Coloring Your Kids World?

Just in time for the 11th anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy a US publisher has a new book for your kids. Wow, is it just me or isn’t this a colossally bad idea? A 9-11 coloring book? Really! They try to make it seem a little better by saying it’s got a PG-13 rating……but that doesn’t help. The 13 year olds I know don’t color with crayons anymore. We all know it’s the smaller children who do. They are touting this book as a “teaching tool”. Is this how you want to tell you kids about evil people doing evil things, putting in full graphic detail, crash sites and the face of Saddam to color?


To make matters worse, get this, the book includes terrorists trading cards for your kids to share and trade! How lovely. The publisher says it’s to “name and shame” them. Granted this isn’t the first time terrorists trading cards have made print. It was a bad idea then and still is now. And, exactly, how are trading cards shaming them?

The publisher, Wayne Bell, of St. Louis-based Big Coloring Books, Inc., says, "We don't take a position on the books we publish. We publish books based on readership”, he adds. "We publish books that readers buy."  Read more…… http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/9-11-coloring-book-features-terrorist-trading-cards-204300629.html

So, it IS just about the money…….

Coffee and Beer....for Toddlers?

So I mentioned last week seeing a parent on the Lifetime TV show “the Week the Women Went” giving their 3 year old coffee. The father said she loves it and drinks it all the time. I was appalled that a parent would give their toddler a cup of coffee.

Not only is caffeine a stimulant and addictive but it can have side effects like jitters, stomach problems, heart palpitations and irritability. Young children are still growing and developing and caffeine affects the receptors in the brain. Granted, so does chocolate (however, not as much) but there are plenty of things better for your child to drink rather than coffee and/or soda. Any pediatrician will tell you not to give a child coffee. Most coffee has quite a bit more caffeine than even regular soda. (check out caffeine levels in your favorite drink):  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211/


Are we really back to “…but I don’t want to tell my child NO”? I checked out the topic online and found there are quite a few people who don’t think this is a bad thing. There are also some who think that a sip of their beer, wine or alcohol can’t hurt either. I completely disagree and think it’s ridiculous to even introduce these things into a child’s life. They’ll have plenty of time to find their own vices on their own when they become an adult, they don’t need a jump start. What purpose does this serve anyway? People ask, why shouldn’t you give your kids these things (and don’t see reason not to)? I think the question is, why should you? Give me a good reason TO give your kids adult drinks. Which side are you on?

Men in Distress, Crisis TV

A new TV show series on Lifetime aired their first episode yesterday, called “The Week the Women Went”. Did you watch this? It’s a reality type show where TV cameras descend on a whole town in South Carolina and tape what happens when they remove all the women over 18 yrs old and leave the men to fend for themselves and their children for 1 week.

Now, I’m not a huge reality fan and I don’t believe for a second that none of this program’s pandemonium is pre-planned but it is VERY entertaining none the less.

The men have to take care of everything from the toddlers beauty pageant and running their wives businesses to the everyday get-the-kids-fed-bathed-and-to-sleep that every mom deals with all the time. Some have babies, some are dealing with school aged children and some have teenagers giving them problems.

It’s funny to see expressions on the husband’s faces that can only come from dealing with unreasonable children and toddlers. They are fish out of water and many have the glazed over eyes already and we’re only into the first day! It promises to be a rollercoaster series indeed.

To see Lifetime’s official “The Week the Women Went” page;

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/the-week-the-women-went

On a side note: I was appalled to see one dad giving his 3 year old daughter coffee (simply because she asked) and mentions that they (parents) do this all the time and that she loves It! Stay tuned to the post, “Should I be giving my child coffee (or any other adult beverages)?”

Potty Parties: film at 11

What about these potty parties I keep hearing about? Do we really need to throw a party for a child who learns to control a bodily function? Potty parties are just another over-achieving mommy’s idea of an event that needs to be memorialized with a special party for their special child. Ridiculous!

People, as a parent you should celebrate this event with your child; hugs all around, maybe some candy and stickers, maybe even a cake, AT HOME, with the family. This is not and should not be a public event. We need to reel in this trend of having a party for EVERYTHING your child does and take a step back so they can have realistic expectations of life.

And now, as if the party thing isn’t enough, we have the I-really-must-post-this-for-the-world-to-see parents on social network/video sites! Yikes!

I realize this is a milestone in your child’s life but is it really public-video-YouTube-worthy? This has got to be worse than the party because at least the party is over at some point. I see this stuff and I am SOOO thankful that YouTube didn’t exist in my day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhdyh6hSdgs

I feel bad for these kids because these videos of them pooping will NEVER go away, ever. The parents think they’re adorable but I’m wondering if the children featured are gonna love the idea of it when they’re older and say….dating? Shouldn’t these types of videos, if the parents MUST tape them, stay in the family vault somewhere?

How are you celebrating the potty training milestone at your house? Keeping it in the family or “going public”?