Strollerderby : babies

Baby Fashion Convention: Disturbing and Hilarious

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:07:00 GMT

I just stumbled upon a recent Slate video which would be every bit as funny as Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, or any other mockumentary if the people in it weren’t entirely serious.

Slate headed over to L.A.’s Baby and Tween Celebration, which offers a cornucopia of costly, unnecessary, and potentially soul-destroying gear for your baby or toddler. As far as I could tell from the video, the only reason “Tween” is in the title is because the convention aims to get kids started on tweendom well before they can walk.

My favorite character—I mean, presenter—at the convention is a fashion designer who was sick of dressing her toddler in clothes that “didn’t match hers.” So she started a kids’ clothes line that would make her daughter look as “hip” as she does. Unfortunately for her daughter, this woman’s idea of hip is leopard print bell bottoms.

And don’t miss the founders of Heelarious (baby’s first high heels!) describing how the business came about—now, that’s hilarious.

Young Lady GaGa Copycats Flood YouTube

Toys 'R' Us Can't Be Serious. But They Are.

Judge Pardons Father Who Hired Prostitute for Son

Photo: New York Post

Baby Toupee Creator Speaks

Brett Singer — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

If you made something as dumb as the Baby Toupee you might think keeping quiet would be the best course of action.

But you would be wrong!

TruTV interviewed Graham Farrar who did indeed come up with the idea for a line of baby headgear. Not just hats -- these puppies have hair.

Here's a sample:

Q: Who’s your typical customer?
A: Nuts with kids.

What a card.

Now, I suppose if someone wants to buy this sort of thing -- you know, a "nut" with a kid -- go for it. Apparently Farrar's customer base is mostly reggae fans, since his Bob Marley-esque model (aka "The Bob") is his biggest seller. (One of my colleagues wanted me to say that she feels the jokifying of Black hair is racist -- anyone agree/disagree? Let us know in the comments.) And in this economy, I don't want to bash a small businessperson.

Yet, bash I must.

Personally I'm not a fan of this sort of thing. Babies are cute enough on their own. OK, maybe Halloween. But these wigs look kinda nasty to me. I picture baby food getting stuck in those fake dreads... excuse me, I'm a little nauseous.

What do you think? Cute, not cute? Irie? Offensive? A great big plate of who cares?

Source: TruTV Dumb as a Blog

Japanese Potty Training Video

3 Generations, 3 Boys, All Born May 11

12 Year Old Knocks Em Dead On Britain's Got Talent

Teacher in Affair with 6th-Grader to Host 'Hot for Teacher' Night

Australian Kiddie Show Star Appears In Laddie Mag

Guess the Belly Bumps

SunnyChanel — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Can you name the baby bump? Here are six different baby bumps of the knocked up and famous.
And if you can't guess, the answers are below.

Baby Bump A

Baby Bump B

Baby Bump C

Baby Bump D

Baby Bump E

Baby Bump F

THE ANSWERS

Baby Bump A = Gwen Stefani

Baby Bump B = Angelina Jolie

Baby Bump C = Octomom!

Baby Bump D = Katie Holmes

Baby Bump E = Jennifer Garner

Baby Bump F = M.I.A

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Brett Singer — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:56:00 GMT

It's official -- Alfie Patten is not the father of baby Maisie. Biologically, at least.

Alfie thought that he had impregnated 15-year-old Chantelle Stedman when he was just 12 years old. Although I admit that science is not my strong suit, that didn't seem possible to me. I guess I was right. (Take THAT Mr. Knauer! He was my bio teacher a long time ago. But I digress.)

This news isn't completely new, but it has just now been released after a ban on the info by a British court was overturned. A judge had previously ruled that "the rights of the teenagers took precedence over the Press's right to report the case." Well, I guess not.

This is an interesting point, one that I've thought of a few times over the past few years. Maybe minors' names should never be released to the public. What possible reason is there for us to know their full names? Does it really enhance our ability to understand a story? I don't see how it could. In my opinion the idea the "the press has a right to know" or report or whatever is very suspect when it comes to matters like this. Why does the press have more rights than a kid?

Source: Daily Mail

FEMA Coloring Book Features 9/11 Image

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

12 Year Old Knocks Em Dead On Britain's Got Talent

Australian Kiddie Show Star Appears In Laddie Mag

Baby Asleep On Dad's Head

Brett Singer — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

This 12-second video is one of those things that I think only a parent could appreciate.

MomLogic says that the "best line ever uttered by a dad" is "I felt cold drool on my head." (I thought it was "WOW! THAT DIAPER SMELLS LIKE CHERNOBYL!")

I know that I used to feel that baby drool was gross. Until I experienced my own kids' drool. It's still a little gross, especially when it dries. But somehow, when it's drool that fell from the mouth of your very baby, it's not so bad.

Source: MomLogic

A Really Graphic Homebirth

10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed

Not Every Kid With a Mother Has a "Mommy"

The Chubbiest Cheeks You Will Ever See

Brett Singer — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

You know the drill. Cute babies. Those cheeks. Oy! Those cheeks! What a punim!

But this is just ridiculous. Look at those things.

Someone on the site I found this on expressed dismay at the size of the cheeks: "omg that should be child abuse letting an infant get that fat! sick!" Someone else responded with "some babies are chubbier than others... " I think it's just the way the photo was shot. But I could be wrong. Cute, though.

Source: wizonk.com

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:08:00 GMT

Well, now I'm depressed.

According to Baltimore TV station WJZ, "Murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women."

The story mentions a number of murders, and makes the following even more depressing statement: "In each case, police say the killer was the unborn baby's father. Ending the pregnancy was the motive."

At least I'm not the only one to be surprised. Isabelle Horon of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, "We were completely shocked to find that homicide was the leading cause of death."

The WJZ story says that "Thirteen years ago, Maryland passed a law allowing prosecutors to charge a pregnant woman's killer with two murders." Prosecutors want to use the law in the case of Valicia Demery, a pregnant woman who was murdered. However, "Of the 36 states with similar laws, Maryland is one of the few that requires proof that the unborn child could have survived outside of the womb." California, by contrast, does not require such proof to charge a killer with a double murder.

Here's where it gets tricky. Clearly killing a pregnant woman is a horrible crime. And doing so beacuse you want to end her pregnancy is even more horrible. But is it a double murder? If it is, doesn't that open a door to equating abortion with murder?

No matter what, this is a very depressing statistic.

Source: WJZ.com

Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Fox News Hates Kids In Political Videos Except When They Don't

Mom Puts 9 Year Old Girl On Craigs List For Revenge

Did This Woman Commit Suicide Because She Couldn't Breastfeed?

They Say: Baby Speaks at Birth!

SunnyChanel — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Parents are always looking for signs of genius in their offspring; the two-year-old who can read, the three year old who can do complex equations, but how about the baby who can talk…at birth. Supposedly, a newborn baby in the Russian town of Norilsk said “Papa!” right after being born and then a couple minutes later said “Mama!” The next day, in response to the 17-year-old mother telling the baby they would be getting a visitor, the baby said, “Who? Papa?”

For those who think it’s just a figment of an overly enthusiastic parent, the obstetrician who aided in the birth confirmed the story saying, “I heard with my own ears that the newborn baby spoke!” She stated that she hadn’t seen anything like that in her 23 years of delivering babies. She continued to say that “Newborns just can’t pronounce syllables as complicated as that.” She also stated that, “the fetus can learn while still in the mother’s womb. If a mother talks to the fetus, entertains it as if it has been born already, the baby is usually born gifted.”

Do you believe a baby can say words at birth?

Source

Unlocking The Baby Brain

Amy Kuras — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:01:00 GMT

When you look at a newborn baby, what do you think is behind those sweet little unfocused eyes?

For a long time, scientists thought “nothing much.” In fact, until the 1970s doctors would perform surgery on infants without anesthesia (!!) thinking that they were so unconscious they could not feel pain. As it turns out, the infant brain is a lot more active than previously thought.

Jonah Lehrer wrote an article for the Boston Globe a week or so back called “Inside the Baby Brain” that examines this question, and it’s absolutely fascinating (Lehrer is a really good science writer for the layperson, I think). It talks about how babies’ brains are more like lanterns, casting a diffuse glow on everything, versus the adult brain which is more like the intense, focused beam of a flashlight.

One example he gives is a study where kids were shown two cards, but asked to remember only the one on the right. The more focused brains of adults and older children could perform the task easily, while the more diffuse brains of young children were more likely to remember the card they were told to ignore.

This is thought to help children learn about the world. As one psychologist Lehrer interviewed said, “….children, it turns out, are much better at picking up on all the extraneous stuff that's going on. . . . And this makes sense: If you don't know how the world works, then how do you know what to focus on? You should try to take everything in.”

Just another way these unique little people we live with are so intriguing.

Potty-Training Regression

editors — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

Potty-Training Regression

by Ronda Kaysen

Does starting the process early mean finishing late?

Read it here.

3 Most Common Mistakes: Pets and New Babies

editors — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:09:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

3 Most Common Mistakes: Pets and New Babies

By Babble Editors

How to introduce your new baby to your older, fuzzier one

Read it here.

New Jersey Woman Tweeting While Giving Birth

Brett Singer — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Melissa Skabich of Cedar Grove, New Jersey is 39 weeks pregnant. She is being induced today due to high blood pressure. You can read more about it on her blog. You can also follow the delivery process live via Twitter. So, what's for dinner? I was thinking hamburgers, but I guess we had that once already...

Wait, what?

Yes, Melissa will be tweeting. Not before. Not after. DURING. DELIVERY.

My initial reaction is summed up by this commenter at NJ.com: "Worry about giving birth to your child, not tweeting. You twit." I would have left out the "twit" part, but I understand the frustration.

On the other hand, what's the harm? If she's into it, that's cool, right?

Mostly it seems like an unnecessary distraction. Isn't being in labor difficult enough without being concerned about tweeting? I'm also wondering if her doctor will tell her to put the darn Blackberry away and focus on pushing. This is her third kid, so I guess she knows what she's doing.

What do you think? Would you tweet while giving birth? Or is this just plain silly?

You can follow Melissa on Twitter at twitter.com/mommyblogger76.

Source: NJ.com

When Toddlers Attack The Neighbors

What's For Dinner Dad Week 2 - Tuesday

Kid Flies Across Country And No One Notices

Surrogate Pregnancy: Who's Next?

OctoMom's Kid - Bite Mark And Black Eye

Partly Private: The Long Journey to a Short Cut

editors — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Photo: Philip Touitou

Reviewed by Emily Frost

In Partly Private: The Long Journey to a Short Cut, we join what quickly becomes Director Danae Elon’s personal quest to convince her husband not to circumcise their second son. In one scene, the couple lies together, sandwiching their already circumcised one-year-old, when Danae, pregnant again, begins to weep over their impending decision: whether to do the same thing again.

In the course of her documentary, Elon finds the very first circumcision knives in Israel (sharp stone shards!) and applies an anti-wrinkle cream whose main ingredient is foreskin(!). She travels to Turkey, where circumcision is done at kindergarten-age. In a decorated banquet hall, we see flocks of dressed-up families celebrating — with clowns — a communal ceremony. The little boys, dressed in expensive white bedazzled princely outfits, ride together on a toy caboose while their parents cheer, and when their name is called rush center stage to the circumcision chair.

These fascinating moments feel ancillary to the director’s main mission, to portray the ways culture and family history map onto her family’s circumcision decision. But, spending too little time fully exploring the issue and too much time in a domestic tussle means Elon has to rely heavily on narration, telling us what’s happening, instead of letting life unfold. The high stakes and intense emotion of the family’s decision are eclipsed by the over-scripted plot’s continually calling attention to itself. Nonetheless, the film succeeds in challenging us to take another look (literally) at this American norm.
Trailer courtesy of Filmoption International

Partly Private is part of the Tribeca Film Festival and will be screened on Friday, May 1, 2009 at 8:30 PM at AMC Village VII 2 in New York City.

Find more information here.

OctoMom's Kid - Bite Mark And Black Eye

Brett Singer — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:30:00 GMT

This is disturbing.

Social Services paid a visit to Nadya Suleman's home the other day. Surprisingly, this isn't a regular occurrence. They were there to investigate because one of the OctoMom's children, Aidan, had gone to school with a black eye and a bite mark on his back. After a 45 minute interview, investigators left without taking action.

Orange County Child and Family Services and La Habra police did not comment because, you know, things like this are supposed to be confidential. Nadya, however, did an interview with her exclusive outlet, RadarOnline. (Remember when Radar was this hip and cool magazine? Yeah, not anymore.)

In the interview, she managed to make me question her parenting skills even more than I might have previously, which is impressive if you think about it. She tells the interviewer that the social services visit was her fault, because she didn't see the note that Aidan's teacher had pinned to his backpack asking about the injuries. To be fair, I've missed notes as well, but they weren't asking me if my children were participating in after-school cage fights. The scariest line to me is that Aidan's black eye is from "falling down," something he does because he has autism. There's a moment where Nadya says the black eye is from his meltdowns, and "in the process of throwing him... throwing himself on the floor..." I know, it's just a slip, but it's creepy.

As for the bite mark, Nadya says it's from one of his siblings. (To borrow a line from Robin Quivers on the Howard Stern Show, "They're eating each other!")

In the video, you get to see Ms. Suleman attempt to discipline one her kids as he first hits his sibling, then hits the camera. "We're just starting time outs," she says. Seems to be working great. She also tells us that the officials told her they were impressed with how well the family was doing, and "how well-organized her home was." Wow. I don't believe that statement one bit.

I know. It's not fair to criticize parenting skills. Right? Except that she's making these videos on putting them online. Mostly I just feel bad for the kids. There's no way they could possible be getting anything resembing a decent amount of attention from their mother.

Source: AP via Yahoo and RadarOnline

Suleman Cashing In - Trademarks Term Octomom

When Toddlers Attack The Neighbors

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

Dad Drives Drunk With Kids In Car

Finish Line - Cars, Baby Food, Panties

Brett Singer — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, what a week. For reasons that I don't completely understand, this one was very draining. For me. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Here's some of the excitement on the 'Derby the past few days:

Keri told us about a mom who actually went through with the threat we've all made -- "I'll stop this car and throw you right out!" Some people took her side, implying that this was just another example of "free-range kids." The only time my mother ever tossed me out of the car was when she was teaching me how to drive. But I was 17 at the time. (Of course, I still don't have my license. That's not her fault, though.)
One word: PANTIES! Thank you Madeline.
Amy wrote about homemade baby food, and judging by the comments, this is the next battle in the Mommy Wars. Note to self: if you want to get people going, use the phrase "get a grip." Seems to work wonders. (Which is fine, by the way.)
Kate wrote about some proposed new rules for corporal punishment, aka spanking. See, spanking the kids is one thing, but what about the more recrational forms of spanking? Will there be laws against that? (Don't answer that question, actually.)
Hannah tugged at our heartstrings (no pun intended) by telling us about a little boy named Tucker, with Parents Find Unique Way to Pay for Child's Heart Surgery.
Sunny wins the Headline of the Week award with Pregnant Woman Escapes Bear Attack - Gets Hit By Car. I have to agree with maeby, who questioned why a pregnant woman went for a hike in "bear heaven."
Jeanne told us that chewing gum is a GOOD thing, despite what your teachers told you. So there, Mrs. Morrison! Take that!
As for me, in honor of food week, I told you what I served my kids every day. I even tweeted it. No really. I did. There are pictures and everything.

More to come next week, I'm sure. Now go take a nap, will ya? Oh wait, I meant to say that to myself. Sorry.

Read more:

Jamie Foxx Jokes Miley Cyrus Should Make A Sex Tape

Boy Calls 911 When Mom Drives Drunk

Finish Line - April Fools And More

Finish Line - Pirates Are Back

Parents Find Unique Way to Pay for Child's Heart Surgery

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:34:00 GMT

Thanks to a tipster for pointing out a Web site that makes me appreciate the connective powers of the Internet more than ever. An adorable little boy named Tucker was born in 2005 with Down syndrome and a heart defect called Hypo-plastic left heart (meaning that only one half of his heart is functional). He has undergone numerous surgeries beginning when he was just 17 days-old, but his parents now have hope that he may someday live an active life.

This will require traveling to Boston, where Tucker will be operated on by the top cardiac pediatric surgeon in the country. Clearly, such a trip will entail enormous travel, room and board, and medical costs.

So Tucker’s parents have set up a site that allows people from around the country to connect with Tucker’s story and offer their support. Through the Web site, Tucker has gained the love of thousands of strangers, who have donated money and offered well wishes.

The amazing thing about the site is that the Bryant family has made donating fun and rewarding by creating a raffle with prizes like Amazon gift cards and even a weeklong stay in an Arizona villa. In these financially trying times, I can't think of a better way to afford a vacation than donating money for a child's heart surgery.

In addition to donations, Tucker’s family seeks photos of people wearing their Tucker love apparel (you can buy "I 'heart' Tucker" t-shirts and buttons through the site) or holding signs of support. They want his hospital room to be filled with loving faces.

Photo: http://ihearttucker.blogspot.com/

Four-Year-Old To Become World’s Youngest Inventor

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Or so his parents hope.

Aggressively marketed as the “ world’s youngest drummer” just a year ago, Julian Pavlone clearly has parents who are determined to get super rich—er, I mean, see their son succeed. (Personally, I’m much more impressed by this baby drummer, whose parents, as far as I know, have not attempted to gain any fame or fortune from this amazing video).

Julian’s latest claim to fame is the invention of a miraculous stain remover. According to his father, the four-year-old conceived of the invention all on his own after he stained his father’s shirt. Feeling remorseful, Julian decided to cover up the stain with liquid paper. He then waved his hands over the shirt, said, “Abracadabra,” and voila! a company with an unbelievably good startup story was born.

Julian has since mixed whiteout with different colored dyes, and then designed a drum-shaped container for the formula—patented as Julian's Abracadabra Stain Cover-Up. Now, he is working with successful engineer and paint companies to perfect the invention. It really is amazing that a four-year-old hired an attorney and secured the backing of huge corporations all on his own!

There’s no question that Julian is an adorable four-year-old whom I’m gladly watch rock out on the drums any day. But as for the Abracadabra magical white-out formula, I think I’ll stick to my regular ole stain stick, thanks.

Photo: littledrummerbaby.com, via Digital City

Baby Rocks Out on a Drum Kit

Octo-Mom Home With All Eight Kids - VIDEO

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:45:00 GMT

Nadya Suleman, the Octo-Mom (do we really need to say that anymore?), has "finally" brought the eighth and final octuplet home to roost. Jonah is his name. (Someone less sensitive than I would make a whale joke here. But I won't.)

RadarOnline has the EXCLUSIVE video of Nadya and the children. The kids are cute. There are a lot of them. She already has six. That makes fourteen.

We know all of this, of course. The question is, do we still care?

Is anyone else surprised at how quickly we seem to have become uninterested in Mme. Suleman? I wonder if whoever signs her up for a TV show is prepared for "Denise Richards – It's Complicated" level ratings. I mean, would you watch an Octo-mom show? Maybe at first, but for how long?

Anyway, here's the video for those who are interested. I sort of am. But I think I've reverted to feeling sorry for the kids, and even slightly sorry for her. Not that I think she didn't create this situation, but, as Hannah wrote, she seems like she might be "crazy in a way that requires compassion and serious psychiatric treatment, not a media campaign, and definitely not a fertility clinic." Well put.

Source: RadarOnline

Another Day, Another Dollar, Another Octomom Exclusive Interview

OctoMom's Second Publicist Quits

Suleman Cashing In - Trademarks Term Octomom

The Secret to Octomom's Expensive Pregnancies

Open Letter To The Woman Who Pushed Me While I Was Picking Up My Kid

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Woman Will Go Free If Son Comes Back To Life

What Should A Man Do While A Woman Breastfeeds

Brett Singer — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Scene: a toddler's birthday party. A father is chatting with a woman that he knows from the kids' pre-school. The woman is holding a baby.

The baby stirs. Opens her tiny mouth. Starts... what was the word again?

Oh! Right. Rooting. When they're hungry. That's it.

The woman starts to undo her shirt. Then her bra. She takes out her breast and the baby eagerly starts to eat.

OK dude. Now what?

I'm a fan of breastfeeding in general. I don't think anyone should be pressured into doing it but I believe that it's healthy for the baby, and if the mother is able to do it, that's great. I also believe that women should be able to breastfeed wherever they want. (Maybe not on a Broadway stage while the show is going on, or even in the audience of the theater while the show is going on. But the lower lobby? Sure.) So this isn't about that.

The question is, which is more offensive? Looking? Or looking away?

I don't have an answer, so I'm curious what our readers think. In general it seems rude to head for ze hills as soon as the little one starts her liquid lunch. On the other hand, if I'm standing and the woman is seated, it's difficult to talk to her without seeing her breast. Which in any other situation is considered quite rude. This isn't a sexual thing. I don't think breastfeeding is hot, or inappropriate, or anything of that sort. At the same time I don't know how a woman feels about being on display like that. Or even if they feel on display at all.

So. Help me out here! What's the right thing to do?

(Public) Breastfeeding Now Legal in Massachusetts!

Nursing Mom Calls for Breastpump Ban

Jamie Foxx Jokes Miley Cyrus Should Make A Sex Tape

Did Sarah Palin Know That Bristol Was Sleeping With Levi?

Girl Scouts Use Cookie Money For Soldier's Care Package

Crazy Dog Equals Baby? Not So Much.

Amy Kuras — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:03:00 GMT

One of my raging pet (hee) peeves is dog people who think having a dog equals having a baby. Yes, dogs need care and you have to sort of rearrange your life to make sure they get fed and walked and whatever, and they’re all cute and loveable, but unless it’s been acceptable all this time to leave my baby with a Kong toy and a bowl of water while I go off and write for a few hours at my favorite coffeehouse, then: not the same thing. I have a crazy dog and two children and the kids? Much, much more work. Also less annoying, but that’s another post.

Carolyn Hax agrees with me. An advice seeker wrote to her asking if caring for their anxiety ridden neurotic dog would prepare them for the baby they were expecting later this year.

Hax showed a little more restraint than I would, given that this couple sounds like they’d done everything wrong to mess up their dog, to wit: “our dog, who has to be near us at all times, has separation anxiety -- he chewed his skin raw when we tried to vacation without him -- will not let anybody else feed or walk him, and has accidents all the time that we have to clean up.

We have definitely had to change our lifestyles because of him, including no vacations without him, always going home right after work, etc., but we love him and don't mind that sacrifice.”

Hax managed to not say “get yourself to therapy and your dog to a qualified trainer before you mess up your baby as bad as your dog” but she did urge them to look at the underlying issues and points out the that same kind, well-meaning impulses that have led them to cater to their dog in unhealthy ways could do the same number on their baby.

Hax to my knowledge doesn’t have kids but she always, always nails the parenting questions in a really sensible way. This one’s no different.

Man Slaps Baby -- But There's More To It

Amy Kuras — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:30:00 GMT

We’ve all had the experience of walking in somewhere with our baby and people looking at us as if we’ve brought in a rabid dingo – but this story is something else.

Crystal Shunatona was at Wal-Mart in Witchita, Kansas with her baby and her two older kids when she saw a 30-ish man, Bruce Jones. swearing and throwing things in the aisles. She tried to avoid him – until he ended up in the checkout lane right behind her.

At which time the man smacked her baby on the back of the head. (!!)

Who would do such a thing to a little six month old?

But, of course, there are mitigating factors. Jones has autism, and told the responding police officer he’s done this before because he doesn’t like and is irritated by babies. His mother was shopping with him but had lost track of his whereabouts. She said she saw the baby, and was afraid her son would hurt him.

The baby, according to Shunatona, has some bruising but appears okay, but she’s angry because the police did nothing. While she agreed Jones probably should not have been arrested, she said she thought he should have at least been taken to a hospital.

Bruce’s mom said her son had never gotten much help for his autism, but she’d accept some now. "What am I supposed to do? Lock him up? Shoot him? I would just like society to tell me what to do," she said.

I’d like to hear from parents of kids with autism on this one – on the one hand, I don’t think this guy should have been allowed to smack a baby pretty hard and just walk away. On the other, I know people with autism have sensory issues and a place like Wal-Mart can overstimulate them to the point of major agitation. And I think his mother should have kept a stricter watch on him if she knew he’s been violent before.

What’s the solution?

Boys Outnumber Girls in China by 32 Million

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A recent study published by the British Medical Journal has uncovered a frightening gender imbalance in China’s youngest generations. With 120 boys born for every 100 girls—a gender difference that far surpasses any other country in the world—China now has 32 million more boys than girls under the age of 20. And since the largest discrepancy is found in children between the ages of one to four, that number only promises to increase.

According to researchers, the disturbing trend is due almost entirely to sex-selective abortions, which have became increasingly common since ultrasounds became widely available in the mid-80s.

The problem, of course, is not reproductive choice. It’s China’s strict one-child policy, combined with a severe, deeply rooted devaluing of females. Female infanticide, once relatively widespread in China, is now blessedly infrequent.

So while outlawing abortion will do nothing to quell anti-girl sentiment in China, a ban on sex-selective abortion must be enacted immediately. Such a pronounced gender imbalance creates a dire situation for women, since the kidnapping and slave-trading of women appears to rise directly with a lower proportion of eligible wives.

Photo: caswell.blogspot.com

Baby Dies After Being Left In Day Care Van

Brett Singer — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:30:00 GMT

This is just awful.

A 4-month-old child died on Thursday after being left in a van for more than five hours. The driver of the van has been charged with a felony and the day care center, Bumble Bee Learning Center, has been shut down pending an investigation. The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel says that the driver "has no record with Milwaukee police but has two arrest warrants with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department for paternity." To me that should disqualify him from working with children, but I guess not.

Even more horrible is the fact that this is the third time a child in Milwaukee County as a result of being left unattended in a day care van.

Alphabet Street Learning Center, owned by the same company, was also shut down. That's where an employee was accused of breaking two kids' arms.

Stories like these remind us of how much trust we place in the people who take care of our children when we're not around. It's bad enough that something like this can happen once. But three children dying, and others injured? How can these centers still be open?

Source/Image: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Babies in Tuxedos

Brett Singer — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

I may be a cranky so-and-so but I'm also a bit of a mush. Case in point: these pictures of babies in tuxedos. They're cute. What can I tell ya? Try and look at these and not say "awww" at least once.

I had to add another one from TuxyBear.com because it was too cute to ignore. It's also a one-piece tux, which sounds complicated to invent. So I'm impressed, although I wonder how tough it would be to do an emergency diaper change with a one-piece tuxedo.

This one, from ClassicBabyTux.com, moves. Which makes it the winner.

Source: urlesque via buzzfeed

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Toddlers Whose Parents Hit Have More Trouble Sleeping

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

I’m hoping it won’t surprise you to learn that a three-year study of 4,600 toddlers has concluded that children whose parents hit or yell at them are more likely to have trouble sleeping. It doesn't take an expert to realize that a quick slap and a screamed threat are not exactly relaxing.

What is surprising is that the Australian pediatrician who led the study is arguing that there is no way to know whether aggressive parenting causes sleeping problems, or if toddlers who are cranky and overtired cause their parents to be more hostile."It's always a cause-and-effect argument and you can't really conclude from this which occurs first," said Dr. Harriet Hiscock.

Call me naïve, but I kinda thought it was common knowledge that, “He made me do it!” is not a justifiable excuse for violence—particularly when the “he” is a toddler. Furthermore, the study—which examined sleeping habits when children were one-year-old, and then again two years later—found that “mothers' parenting style was not a big factor in sleep problems at the age of one, but became an issue by the second study.”

Hmmm, I wonder if the inability to fall asleep that these kids developed over time had anything to do with living with the constant stress of parents who frequently lose their tempers….

Photo: Hank van Stuivenberg/Sydney Morning Herald

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