Strollerderby : parents

Finish Line - Creepy Cakes, Sesame Street, And Much More

Brett Singer — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:56:00 GMT

It was a short week for some, but on Strollerderby we were wicked busy, as they say in Beantown.

Here's a bit of what went on here the past few days:

Shannon called this one the "Post Most Likely to Send You Running for the Tissues This Week." Check out Paper Girl Delivers Food and Shelter to Haitian Family and see if you agree.
On a much lighter note is Jeanne's handy travel guide for the Big Bird lover in your life: Three Ways To Get to Sesame Street This Summer.
Sunny's post Creepiest Baby Shower Cake Ever is self-explanatory. But it still has to be seen to be believed. (Warning: it will take you a long time to UN-see this thing.)
Madeline wins the "title of the week" award with her post Sonogram Cufflinks for Father's Day ... or a Pro-Life March.
Speaking of breast milk (how's that for a transition?), Cole told us about a guy who actually said, "If I have a lactating daughter, why not take advantage of her?" He has cancer and is using the mommy milk as treatment. But I do question his choice of phrasing. Decide for yourself at WATCH: Man Drinks Daughter's Breast Milk to Cure Cancer.
As for me, I was astounded at the number of people who watched the season premiere of that reality show about the people who have all those kids. Share my amazement at Jon & Kate Plus 8 Premiere Snags 9.8 Million Viewers.
Finally, a plug for Babble Talk Radio, which this week featured myself and Famecrawler's Karl Erikson. You can listen to the whole show right here, and we'll be back live again next Friday.

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

Finish Line - Blame Daycare

Brett Singer — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Holiday weekend -- whoo-hoo! But before you start grilling, here's a sampling of what happened here on the 'Derby this week.

Guess what? Not can we blame bad behavior on the mother, we can also blame it on day care! Madeline told us all about it in They Say: Moms, It's Still Your Fault. Well, Yours and Daycare.
Jeanne gave us a head-scratcher with Class Rings for Your Pre-Schooler? Heck, we don't even do trophies for my fantasy football league. And that's, like, important.
Shannon told us about a phenomenon that I wouldn't have predicted -- Economy Down, Adoptions Up.
Sunny told us 5 Ways Jon and Kate Are Not Like Us. I'd like to add a sixth -- we're not INSANE.
Amy told us that The Voice of Mickey Mouse is Silenced. Wayne Allwine died at age 62; he was only the third person to ever provide a voice for the world's most famous rodent.
And Shannon and I discussed adoption, gay marriage, and why legalizing gay marriage won't help same-sex couples with some of their adoption issues in this week's Babble Talk Radio.

Happy Memorial Day!

Dad Charges Daughter With Grand Theft Auto

Brett Singer — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A girl in Fort Lauderdale, Florida took her dad's car while he was visiting her much younger sibling (19 months old) at the hospital. She's 12. She drove around without the headlights on and hit a police car.

Her dad isn't messing around. He asked police to charge his daughter with grand theft auto. Not the video game -- the crime.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, this is the second time the girl has stolen her dad's car, according to the AP. On the other hand, it's your daughter. Do you really want her to rot in jail? Is that likely to help?

Something similar happened on 'Gossip Girl' this season. (Yes! I know. You think I'm nuts. Stay with me for a moment.) Lillian Van der Woodsen gives her daughter Serena an expensive bracelet, which is a family heirloom. Then, when Serena does something Lily doesn't like (it's not worth explaining what that was), she calls the police and tells them Serena stole the bracelet. Serena goes to jail. Not exactly the same situation of course, but similar enough. Choosing whether or not to send my kid to jail is a choice I hope I never have to make.

(Side note: what the heck is in the water in Florida? Crazy juice?)

What would you do if your kid were a repeat offender? Turn them over to the police or try something else?

Source: AP via Fox News

Image: SXC

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Not Every Kid With a Mother Has a "Mommy"

Baby Asleep On Dad's Head

10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed

Colbert to Food Movement Guy: Yes, But Were YOU Breastfed?

Single Mom Sells Ad Space On Her Body on eBay

Transgender Girl Kicked Out of School

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

An eight-year-old who is biologically male but who has always identified as female has decided to begin living openly as a girl, even though this will mean leaving her beloved elementary school.

The second grader’s parents consulted with therapists and transgender specialists for many years before deciding to allow their son to live as a girl. It’s the same story shared by all parents of transgender children: from the time she could talk, the child (who will remain anonymous to protect her identity) told her parents that she was really a girl; she asked constantly to be able to wear dresses and drew pictures of herself in girl’s shoes and swimsuits.

“I know 8½ sounds pretty young, but when we’ve been dealing with it for six of those 8½ years, that’s a pretty long time,” the girl’s mother said. The Nebraska therapist whom the parents consulted warned them that attempting to deny transgender feelings can lead to drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and suicide.

Unfortunately, the child’s Catholic school does not see it that way. Although the eight-year-old wanted to continue third grade with her classmates, the church told her family that she would have to find a new school if she wanted to live as a girl.

So this fall, the eight-year-old will enter public school. Her parents say it’s a “delicate balance between helping people understand and protecting a child who’s different.” While they have chosen to speak to the media about the inborn nature of being transgendered, they do not necessarily want their daughter to be identified as transgender by her peers. They have enrolled her as a girl in her new school, and hope she will be unquestioningly accepted as such.

Photo: KETV

Judge Orders Parents to Resume Son’s Chemo

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A judge has ruled that a 13-year-old boy with cancer must resume chemotherapy against his parents’ wishes. After Daniel Hauser was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, doctors told him that he had a good chance of being cured through chemotherapy and radiation.

But after just one treatment, which doctors say reduced the size of Daniel’s tumor, the boy and his parents decided they no longer wanted to treat his cancer with mainstream medicine.

After Daniel stopped doing chemo, child protective workers accused his parents of medical neglect. In court, the Hausers explained that their family’s religion advocates the use of alternative medicine, and Daniel himself has refused to undergo more chemotherapy. According to his mother, Daniel is a Medicine Man with the Nemenhah Band, which was founded by a man who claims to have fought cancer solely through alternative remedies.

But the judge was not swayed by the mother’s arguments. He argued that Daniel was unaware of the extent of his illness, and pointed to the fact that “doctors have said Daniel's cancer had up to a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. Without those treatments, doctors said his chances of survival are 5 percent.”

The judge gave the family less than a week to find an oncologist and resume chemotherapy if recommended.

The Hausers’ lawyer immediately spoke out against the ruling, saying, "It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children's medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us."

By this logic, the law should not interfere when a child is physically abused by his parents, either. Of course families should be allowed to pursue alternative medicines, but not at the risk of a child’s life.

Photo: ABC News

Finish Line - Shark Attack!

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Working as a parenting blogger, I never thought I would get to write the words "shark attack." For this privilege, I must thank Shannon for her post Dad Saves Son in Shark Attack. That dad makes me feel wimpy. I hope I'd be able to do the same thing in that situation. I'd certainly try. Now excuse me for a moment while I hum the theme from "Jaws."

Okay. I'm back.

Also on the 'Derby this week:

Madeline and I went live on BlogTalkRadio and talked about rude children. These kids today, no manners...
Madeline also made us laugh with Federal Agent* Seizes Oat-Based Contraband, which unfortunately was kind of true.
Jeanne spoke the unspoken truth about stained hand-me-downs with Don't Give Me Your Tired, Your Stained.
Hannah told us that even British parents can get all up in people's grill when the spirit moves them, in Parents Enraged by Emergency Contraception Commercial.
For Babble's Music and Video Week, Gwynne Watkins interviewed Stephen Merritt about his new musical version of Coraline, in 5 Minute Time-Out: Indie rock's curmudgeon has written a children's musical - but don't tell him that.
Amy gave us the latest Children's Choice Book Award Winners. It was Children’s Book Week, after all.
Oh, and Saturday Night Live did something funny. See the videos at my post, SNL Mother's Day Skits.

Remember -- if you haven't seen "Star Trek", we recommend that you do so. Well, I do. Trust me. It's good. Great, even.

Live long... and prosper.

Top Cause of Death for Pregnant Women is Murder

When Mommy Becomes Mom

If This Guy's Going Broke, is There Hope for the Rest of Us?

10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed

When Mommy Becomes Mom

JeanneSager — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:04:00 GMT

I never thought I'd be that sappy kind of mother. You know the type. She buries her face in old onesies when she finds them at the bottom of the closet and doesn't come up coughing from the scent of mold growing on super-old spit-up stains.

OK, I'm NOT that kind of mother.

But I am the kind who hates being called "Mom." I prefer "Mommy," thank you very much.

I just realized it recently, when my three- (almost four-) year-old stopped, looked at me and said "Moooom" in a voice that sounded almost teenaged. No, I decided, Mom is not for me. At least not yet.

As long as she is still saying "Mommy," we are pre-pre-menstraul, pre-pull that skirt down so it covers SOMETHING and pre- Lady, you may have been on earth for several decades, but you know nothing about life.

My colleague Madeline laid out the Mom, Mommy, Mama, Mother and all their male alternatives discussion last week, but I realized there isn't just one in most families. If yours is anything like mine, you went through at least two names for your parents, maybe three or four.

I'm still on the first name, and I'd like it to last a good bit longer. Call it a little girl desperate to grow up and a mommy desperately trying to hold on to time.

Image: Amazon

Parents Enraged by Emergency Contraception Commercial

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:30:00 GMT

British parents are up in arms about a commercial for Levonelle, an over-the-counter emergency contraception pill. After the commercial was aired on three TV channels, hundreds of parents called radio shows to express their outrage.

"Even though it was shown after 9pm my teenage daughters were watching,” one father said. “The worst thing is it makes it seem normal to go and get this pill. We've crossed a moral line with this."

The commercial depicts a casual sex encounter gone wrong—a girl lies in bed next to a slobby musician; a bubble over her forehead, creased with worry, says, “The ‘condom split’ one.” Her worries are intensified by a screaming baby on the bus next to her—then assuaged by a friendly pharmacist.

There is something undeniably off-putting about the commercial—the cheesy, upbeat music, the cuteness of the animation depicting an event that is the opposite of cute. But it’s a 30-second commercial, not an informative, honest discussion of what constitutes a healthy sex life, since that kind of talk is, uh, the parent’s job.

Unsurprisingly but nonetheless idiotically, anti-choice advocates have argued that the pharmaceutical company is promoting abortion, to which a spokesperson for Bayer Schering responded, "Levonelle One Step is not legally or scientifically an abortifacient. It is not effective once the process of implantation has begun and will not interrupt an established pregnancy."

Although most of the parents who complained about this ad focused on its allegedly casual message about sex rather than on abortion, it seems to me that if you support access to emergency contraception, you support allowing TV stations to air this ad.

What would you do if you were watching TV with your kids and this commercial came on?

Image: Brand Republic

Finish Line - Whine Flu and Rude Kids

Brett Singer — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:35:00 GMT

Whew! What a week.

Well, it wasn't any more of a "week" than it was last week. Unless you happen to be a fan of the New York Yankees. In that case, whew. What a week. You know things are bad when Yankee fans get out their Kabbalah bracelets and put all their faith in A-Rod. (Note: we are not suggesting that you purchase a Kabbalah bracelet. Unless you want to. Up to you.)

Jeanne wins the Belly Laugh of the Week Award with It's Not Swine Flu - Your Kid Has Whine Flu.
Madeline plays Miss Manners, but a funny Miss Manners, with They Say: Today's Kids are Rude, Here's Why.
Hannah told us about the return of the Republican Robo Daughter, with Bristol Palin Campaigning for Abstinence Only. Oh, and she's getting paid like Carrie Prejean. Memo to those with causes: if you have pay someone to talk to the media about it, there's a chance that you don't have as much support as you think you do.
Sunny told us that if you named your baby Emily, you're just being trendy, whether you knew it or not, with Move Over Emily – There’s a New Most Popular Baby Name. Unless you named your son Emily. Then you are marching to the beat of a different drummer.
Keri made life easy for her family by telling them about what she wants to eat in bed this Sunday, with Kitchenista: The Mother's Day Breakfast I Really Want.
I got all hopped about pre-teen tanning with 10 Year Old Burned By Tanning Bed.
And finally, Mike wins the Public Service For The Clueless Award, with his post The Mother's Day Minefield: Presents from Hell. "Chia mother's head." Heh heh.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Swine Flu - Maybe We Won't Close School

Poll - Portia and Ellen Most Trusted Moms

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

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 8th

Whit Honea — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Julia Roberts Shows Her Bikini Bod & Tattoo In Honor Of Her Kids (PHOTOS)

Jon & Kate - Jon Is Cheating -It's Been Confirmed - Photos

Elizabeth Edwards Has "No Idea" If John's The Baby Daddy

Jon Gosselin Tells EW Exclusively "I Did NOT Cheat!"

I'm Following You, Nicole Richie

Pregnant Heidi Klum Naked on Ellen - Video

Mary Stuart Masterson Has Reason to Smile!

'Idol' Winner David Cook Announces his Brother's Passing at 5K Race (VIDEO)

Matthew Fox Prepares to get UnLost with Family

Jenny McCarthy To Get Her Own Talk Show?

Ed Burns and Christy Turlington Are Not Selfish

Kate Gosselin To Address Rumors About Jon?

Poll - Portia and Ellen Most Trusted Moms

Brett Singer — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

ParentDish did a Mother's Day poll. Over 10,000 people voted. (For an Internet poll, that's a lot, trust me. Or as Paris Hilton might say, "huge.")

The first question on the poll was the following: "Which celebrity would you most feel comfortable leaving your kids with?"

You know who won? Drum roll, please...

With 31%, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi took the top spot. Rounding out the list were Jennifer Aniston (22%), Rachel Ray (20%), Angelina and Brad (18%) and coming in last was Oprah Winfrey with 9%.

The results are interesting. I probably would have put Rachel Ray first, and Ellen and Portia second. (Carrie Prejean, methinks, would put Ellen and Portia dead last.) Putting Jennifer ahead of Angie and Brad seems odd, but I guess that's the way the celebrity winds are blowing this week.

Obviously the fact that the top choice was a same-sex couple is worth mentioning. Or is it? Have a majority of us progressed past the point where we care what sort of family we would leave our kids with? (In theory of course -- as far as I know, none of the famous folks in this poll are offering babysitting services.)

Out of this group, who would you leave your kids with? Would the sexual orientation of the parents factor in to your decision?

Source: ParentDish

image: Daily News

American Incest Dad Gets 109 Years In Jail

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

Chinese Parents Detained for Seeking Answers about Kids’ Deaths

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

A year after the Sichuan earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people, parents who lost their only child in the quake have been continually thwarted in their search for answers about their kids’ deaths.

Seven thousand classrooms collapsed in the quake, many of them surrounded by other buildings that remained standing. Grief-stricken parents have spent the last year pressuring the government to give them answers about the construction of school buildings, which they claim were built with substandard materials to cut costs.

A new report from Amnesty International reveals that not only has the government failed to provide answers about the shoddy construction of schools, but they have repeatedly detained parents and concerned relatives who have marched or contacted authorities in relation to the kids’ deaths. Some relatives have been held for as long as 21 days, and one of the detained was only eight-years-old.

A new HBO documentary, which will air this Thursday at 8, examines parents’ struggles for government accountability, and will hopefully increase international pressure on China to give these bereaved parents some peace of mind in the form of an investigation and a promise to uphold safe building standards in the future.

Photo: New York Times

They Say: Kids Who Watch Adult TV Have Sex Earlier

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital have found a link between the amount of adult television children watch and the age at which teens become sexually active.

Researchers tracked 754 children between the ages 6 and 18 at two stages in their lives, first to see how much adult television they watched over the weekend as young kids, and later to see the age at which they first became sexually active. According to Science Daily, “The study found that for every hour the youngest group of children watched adult-targeted content over the two sample days, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent.”

It seems to me that this correlation may have more to do with uninvolved parents than with TV. Any six-year-old who is allowed to watch several hours of adult television in a day is not likely to have parents who will talk to him or her about sex later in life.

This point of view is enforced by a comment made by a lead author of the study, who said, "Television and movies are among the leading sources of information about sex and relationships for adolescents.”

That, to me, is far more disturbing than any correlation established between teen sexual activity and television. If parents and educators were talking to kids about healthy sexual behavior, they wouldn’t be nearly as likely to be influenced by the drunken promiscuity portrayed on shows like The O.C. and Gossip Girl.

I’m certainly no fan of the majority of mainstream television—particularly not as entertainment for six-year-olds—but it would be much easier, and perhaps more effective, to raise awareness about the need for parents to openly discuss healthy sexual behavior with their kids than it would be to substantially shift the entire foundation of popular culture.

It’s high time that more studies on teen sexuality activity focused on parent-child relationships, rather than just on the media.

Photo: saidaonline.com

What Burlesque Can Teach Your Daughter

Are You Mom, Mommy or Mother?

Madeline Holler — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:28:00 GMT

Long story, but I was reading an email from Ann Coulter the other day. In it, she was mourning the death of her mom, whom she referred to as "Mother." She also brought up her dad, or as she put it, "Father." Of course I thought, "Sure, that sounds about right." This hate-mongering, sexist xenophobe with obvious attachment issues had to have been raised in an emotionally cold home, one in which the parents were referred to in the distancing and overly formal monikers: Mother and Father.

Ahhh, but my colleagues here corrected me. More than one of us at Strollerderby calls the parentals "Mother" or "Father." There's also a prevalent Mother and Daddy combo, which, we all figured, comes from somewhere in the South.

So now I'm wondering what other people call their moms and dads. And what our kids call us.

In my white-bread Midwestern upbringing, most friends used "Mom" and "Dad," except those who spoke a language besides English at home -- and even some of them went with Mom and Dad anyway.

My own kids call me "Mom" or "Mommy" (or when they're getting all snuggly/manipulative "Mama") and their father "Daddy" (though lately the 8-year-old has been employing the oh, so mature version "Dad.")

What do you call your parents? What do your kids call you? Did you tell them what to call you or did it just happen? There's nothing sadder than a mother trying to get her kids to call their father "Papa," but they'll only use "Dad." Has it happened to you?

How to Pick the Perfect Name for Siblings

Can We Talk About the Word "Panties"?

Photo: theodoresworld.com

Depressed Dads More Likely to Have Depressed Kids

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Traditionally, research about the link between a caretaker’s and a child’s mental health has focused on mothers. But a team of researchers has officially shown that it ain’t just the womenfolk who screw up their kids.

University of Oxford researchers found that teenagers with depressed dads are more likely to be depressed themselves and to have suicidal thoughts. Kids whose fathers suffer from generalized anxiety disorder are twice as likely to have anxiety themselves. And paternal alcoholism is associated with a whole range of behavioral problems in children (particularly sons), including substance abuse, poor academic performance, and low self-esteem.

Having grown up with a father who struggles with depression, I find this study most important for its societal implications. Whether or not my own depression was imparted to me by my dad—either biologically or relationally—my father is the person who has helped me the most when I’m going through a depressive episode because he understands exactly what I’m experiencing and he’s committed to helping me through it.

But my father’s willingness to openly discuss personal problems is rare among men. As researchers point out, men are more reticent than women to seek help in managing mental health problems. I suspect that this reticence could have a greater effect on children than a father’s mental state, particularly for sons who are taught to adopt a “tough guy” mentality for dealing with emotional difficulties.

Photo: BBC

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 1st

Whit Honea — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Details Revealed About SJP Twins: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Her Surrogate!

Rosie O'Donnell's Marital Spat Gets Twittered By Neighbor

BREAKING: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Expecting Twins!

Gavin Rossdale Had A Secret Romance?

Portraits of the Artists as Young Men - Before They Were Famous

Wolverine Goes to Disneyland

Sarah Jessica Parker - Baby Bump On Display

Patton Oswalt Welcomes a Baby Girl

Brangelina Started Because Jennifer Aniston Is A Secret Lesbian?

Jennifer Aniston Adopting A Boy!

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

When Toddlers Attack The Neighbors

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT

It's one thing when your kids mess up your house. It's quite another when they destroy someone else's.

And when they get into the neighbors' house? Look out.

John and Matthew Farrer, ages 2 and 3, are brothers. In crime. The pair of toddlers "wandered away from their home on Friday morning," and while their parents and 100 emergency workers searched high and low, they were having a blast next door at Angie Lovorn's house.

What did the little scamps? Ate some Teddy Grahams and marshmallows. Played with stuffed animals. Oh, and trashed the kitchen.

Ms. Lovorn had worked a late shift, and was asleep while the boys did some damage. She eventually woke up, "just as searchers finally saw the boys leaving through a back door, one wearing her son's Clemson University football helmet," according to ParentDish. That's a great image. Very "Home Alone."

This goes to the theory, espoused by the parent of a childhood friend, that boys should be released into the woods until they're 18. (Obviously girls could have done the same thing. It's just funnier that it was boys.)

As for the boys getting out, this is why I lock my door. I don't need my children running amok outside my sphere of influence.

Image: wyff4.com

Source: ParentDish

Test Drive a Car for Mom - Fight Breast Cancer

Parents Need To Eat, Too -- Right?

Leap on Over to the Baby Jumping Festival

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

Japanese Potty Training Video

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

Brett Singer — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Remember Alec Greven? He's the kid who wrote How To Talk To Girls last year. This time when I say "kid", I don't mean someone under 25. I mean kid. Because he's 10 years old.

Now Alec has written two more books. How to Talk to Moms and How to Talk to Dads.

In this interview with The Today Show, the young Mr. Greven tells us that "Dad is more lenient." There is an "80% chance that dad will say yes to little stuff when mom might say no."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What else?

"Moms love hugs and nice notes." They especially like it when you "admit [that] you make a mistake [and] write a note that says I'm sorry." Helping out around the house is also a way to make mom happy.

His advice about dads could be taken the wrong way. Alec says that "dads have a good side and a bad side," and that "staying on dad's good side depends on your mood and attitude...If you have good behavior, you stay on dad's good side." This sounds a little bit like what an abused child might say on an episode of "Law & Order." Not saying there's anything weird going on, but it sounded funny to me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Examples of "bad behavior" that will get you on dad's "bad side" include: "tattletaling" on dad to mom (Alec says that he caught dad drinking out of the milk carton, told mom, and dad was not pleased), and also "fighting with your brother."

For their part, "moms don't like it when you bring snakes and spiders into the house." Alec says that he doesn't do this sort of thing, but his brother (the one he fights with, I suppose) does; he says that his mother often finds "rolly pollys" in his brother's coat pocket. (I had to look up what rolly-pollys are, apparently they're pill bugs. My wife and I would be equally annoyed if either kid brought those into our house.)

Under intense questioning from Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera, Alec admits that his advice is based on personal experience, but he did do some research because "parents have their own little tricks and stuff so I had to make sure other families did it to."

On the one hand, I'm happy for the kid. He seems nice enough, and says that he has donated some of the money he's earned to a cancer charity. He also started a school writing contest, and hopes that he has inspired a lot of other kids to write. "Without writers we can't have books to read," he says. "Without books, we can't learn."

Alec isn't resting on his laurels. For the holidays, he will give us "How To Talk To Santa," and he might do "How To Talk To Teachers."

On the other hand, WHERE'S MY BOOK DEAL? Or more to the point, why aren't my children writing books, earning money so I can relax? Huh? HUH?

OK, I think I'm mostly happy for him. Although I may have a little chat with my kids tonight. Perhaps they'd like to pen "How To Talk -- All The Time." Could be a bestseller.

Source: MSNBC (click the link if the embedded video doesn't work), Amazon.com

Image: Nerve.com

Terrible Ideas, Cookbook Edition

Japanese Potty Training Video

A Dad's Point of View: Am I Selfish? Or Just a Jerk?

What Should A Man Do While A Woman Breastfeeds

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

Best of FameCrawler - Week of April 24th

Whit Honea — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

David Beckham's Victoria Tattoo Is Misspelled

David Kellerman -CFO Of Freddie Mac Commits Suicide

Photos Don't Lie: Angelina & Brad Did THIS

In Which Tom Cruise and John Travolta Will Ruin Movies for Our Children and Our Children's Children

Geri Halliwell Reveals Her Dark Past

Guess the Baby Bump!

Celebrity Guess Who: Name the Mom Edition

CBS' Julie Chen Pregnant!

Octomom Nadya Suleman is Ready to Add to The Family, AAACK!

Madonna's Ex-Chef: She's A Self-Centered Mother

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

Dad Drives Drunk With Kids In Car

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Jason Ryan Damos of Portland, Oregon went for a drive. Drunk. With his kids in the back seat. A police chase ensued, and eventually Damos was caught. And arrested. Charges were "reckless endangerment, hit and run, felony elude and drunken driving." ("Felony elude" is a new term to me. It has a nice ring to it.)

After being involved in a hit and run accident, Damos kept on driving, possibly hitting other cars; full details were not in the KATU report. The main thing is that he had his two children, ages 3 and 4, in the back seat while he did his version of "The Dukes of Hazzard."

How drunk was he? According to one of the arresting officers, he was "beyond intoxicated." That phrase isn't as new to me as "felony elude," but it is very descriptive.

The mother of the two children was there to take the kids after police got Damos by "getting him to spin out, in what is called a 'pit maneuver.'" Dramatic stuff. Luckily the kids are OK.

Source: KATU

Man Jailed For Spraying Urine On Food And Children's Books

Texas School Accused Of Student Cage Fighting

4 Year Old Brings Pot To School, School Bans Backpacks

UPDATE: Jamie Foxx Apologizes To Miley Cyrus

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:30:00 GMT

Jamie Foxx issued a mea culpa on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. EOnline.com reports that Foxx responded with a "Yeah" when Jay Leno asked him "Did you say something inappropriate?" Here's the rest of it from EOnline:

"I so apologize to [Cyrus], and this is sincere...I am a comedian, and you guys know that whatever I say, I don't mean any of it. And sometimes, as comedians, as we do, we go a little bit too far. I have a radio show...We're really the black Howard Stern. We go at everybody. There was a situation with Miley Cyrus, and I just want to say, I apologize for what I said. I didn't mean it maliciously. You know I'm a comedian."

Then, looking at the camera, "Miley, I apologize, so I'll call you. I got a daughter too, so I completely understand."

So there you go. Good enough? I think so. Do you agree?

Original post follows below.

*-*-*-*-*

So, like, hey now.

A little background. Jamie Foxx has a channel on SiriusXM Satellite Radio where he does a show called The Foxxhole. He said some... things about Miley Cyrus (aka Miley Ray Cyrus Hannah Montana Stewart Lipschutz). Someone called in and mentioned Miley's little dustup with Radiohead (she wanted to meet them, they said no, she got pissy and yakked about it on some radio show). The Oscar-winning Mr. Foxx then went off a bit. Here's the audio, which is not safe for work. At all. Seriously. You have been warned.

So yeah. He said it. There are a few other people in the mix, and I'm not sure who said what. I'm fairly certain it was Jamie Foxx who said that Miley should make a "sex tape", and then a female voice added "with your dad." "White bitch" was in there. Also something about doing heroin "like Britney" (I must have missed that headline about Brit nodding out), as well as a suggestion that Miley catch VD from a bicycle seat. (I didn't think that was possible, but hey, what do I know?)

A few things to say here. First, Foxx said this on his radio show this past Sunday. It appears to only be coming out now. That doesn't diminish it, but it does mean that not a lot of people heard the comments. Second, he was trying to be funny. That doesn't excuse the comments at all, of course. But in theory performers get more latitude when it comes to humor.

As for what was said: it was completely inappropriate and in incredibly poor taste. I'm not a fan of Miley's; I think her music is horrible, and the message of her entire persona seems to be that fame is a goal worth trying for, which is something I don't agree with. (That's the short version of a longer thought that I'll share one of these days.) In my opinion you can make fun of anything and talk about whatever you want. But when its an underage person, boy or girl, and you start saying "white bitch" and suggest that she make a sex tape with her dad, that seems unnecessary. He has the right to say it. But why would he? (A commenter at LATimes.com says that the Foxx clip is somewhat out of context, but, like the Rodney King video, I'm not sure that context matters in this case. Maybe it does, but I doubt it.)

There's also plenty to make fun of when it comes to Miley. The Radiohead thing. The fact that she sleeps in her parents bed sometimes, despite being sixteen years old. Her music. Her TV show. Lots of material to work with before you go to "white bitch" who should do heroin and make a sex tape.

What do you think? Should underage famous people be off-limits, at least in some ways? Or did Miley deserve it?

Source: EOnline

Image: Amazon