Strollerderby : little boys

Parents of Young Boys, Beware!

KeriF — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:21:00 GMT

Doctors in one English hospital are reporting an increasing number of emergency room visits for boys under the age of 5. Why? (Parents, you might want to cross your legs before reading more.)

Apparently little boys eager to pee just like Daddy are getting their wee peckers crushed by falling toilet seats.

I can't say I'm surprised. Ever since my son potty-trained last year I have watched as he stands in front of the toilet, penis in hand, and lets the heavy ceramic lid crash down after he's done his business. To be honest though, I never really thought he could get caught. He's only 4, and his penis is still so... well, you know. (I don't want to give him a complex.)

There are an estimated 250 "penis crush injuries" per year in the U.K. alone. Doctors blame this on the rising popularity of heavy ceramic and wooden toilet seats

I think I'll make my son pee sitting down from now on.

Christian Parents Opt for Religious Circumcision . . . Even if It's Jewish

JeanneSager — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:27:00 GMT

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I always thought participating in a religious ceremony was supposed to have something to do with your religion. I know, call me crazy.

Christian parents who have started calling on Jewish mohels to perform their sons' circumcisions apparently don't care that they're not, well, Jewish. They don't even care that it costs a little extra.

Traditionally, Christian parents who have opted to circumcise their little boys have it done in a hospital setting - where it's often covered by a parent's health insurance. Many Jewish parents, however, follow the traditional method of a bris - a ceremonial circumcision performed after the baby has been released from the hospital, in the presence of friends and family. A mohel - a specially trained Jewish circumciser - traditionally does the honors, not only cutting the foreskin but leading the onlookers in a small religious ceremony. The whole thing can cost upwards of $300 to $800 - and that's not including the party the parents' usually throw for their guests.

So why would Christian parents call on a mohel? Philip Sherman, a mohel in the New York City area, told the Houston Chronicle parents would rather have the process done in the comfort of their own homes; they like to make it spiritual. Plus, he claims, the process is much quicker for the baby - he says it's a few seconds for a mohel, half an hour in a hospital (The American Academy of Pediatrics actually calls for anesthetic cream to be applied sixty to ninety minutes before the procedure in a hospital or the use of some other, faster-acting anesthetic. The AAP also suggests a clamp be left on the area for several minutes to stop bleeding).

The mother of a daughter, I never had to make the "to circumcise" or "not to circumcise" decision. I don't have a feeling either way. But where I can accept a Jewish parent's decision to call in a mohel to practice their faith, I find the concept of a Christian parent doing the same slightly bizarre. Even odder? That mohels are adjusting their usual ceremony to make them less Jewish. In the case cited in the Chronicle, he actually handed out a prayer booklet that was appropriate for the largely Presbyterian crowd. Instead of religious, they call it "holistic" circumcision.

Isn't this a bit like calling on a rabbi to perform your Catholic wedding? Maybe I'm just not well-versed enough in the Bible. Is there really any religious meaning to a bris outside of the Jewish faith?

Image: Houston Chronicle

Is Banked Sperm Really the Same as Hair and Toenail Clippings?

Juno Goes to Washington? Congress' First Unwed Mom

Baby Dies After a Game of Airplane

Boy Tells 'Your Mom' Joke, Boy Goes to Jail

When Moms Collide: Breastfeeder Kicked Out of Pool

Talking Pets, the New Child Safety Gadget?

Supreme Court to Father: No, You Can't Circumcise a 13-year-old

JeanneSager — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:33:00 GMT

I'm not even a guy, but this story made me want to pull a Michael Jackson and grab ~~a little boy~~, uh, my crotch. Well, that and grab the not-so-little boy whose father wants to have him circumcised and run.

James Boldt has actually been shot down by the United States Supreme Court in his bid to have the highest court in the land hear his plea to circumcise his 13-year-old son. That doesn't mean the case is closed, however. A trial judge in Oregon will now get the case that's been argued since the boy was 9 and agreed to follow his father in a conversion to Judaism. Boldt, who has custody of the boy, had actually scheduled the procedure when his ex-wife, Lia, stepped in.

Lia, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, has said the procedure is dangerous and told courts that her son is afraid to tell his father he doesn't really want the procedure done. James, meanwhile, claims the court is infringing on his right to religious freedom by not allowing him to circumcise his son. I'm not Jewish, so I'm not clear on the exact rules surrounding conversion and circumcision. And I thanked my lucky stars when I gave birth to a girl - so my husband and I never had the "should we" or "shouldn't we" discussion.

But circumcision at 13 seems preposterous:

It's painful (and, yes, it's painful for a baby too - but the chances of the emotional scars from this sort of pain are far greater).
It's not medically necessary. Not at 13. Not if he's had no problem with that little flap of skin for the past 13 years.
Lia Boldt is right. It could be dangerous. With ANY surgery there is risk, however minute. Which is why elective surgeries are often discouraged by doctors (well, except plastic surgeons).

And the biggest question here is how does Little Boy Boldt keeping his foreskin violate his father's right to practice his religion? Would letting the boy wait until he's 18, and he can make the decision really make him a bad Jew? Again, I'm not Jewish, so I would love the hear the Semitic viewpoint on this one.

Image: August Chronicle

Five-Year-Old Catches STD From Dad's Towel?

Part I: Why Parents of Girls Have it Better

A Guy’s Take on Why You Shouldn’t Circumcise (and Why You Should)