Strollerderby : msnbc

They Say: Today's Kids are Rude, Here's Why

Madeline Holler — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:27:00 GMT

Here's the argument: today's kids, so coddled by parents who prize a sizable self-esteem above all else, are turning into rude, self-absorbed little jerks who not only don't take "no" for answer, they've never actually encountered the word.

Yes, that sounds about right.

A reporter on MSNBC writes that experts say kids these days are ruder than ever and that it's our fault, we Gen Xers, who were so benignly neglected that we now over-compensate as parents by co-sleeping and baby-wearing and opting out. And that we're so fixated on our children's well-being that we wind up teaching them that other people's feelings are less important than our own, that kids should first make sure they feel good, then (if ever) worry about others.

An expert:

“I see parents ferociously advocating for their children, responding with hostility to anyone they perceive as getting in the child's way — from a person whose dog snuffles inquiringly at a baby in a carriage, to a teacher or coach whom they perceive is slighting their child, to a poor, hapless doctor who cannot cure the common cold,” says [Dr. Philippa] Gordon, [a long-time pediatrician in Park Slope, Brooklyn, an urban New York neighborhood famous for its dense Gen-X parent population]. “There is a feeling that anything interfering with their kid's homeostasis, as they see it, is an inappropriate behavior to be fended off sharply.”

Such parents might be surprised to learn how uncorrelated self-esteem and performance are.

But, another argues, we Gen Xers come by it honestly, since we, according to another expert, are some of the most neglected kids in history. We're apparently healing our wounds through our intensive parenting. Our kids will have what we didn't: demonstrated love and protection.

Another expert lets us off the hook, though. She says that today's culture celebrates negative behaviors and goes on to finger American Idol judges and Bratz dolls as examples of mainstream meanness.

I would have to agree that parents these days can be a little screwed up when it comes to their kids. For example, why didn't the mother whose school-aged boy was chasing other kids with poop on a stick tell him to stop and remind him that poop-on-a-stick is disgusting? I also didn't appreciate the mom who brought her son over and said "he loves to explore," when my husband and I stood stunned that the little explorer was back in our bedroom going through the closet. Huh?

But I'm sure some mom has included me in the "rude kids" pile. I'm verrrrry passive when it comes to kids under 2 years old sharing toys. I know that, developmentally, sharing makes no sense to them. So I tend to tell my under-twos to share, watch them not share, and then get the other kid something else to play with and roll my eyes at said other kid's parent, hoping she'll understand. She usually does.

Also, my stubborn, hair-trigger four-year-old gets so many passes, not because I worry about the fragility of her self-esteem, but because I worry about the fragility of my last nerve. But we don't tolerate kicking seats on airplanes (unless the person in front has leaned back all the way ... that passenger is on his own), or snarky talk to grown-ups. We do table manners. We play to win at Old Maid. We also expect the kids to listen to their teachers and other parents.

We'd like our kids to have a healthy self-esteem, but we're not interested in narcissistic little tyrants. And I say this as a very benignly neglected, latch-key GenXer parent.

Do you think kids these days are rude? (Not yours, of course!) Do you blame culture at all or are parents too permissive? Too focused on their spirited little genius?

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Photo: MSNBC

Lawmaker Wants Barbie Outlawed

Madeline Holler — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:29:00 GMT

A West Virginia lawmaker's heart might be in the right place. But his head? It's clearly in a different part of his body. State delegate Jeff Eldridge, a Democrat (or commie?), wants to ban Barbie and other 36-24-36 ilk from store shelves around the state.

This leads me to ask many questions, starting with:

Has this guy ever heard of the Internet? Because it turns out you can buy stuff online. And won't a ban actually boost sales of the 50-year-old doll whose popularity is most certainly on the wane?

Eldridge wants to rid his state of toys that place too much emphasis on a girl's physical beauty, at the expense of emotional and intellectual development.

From MSNBC:

"I just hate the image that we give to our kids that if you're beautiful, you're beautiful and you don't have to be smart," Eldridge told West Virginia news station WOWK.

Is he calling Barbie stupid?

While he's at it, then, he might want to do something about cheerleading, toddler beauty pageants and all things Miley Cyrus if trading in looks and glamour for self-confidence and smarts are his goals.

The lawmaker said he has little hope of actually getting his bill passed, but let's say Barbie is outlawed. What about ... D'Arbie, Barbie's possible long-lost twin? What about the MILF next door? Will she have to move too? Enforcement, sir, enforcement!

Barbie Gets Inked

Photo: MSNBC.com

News Anchor Interviews Senator Webb While Holding Baby

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Maybe you can help me puzzle out this video. On Morning Joe yesterday, co-host Mika Brzezinski interviewed Senator Jim Webb while she was holding an adorable baby. At first, I assumed the baby was Mika's--perhaps her babysitter canceled--and I thought it was sort of cool to see the complications of family life so unabashedly portrayed on the news.

Or maybe Mika was going to talk to Senator Webb about the new children's health care bill, and she wanted a live demonstration of its impact. But it turns out the baby belongs to a coworker, and Mika just felt like holding him throughout the interview.

The male anchors ask Senator Webb the real questions, while Mika makes some cute jokes about the baby, gets lipstick all over his forehead, and speaks to him in baby talk. So instead of enforcing the idea that babies and high-profile careers can go hand-in-hand, MSNBC only succeeded in showing how much all women love babies—and don’t really want to talk about that boring political stuff!

Unfortunately, MSNBC won't let me post the video directly to this page, but you can watch it here.

Photo: newcityvegas.com

They Say: Your Kid Doesn't Need Extra Vitamins

Madeline Holler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:01:00 GMT

I have never had a pediatrician talk to me about healthy foods, ask for much detail about my family's diet, tell me to give an example of typical meals and snacks in our home. But nearly all of them (we've had a bunch) recommend a daily vitamin. Even after blood tests showed my kids' iron levels were acceptable. Even though we've never shown even a tiny hint of rickets or bad teeth or frequent illness.

Why the recommendation? Because my kids were breast fed -- and breast milk isn't iron and Vitamin D fortified.

At first, I took the recommendations seriously. I started giving my daughter iron supplements when she was a year old. But then she got constipated and it was a battle to get her to take them (if the taste as nasty as they smell ...). Anyway, we ate meat and beans and iron-rich food. So what was the problem?

Now, I just nod at the doc and say "sure!" But we don't do vitamins. This new study makes me feel vindicated (or at least less insecure about going with my gut). A new study concludes that most of the kids who take vitamin supplements don't actually need to.

From MSNBC:

The study's lead author said that kids in the study “who had the ideal profile — higher dietary fiber intake, higher milk intake, lower total fat and cholesterol intake, lower computer use, greater physical activity, lower obesity, kids that had insurance coverage, had good health care access, whose parents said that they were in good health — these kinds of kids were the highest users.”

She noted that vitamin and mineral supplements aren’t cheap. A bottle of 100 multivitamin-mineral tablets for kids can cost around $10, depending on the brand. Almost $2 billion is spent on them annually.

The article links to one from yesterday about Vitamin D, which is apparently the exception to this vitamin supplement overkill. I'm waiting to get that recommendation this year. But since we're fair-skinned and outside a lot I'll ignore that too.

What about you? Do you give your kids vitamin supplements or are you confident you eat well enough not too. Oh, and how to you get liquid iron stains out of a shirt?

Photo: growingkids.co.uk

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Two Pictures Of Kids In Gaza

Brett Singer — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:30:00 GMT

Warning: These shots will probably make you want to hug your kids immediately.

For me, the hardest part of any war/conflict/disaster is the human side. Now that I'm a parent, if that human face belongs to a child, it's that much harder to see.

This photo was on the front page of the New York Times today. Here's the caption: "A Palestinian boy with Russian citizenship was among the foreigners whom Israel allowed to leave Gaza on Friday." (source)

Here's another shot of kids leaving Gaza. (source)

MSNBC is reporting that Israeli ground troops are crossing the Gaza border (source, breaking news). Regardless of how you feel about the situation, seeing these photos of kids caught up in the whole thing should make you wish for a speedy resolution to it all. Or at least one that lets the kids get out while they still can. I never really understood the idea of "women and children first", something that I remember hearing a lot on old cartoons and disaster movies (and cartoons that were parodies of disaster movies). These pictures definitely drive that point home.

Photos: New York Times

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Teacher Binds Students for Slavery Lesson. Nothing Learned.

Madeline Holler — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:11:00 GMT

What teacher doesn't fantasize about his Stand-and-Deliver moment? Her own lesson-specific version of jumping on desks passionately proclaiming, "Carpe diem!" Well, plenty probably. But there are still some looking to make a powerful educational statement.

The results, however, aren't always worthy of a screenplay.

One White Plains, N.Y., middle school teacher, Eileen Bernstein, supplemented a lesson on slavery by binding the hands and feet of two students and made them crawl under desks.

It was supposed to be a slave-boat simulation (the shackles were tape), except one of the bound girls, Gaby Shand, is pretty upset (as is her mom and the local NAACP chapter).

Both girls in the demo are black and only one of them volunteered for the project. (How did the teacher not see this coming?). The school is totally apologetic, the teacher not so much.

From MSNBC:

After the mother complained to Haverstraw Middle School, the superintendent said he was having "conversations with our staff on how to deliver effective lessons."

"We encourage our teachers to deliver the curriculum in a variety of ways, to go beyond just reading the textbook," the superintendent said. "We don't want to discourage creativity. But this obviously went wrong because the student was upset."

From WCBStv.com:

Wilbur Aldridge, the regional NAACP director, went with the Shands Thursday to meet Bernstein.

"She said she apologized for causing any problems for the child, but she was not apologizing for using that simulation during the class," Aldridge said.

Photo: Relations.kimcm.ck

They Say: Your Baby's Getting Asthma

Madeline Holler — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:29:00 GMT

Oh great. Anybody else here set to give birth soon? Because you might want to set a little aside for inhalers.

A new study shows that babies born within four months (months!) of the peak of cold and flu season ... are 30 percent (30 percent!) more likely to develop asthma in childhood.

As you know, asthma is a chronic condition that can be serious or even deadly. And no fun for anybody involved.

The researchers think viruses common to the fall and winter trigger asthma.

From MSNBC:

They found that all babies in the study were at increased risk if they had bronchiolitis, a lung infection usually caused by respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. But autumn babies were at the highest risk.

Oh, and by the way, nearly every child, according to the article, is infected with RSV early in life (between 3 and 6 months old). Who knew?

Did your fall baby develop asthma? Am I the only one who gets freaked out about asthma (my city has an unbelievably high rate of asthma)?

Photo: distanochiro.com

Election Over, MSNBC Calls in McHale's Baby

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:45:00 GMT

Man, am I glad I didn't follow my husband's avice and abandon my Keith Olbermann addiction after election night! Sure, Countdown (and the Rachel Maddow Show, and Hardball, and on and on) now have less to talk about, and a sane person would reclaim those evening hours formerly lost each night to media and politics, and devote them to sadly neglected family-centered activities (the dishes, the laundry, and sex with said husband are all good possilibities). And yet, last night on Countdown, Olbermann brought it all together for me -- his guest was Joel McHale, the wry and adorable host of E's The Soup, and McHale's baby son Isaac. Olbermann, McHale, and a baby?! It was nearly too good to be true. And McHale's right; I didn't listen to a word he said.

Some highlights in the five-minute-long video:

2:26 McHale's baby-wrangling skills mometarily desert him and he nearly lets the baby fall over

3:35 Goofy dad-like segue from political leak discussion to showing Olbermann the evidence of Isaac's diaper leak

3:55 Olbermann repeates McCain's joke from last night on Leno (and eight years ago on the campaign trail), the one where he says, "I slept like a baby. Sleep for two hours, wake up and cry."

4:10 McHale goes one better, riffing on the idea of McCain really sleeping like a baby: breastfeeding until he spits up half the contents of his tiny tummy.

I know it's officially a slow news week, now that the election's over and the Depression hasn't quite begun. But please, MSNBC, keep it up! Don't make us wait long before the next appearance of Joel and Isaac. I think Rachel would love them too.

The Smurfs Turn 50

Brett Singer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Here's my "I feel old" moment of the day: the Smurfs are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Yes, the Smurfs. Those little blue creatures that live in a village with one elderly man and one female. They always say things are "smurfy", which means both nothing and anything. Some bizarre full-size man and his cat always want to eat them. This was a hugely popular Saturday morning cartoon in the early 80's (who could forget such classic lines as, "Nature Smurf, this time your love of animals has gone too far.") The toys – mostly immobile hard PVC figurines – were a major collectible among the under 10 set.

The 50th anniversary is of their first appearance in a Belgian comic strip called 'Johan et Pirlouit', or 'Johan and Peewit' in English. Eventually the cartoonist, Peyo, "introduced a new set of characters" to the strip called " Schtroumpf". They eventually became known as The Smurfs. In honor of the 50th anniversary, European celebrities have designed their own Smurfs, which were auctioned off for Unicef, which is, of course, a very smurfy thing to do.

Also of note is the fact that there is much speculation that the Smurfs were (are?) anti-Semitic communists (just like Obama! Kidding). I can't bring myself to summarize this theory, but you can read more about it here if you are interested.

If you want to show your children what you used to watch, you can get the cartoon on DVD. Or you could just wait for the film, which I hope will never actually get made.

Here's the intro to the cartoon if you don't remember it, never saw it, or just need some smurfs in your day:

For some real silliness, here's the SNL bit, "The Smurfette Show" featuring Anna Nicole Smurf. Verrry smurfy.

And here's some Smurfy video of the smurfy auction. If it doesn't smurfing embed, click here.

Sources: MSNBC, Smurf.com, Wikipedia,Happy Smurf Day, and other smurfy sources

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Despite Recession, Kids Stuff is the Last to Go

Madeline Holler — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:17:00 GMT

I'm sure I could be competitive in a martyr mom race. Oh, how I love to talk about being the only one capable of picking up toys around here!

But when it comes to family spending, I would hardly go without my own necessities just to ensure my kids could continue with swimming lessons or get a new shirt. I'm all about cutting back for everyone and I don't feel guilty about it one bit.

So I'm feeling a little impatient with a bunch of the moms featured here.

They say even though times are tough, some are giving up medications rather than depriving their child of a less-than-dazzling Christmas. Or they're cutting back on adult gifts so their kids won't notice the difference.

But I have to ask: shouldn't kids notice the difference? I mean, why hide it? I think children should be told the truth about money and family finances and mommy's penchant for out-of-control online shopping. I think kids should hear things like, "we can't afford that new toy right now. We don't have enough money. We went way over budget last month so we're being careful this month."

One family in the article had to cut out one of their three cell phone plans. Mom made the sacrifice. You see, her daughter needed hers so that she could talk to her boyfriend who lives far away. The daughter is 23. Gah! The same mother-daughter pair used to buy new clothes for college every semester, but mom has cut that back to once a year and now they go through old clothes to see what's wearable. Unless the daughter -- fully grown! -- shovels pig shit on a damn farm (and my guess is, she's not even working!), all her clothes are still very wearable!

The thing is, I'm really sympathetic with the plight of so many families who are starting to feel this recession, who are struggling and even the ones who did themselves in by getting a little too greedy or trying to keep up with the Joneses. But what I don't get is why, why when even the Joneses are facing foreclosure, they keep on spending?

I sometimes think my generation is basically a lost financial cause -- we got screwed coming out of college when there weren't many jobs and we overdid the student loans because that was the only option but then we let ourselves get brainwashed into thinking big car! big home! big shoes! Retail therapy is hilarious!

But we're not stupid (I think). Why can't we snap to our senses and impart a little fiscal discipline on our kids -- for our kids? Maybe teach them that a complete Thomas the Tank Engine set, plus table, plus more tracks, plus the DVD, plus, plus, plus is something we just play with at the bookstore/playgroup/preschool/neighbor's? That we don't have to own every damn thing that gets our attention? That mommy isn't the only person mommy says "no" to?

What about you? Are you reluctant to stop spending on your child? Who's the first in your family to give up the extras? Anybody out there feel alone in their thrifty ways?

Photo: MSNBC.com

Do You Think Your Spouse Is Too Fat?

Amy S.F. Lutz — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:04:00 GMT

My husband calls it the old bait-and-switch: a man and a woman in the dating stage of their relationship diet and exercise like crazy to keep themselves in prime physical condition - then, once the honeymoon is over, one or both gain 20 pounds. It's not by any means an intentional misrepresentation - as we all know, once kids come along, and household chores multiply, everyone has less time to go to the gym.

Still, that doesn't mean you should just ignore it if you feel your spouse has put on too much weight, or tell yourself all that matters is how beautiful he or she is on the inside. Not only can those extra pounds affect your beloved's health, but your relationship will suffer if you find him or her less attractive. So, how should you broach what is obviously a loaded topic?

First, according to a great MSNBC article on the subject, don't be critical. Nagging your spouse or snatching the cookie right out of his or her hand is, obviously, not likely to inspire him or her to slim down. Instead, a loving, supportive attitude is much more likely to succeed. Help keep your spouse motivated by watching the kids for an hour so he or she can work out, praising both the effort and the results, and stocking the refrigerator with healthy snacks.

And, needless to say, you lose your cred if you yourself aren't working to keep yourself just as hot as you were the day you met. So, think about finding a sport you can do together, like biking, running or tennis - there are plenty of ways to have fun and burn calories at the same time.

Obama not sure how long he's been married

Brett Singer — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:35:00 GMT

Politicians sometimes want to make people believe that they are just like us, that they can relate to our problems. Barack Obama definitely did that for me by telling reporters that he and wife Michelle would soon be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary next week. Michelle's spokesperson quickly released a statement pointing out that, in fact, it was their 16th anniversary. Um, oops. This husbandly gaffe prompted MSNBC talking head Keith Olbermann to include Barack in the "Worst Person of the Week" list, although Barack lost out to Karl Rove. Here's the video; the Obama part is at the beginning if you don't want to hear the rest of Olbermann's spiel (although the part where he talks about Rove is pretty good):

Olbermann, as far as I know, has never been married, so he may not realize that forgetting the exact year you were married is something that men do on a daily basis (myself included – sorry, dear). The date I have no trouble with, but I have to check every year to see which anniversary it is. The fact that I do traditional anniversary gifts – fifth is wood, twelfth is silk, that sort of thing – only serves to complicate matters. I could go with the "every anniversary is a diamond anniversary" theory, but not in this economy.

Source: HuffPo and MSNBC

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They Say: Mamas Should Suck It Up in Playgroups

Madeline Holler — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:03:00 GMT

Who knew that there was so much advice out there on playgroups? And, who really knew that there were so many playgroup problems in need of a resolution?

I've always been ambivalent about organized mom-time: on the one hand, playgrops are kind of one-stop shopping for potential new parent friends. On the other, you might get stuck for a few hours in a room full of people you can't stand -- and they've got your contact info.!

MSNBC called on the experts to figure out how to handle oneself at a playgroup. Seems a lot serve as stages for "mama drama," and the smarty-pant psychologists want you to know how to avoid that. (Not so smarty pant blogger here offers this nugget of wisdom: leave the group).

Among other things, they suggest laying down ground rules -- can you discipline someone else's kid? What behavior is tolerated? Do we expect two-year-olds to share? They also say to shop around for the right playgroup for you (easy if there are plenty to choose from, hard if you're a first-time mom and have no clue where and how to find one) and avoid talking about controversial topics (now where's the fun in that?!!!).

What are your playgroup experiences? How did you find one? Do you actually like your playgroup or just tolerate it? Me? I've been in several (we've moved a bit) and I see I have a pattern: go to playgroup, grit teeth often, seek out the one or two gems, trade phone numbers, ditch group for good times and coffee at the park. Works for me!

Image: MSNBC.com

Political Nanny: Oops! Conservative Pundits Call Palin Pick 'Gimmicky,' 'Bull**it'

Madeline Holler — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:15:00 GMT

Advice to, well, anybody wearing a microphone: assume it's on.

Today on MSNBC, Peggy Noonan, WSJ columnist, and Mike Murphy, former McCain adviser, were caught with their mics on and their opinions on tape.

[Via HuffPo]

When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Murphy characterized the choices as "cynical" and "gimmicky."

Video: YouTube.com

Red eye? Nope, eye cancer

Brett Singer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

You know those people you've befriended online? Never met them, but you trade baby pictures? It's all just a little casual thing, right? A way to connect with people who are experiencing the same things that you are.

For one woman, that seemingly casual connection actually saved her baby's life.

Megan Santos of Riverview, Fla. and Madeleine Robb, of London, were online buddies. They gave birth the same day and swapped photos of their bundles of joy. The U.K. mom noticed something odd about one of little Rowan Santos' eyes.

It wasn’t easy for Madeleine Robb to send an e-mail to another mom warning that her baby might have a deadly form of eye cancer. But she’s glad she did it — and so is the mother of 1-year-old Rowan Santos.
…
Just hours after reading the e-mail, Megan Santos of Riverview, Fla., learned from a doctor that Rowan has a potentially deadly form of childhood cancer called retinoblastoma.

WOW.

(For what it's worth, "retinoblastoma" isn't on my spell-check.)

Here's a video report from the Today Show:

source: NBC

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Birth inspires lottery ticket purchase

Brett Singer — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

I'm a little superstitious. I prefer the number 7 to the number 13, for example. So if I had a child that was born on August 8, 2008 at 8:08am and weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces, I would probably do what the staff at Lake Region Hospital in Minnesota did. Buy lottery tickets. Lots and lots of lottery tickets.

Maybe that's not the way to celebrate the birth of your child, but hey, how often does this sort of thing happen?

Actually, there were TWO babies born at that time, with the same weight: Hailey Jo Hauer (Minnesota) and Xander Jace Riniker (Iowa). The parents should get those two crazy kids together for a playdate.

Katharine Joyce Rowley of Arizona was also born on 8/08 at 8:08am, but weighed in at 5 pounds and 14 ounces, so that didn't make the same amount of news.

None of the children was named "Ocho," but maybe they would have been if they were Swedish.

In China, the number eight has a whole other set of meanings. According to Wikipedia, "the word for 'eight' in Mandarin sounds similar to the word which means 'prosper' or 'wealth'." And of course, that spectacular Olympic opening ceremony, which started at 8:08pm on 8/8/08. So if there were a kid born in China with those stats, he/she would probably be emperor by now. (Unless of course he/she wasn't cute enough, but that's a different story.)

Here's a photo of one of the two little ones with the numerology-friendly weight:

And video of the less-reported upon, but still cute, Arizona baby:

Source: MSNBC

Images: hotelchatter, MSNBC, AZCentral

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Good game, good game - OW!

Brett Singer — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT

In this video from MSNBC, a little leaguer gets sucker punched by someone on the other team during the end of game festivities. It's pretty screwed up, although I could have done without the extreme close ups of the resulting fat lip.

This is one of those times when I think you pull your kid aside and tell them its OK to hit back. It was a total sneak attack though, which makes it tougher to respond in kind. Who knows what provoked the punch but it kind of doesn't matter.

At the end of the video they say that the "authorities" are investigating the incident as a possible assault. Does one punch constitute assault? I didn't think it did but I guess I'm wrong. Is that the best way to handle a fight between two kids, even a really crappy one-sided fight like this?

Here's the video. You decide -- assault, bad behavior, or both?

(UPDATE: If the video does not appear below, click here and it should play. Stupid web video players, grumble grumble.)

Pregcellent: Eat This, Not That

Kelly Mills — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:00 GMT

Sometimes I wonder why I get so pissy about stuff when everybody does it, but I do. Take the diet/nutrition book, "Eat This, Not That" now in a pregnancy edition. It's pimped on the Today site right now. So the original, non-pregnancy version of the book was all over Today and msnbc, three times I believe. Hmmm, it's by the editors of Men's Health--could there be a connection between that mag and Today? Yeah, yeah, nothing new, I know. And the book made dubious claims about nutrition as a way to target belly fat. Again, not unheard of for a diet book to make lame and questionable promises. And I noted that some of the caloric amounts for the "bad" food choices were pretty high, like perhaps they had chosen the worst possible offender and generalized. No, that's not unique.

So, how does the expecting mom version stack up? Well, I do sort of like the format of telling you which of two choices is better in calories and nutrition, and I didn't see much about attacking belly fat here (har de har) so that's a good sign. I suppose once I get over the idea of receiving pregnancy nutritional advice from the dudes at Men's Health (though that mag is at least funnier than many of its brethren) I could be okay with this. But, um, I didn't really see anything so vastly different from what you'd find in many other expecting mom nutrition books. If you like the "this or that" format and feel two choices give you enough info, great. If you prefer to read nutritional labels and do searches for food info free on many websites, or even buy a different book, I think you'll be just fine too.

Kids On the Juice

Kelly Mills — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:26:00 GMT

There's been a couple columns on kids and steroids over at msnbc, and discussions on how dangerous juicing can be for youngsters, as well as commentary on how our pro athletes must be role models when it comes to this stuff. But what I think is interesting about all this are the parallels between the way girls get messages about weight and looks and unrealistic standards of beauty. Now we have (mostly) boys getting similar and equally unrealistic messages about success and performance and looks. And it's no surprise that many are willing to do dangerous things in the pursuit of an ideal that is unlikely to be achieved naturally.

The truth is that professional athletes who don't use steroids are genetically blessed, just like the models and actresses who stay size 2 without developing eating disorders. The rest of the folks in those jobs have resorted to other means to stay in the game. But somehow we've managed to convince ourselves that we all have the potential to look and perform like that, if only we are willing to work hard and even go to extreme measures. And if we don't achieve total "perfection" it must be a moral failing. Personally, I think we'd be better off looking at that belief, rather than preaching that pros should stop doping, something that is real unlikely to happen in our lifetimes.

Pimping Kids Is Just a Mother's Way

Kelly Mills — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:30:00 GMT

When the big controversy over David Shuster saying Hilary was "pimping" out Chelsea hit, I was actually kinda jealous. Yeah, it's probably an offensive way to describe Chelsea doing her part for the campaign, and aside from conjuring up images of Hilary wearing a hat with a feather in it and a shiny suit, it certainly implies that Ms. Clinton is just using her daughter for her own selfish interests without any consideration of the wellbeing of her girl. But my envy sprung from another source: How lucky for Hilary that her kid will actually do stuff to help her mom out. My kid has been resisting pimping efforts since the day she was born, refusing to demonstrate her language skills on command or do cute things for the relatives or seem at all obedient or gifted when I'd like her to show off for anyone. No tricks for her, and if I'm in danger of suspension, that pun is totally unintended.

On HuffPo, there's an amazingly funny bit by Linda Keenan on the myriad ways she pimps out her child. Not only did I cry laughing, but I got a few ideas on ways I might finally be able to successfully pimp the kid (the bad music one is a stroke of genius, as is the firefighter oogling.) And I have to tell you that since it's almost Valentine's Day, I'm completely in love with Linda Keenan, she's a surefire blast of funny and irreverent in the middle of far too many uptight, righteous, and earnest posts over there (not all are like that of course, but some, oh my lord...) Yep, I'd ho that woman's brilliant stuff out any day.

Could We Lose These Parenting Terms In 2008?

Kelly Mills — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:33:00 GMT

The annual list of terms that deserve to be banned just came out, and I think it falls a litle short on the parenting lingo. When the mom and pop terms first appear, they maybe seem funny or twisted or innocuous or entertaining or whatever. Then they appear more and more, until finally you start to think if one more person refers to, say, "MILFs" you might have to barf--especially if it's in the "MILPH" sense. (Note to mommys making lingerie calendars--don't try and reclaim these terms in a faux-empowerment way, please.) They get overused and nauseating and when MSNBC uses them in a headline, you know the whole thing has so jumped the shark. It's over. Done. Let's erase the term from the lexicon and move on.

My nominees for this year's overused parenting terms: "baby-daddy" and "yummy mummy". Baby-daddy just got used here: "Jamie Lynn's baby-daddy a 'lying, cheating dog'." Sigh. Kill me now.Maybe you haven't seen "yummy mummy" as much as I have, because I have to troll both British and U.S. papers for parenting stories, but believe me, this U.K.-originated one is supposed to be a softer version of MILF, it's used regularly, and I didn't like it to begin with. So for 2008, let's start with a clean slate and replace these with something better, something you'll have to come up with because I don't invent language, I just bag on it. And nominate anything else you'd like to see stricken from the record for good.

One Woman's Bio-Trash is Another's Mood-Boosting Good Eats

Madeline Holler — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:27:00 GMT

For me, there’s something about placenta-eating that tickles the ol’ gag reflex. And I say this as a dedicated carnivore who has eaten her fair share of strange delicacies (raw horsemeat comes immediately to mind).

Why should I be so opposed to eating, literally, my own flesh and blood? After all, I’m constantly gnawing on my cuticles.

But body-part analogies could not keep me from dry-heaving my way through Jezebel’s reposting of cooking show's transcript where the featured ingredient is a placenta.

The crowning gory glory is this:

MARY: [Carrying the mousse, which has been shaped with a Bundt mold, to the buffet table] It's got a bit of the old cervix look about it, doesn't it?
SUE: Absolutely, dear. I thought it was very appropriate.

(Now I'm cramping.)

Fine. If you need your placenta-snacking to be a little more clinical, MSNBC has a write-up on women who ingest placenta, in one form or another, to stave off the baby blues. Some women dry it, grind it and load it into capsules. Others, um, don't. (Bottom lip is starting to quiver, plus I looked at that Placenta-loaf picture again. I'm canceling lunch plans.)

There's no evidence that it works, but the featured women swear by it. One woman even started her own placenta encapsulating kit company. While she gets lots of traffic to her website, she said she hasn't sold many kits so far.

Sidenote: The article includes a broad survey of placenta-revering from around the world, including this interesting tidbit:

“Tribes in the Ural Mountains in Russia thought of the placenta as a caretaker for the child — and as such, it deserved a warm welcome. Along with carefully knitted clothes for the infant, they’d create a tiny shirt for the placenta.” How do they know which side is up? Has one been featured over on Drool.icio.us?

I don’t feel so good.

For placenta recipes (why?), go here.

Photo of Walnut-Pate: Daddy Types

How To Write a Story On Hipster Parenting

Kelly Mills — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:31:00 GMT

With these simple step-by-step instructions, anyone can come up with a story on hipster parents! Here's how:

1. Explain to readers that this new generation of parents wants to hang on to their coolness, and they try and do so by dressing their children a particular way.

2. Interview seller of ironic or wacky onesies featuring old punk bands or twisted slogans.

3. Wonder whether children are just being used as accessories, or to make parents feel cool.

4. Obtain Neal Pollack quote.

5. Talk to child development specialist, who offers that there's nothing wrong with how you dress kids, as long as you keep their needs in mind.

6. Wrap up with quote that cautions hipsters need to balance their needs with their children's needs.

7. If you are MSNBC, put the story in a cryogenic chamber and revive it at least six months after the whole thing has blown over.