Strollerderby : Babble list

The Babble List: The Best Potty-Training Entertainment

editors — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:12:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

The Babble List: The Best Potty-Training Entertainment

by Paul Barman

Get your kids out of diapers with these 15 storybooks, videos and songs.

Read it here.

What Makes a Yuppie Parent?

JeanneSager — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:01:00 GMT

I never thought of myself as a "yuppie" parent. I've never met a hand-me-down I wouldn't take, and my food processor's seen far more ice and margarita mix than baby food. But according to a commentor on last week's Babble List of Money Saving Tips, I'm not using my noggin to cut costs. I'm a yuppie.

Their exact words?

Good tips for "yuppies" but not people who are really hurting.

So I went back through the list. Use the library instead of buying books. Check - we get both books AND movies free of charge through the library. We get the chance to see if we REALLY like something enough to buy it. Scale back your cable package (drop the Tivo and the movie channels). Done (we don't have either - see above, borrow brand new DVDs free from the library). Opt out of trips to the newest movie in the theater. We have a toddler; we see the inside of a theater maybe once or twice a year, max. Had to see Twilight. Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. Did that; it's saving us money AND saving the planet. Switch out paper towels for real towels. The old spit rags make excellent rags; they were made to be absorbent. Buy clothes on sale instead of at the height of the season. I scour the sales rack everytime I'm in a store for the clothes that are a size up from my daughter's current size.

The list was fifteen in total, but these were the most common sensical (come on, that's a word, right?) of the bunch. And we've been doing them more or less since our daughter came along - in part because of my reduced workload and the requisite reduced paycheck and in part because a child is darn expensive. I'm still not seeing the yuppie in my rural living, cheap forward-facing stroller, non-baby-food-making existence.

What's more troubling than me being labeled a yuppie, however, is the notion that the folks who are "really hurting," can't save with some of these options. I have seen what some of the working poor waste their money on. The spending habits in this country are a big part of the reason we are in this economic mess to begin with.

Living in a mostly rural area, the money is being spent on four-wheelers for the kids instead of funnelling extra cash toward paying down the mortgage. The compact fluorescents are looked upon as "too expensive," so they're picking up the $1 box of regular bulbs that keeps the electric bill high. They refuse to spend a little to save a lot.

Saving money takes planning. It takes foresight. Not everything can be planned for; a sudden layoff is no one's fault. But to be complaining about a lack of extra income and stating you "need" the movie channels in your cable package because they're the only source of entertainment you have is ridiculous. You could save $20 a month by using the library to get the same movies for free. Wait a minute, wasn't that one of the suggestions on that yuppie list?

Personally - not everything on the list worked for me either. The farmers' market in my area has much fresher produce, but it's priced for the "yuppies" who visit my area and stay in second homes, people with more expendable income than the average working joe in my town (more expendable income than me). Shopping Etsy can be cheaper than a lot of the fancier toys, but it's also an obsession I'm better of staying away from . . . because once I start, I can't necessarily stop. That's called forethought. Knowing where your spending problems are, and finding ways to supplement with a cheaper option.

And if there is no cheaper option, sometimes the best option of all? Going without. Because not giving them a four-wheeler this Christmas really is an option. Especially if it means putting a roof over their heads and food in their tummies instead.

The Shape of a Mother: The Real Us In All Our Unglorious Glory

When Moms Collide: Breastfeeder Kicked Out of Pool

They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Saks Fifth Ave Deep Sixes Libby Lu, Tween Girls Weep Rhinestone Tears

One that didn’t make the list – Run Joe Run

Brett Singer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:30:00 GMT

In my extensive list of Classic Kiddy TV shows that you can't get on DVD (excuse my blatant self-promotion), there were some that didn't make the cut.

Exhibit A: Run, Joe, Run

This description, from 70slivekidvid.com, is one of the all-time great sentences ever written about a TV show:
"The show was sort of a combination of Lassie and the Fugitive…falsely accused person running from authorities while helping out the people he meets along the way, except that the person was a dog."

Yes. A dog.

I'm fairly certain that I had a Joe action figure as a lad, but my recollection is hazy. This video clip jogged my memory. Maybe it will do the same for yours.

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Aussie Rower keeps his kids close

Hunka hunka burnin Barbie

Is it ever OK to hit your kids?

Family Movie Night – Hairspray

Like father like son

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Cousin Oliver From 'The Brady Bunch'?

What's Next, Shock Collars For Your Kids?!

Which Netflix Movie Have You Had the Longest?

Man ejected from Yankee Stadium for lack of patriotism

The Babble List: 25 Great Children's TV Shows That Aren't On DVD

Dad arrested for leaving son at McDonald's

5 reasons it's a good thing I had boys (one of them is that they'll watch this nonsense with me)

Bored games

Big Bird Learns About Breastfeeding

Amy Kuras — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:06:00 GMT

There's lots of things I knew would be a challenge in preparing my daughter for her brother's arrival, but explaining breastfeeding wasn't on the list. Of course, I should have realized vintage Sesame Street would have my back.

When I discovered #2 was coming along, I realized I'd have to discuss breastfeeding with my inquisitive little daughter, who is also going through curiosity about boy parts and girl parts and who has what and why right about now. We took her to a sibling class where the teacher explained it a little, which helped, but I think watching this short little video with her would have been a nice way to introduce the concept as well.

In researching her awesome Sesame Street post, Babble honcho Gywnne Watkins sent this along to the 'Derby and I jumped at it. It's a really sweet little clip of singer Buffy Sainte-Marie (and if you remember her, you're old like me and I am old enough to remember Roosevelt Franklin) breastfeeding her baby and explaining to Big Bird what she's doing. And am I the only person who finds the original version of Big Bird to be, well, kinda creepy?

Strollerderby : Babble list

The Babble List: The Best Potty-Training Entertainment

What Makes a Yuppie Parent?

Babywearing Moms New Pain in Motrin's Side

The Shape of a Mother: The Real Us In All Our Unglorious Glory

When Moms Collide: Breastfeeder Kicked Out of Pool

They Say: Forward-Facing Stroller's Bad for Baby

Saks Fifth Ave Deep Sixes Libby Lu, Tween Girls Weep Rhinestone Tears

One that didn’t make the list – Run Joe Run

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Aussie Rower keeps his kids close

Hunka hunka burnin Barbie

Is it ever OK to hit your kids?

Family Movie Night – Hairspray

Like father like son

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Cousin Oliver From 'The Brady Bunch'?

What's Next, Shock Collars For Your Kids?!

Which Netflix Movie Have You Had the Longest?

Man ejected from Yankee Stadium for lack of patriotism

Dad arrested for leaving son at McDonald's

5 reasons it's a good thing I had boys (one of them is that they'll watch this nonsense with me)

Bored games

Big Bird Learns About Breastfeeding