns and 66 only children. Scrutiny of tactics showed that the firstborns gave away 25 per cent less cash when in the role of player A. They also passed less back when in the role of Player B, this week's New Scientist reports." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

I wonder what the age differences are in this study. Presumably at larger age differences firstborns would be more like only-borns. - Ruchira S. Datta

Prep & Landing debuts at 8:30 - RAPatton

Is it just me, or was this version of it cut? It seemed short. And isn't there a segment in it with Sally and her letter to Santa? - Jen (SquirrelGirl)

They boys watched it (I had work), but yes Sally should write Santa because she just wants what's coming to her and her fair share - RAPatton from iPhone

we used Avent for both of our kids. EXCELLENT. avoid anything with a liner as they strip out nutrients from the milk. - Joe Silence is not Santa

Late, but we use Dr. Browns. Little man seems to like them better than the VentAire. - Matt Hilton

"Mike L., the lead subject in Padawer's piece, found evidence of his wife's affair with a coworker and decided to have L., his 5-year-old daughter, take a DNA test. The results arrived in the mail: He was not the father. "I ran upstairs, locked myself in the bathroom and cried and dry-heaved for 45 minutes. I felt like my guts were being ripped out," he says. Mike separated from his wife, Stephanie, and began paying her child support because, he says, she claimed Rob, L.'s bio-dad, had refused. Things continued on this way for several years, until he got news that Stephanie would be marrying Rob, and that was too much to bear. He asked a Pennsylvania court to relieve him of parental responsibility, but a judge ruled that Mike was the legal father, not Rob." - Itachi from Bookmarklet

This is a horrible tale, yet interesting and somehow a little bit heartwarming. - Chris Heath