Is Gender Selection of a Fetus Ethical?: But this technology is igniting a heated ethical debate before it is even clinically available. Many fear that it will be used for a reason that has nothing to do with medical outcomes. They fear parents will use it for sex selection, aborting healthy fetuses that are of an unwanted sex. (CNN.com)
Kids With Nut Allergies Feel Teased, Excluded: According to a new study conducted in the U.K., families with children who are living with this potentially life-threatening condition often feel isolated, stigmatized, or unfairly excluded from activities, due to the allergies. (CNN.com)
Summer Camp Behind Bars: Program Connects Kids, Incarcerated Dads: When Sharon sent her son to summer camp, it changed his life. That happens to a lot of kids. But 13-year-old Damar went to camp at a medium-security prison in Ohio where his father was serving time for a drug conviction. Being together strengthened their relationship and left him with a more positive view of his father, Sharon says. (Today Parenting)
More Evidence Shows Autism Raises Risk for Later Siblings: It’s already known that children with older siblings who have autism spectrum disorder or ASD, have a higher risk of developing the condition themselves, and a new study in Pediatrics finds that risk is even higher than previously expected. (CNN.com)
All School, No Play? Kids’ Learning Suffers Without Recess, Experts Say: An overall decrease in playtime in even young children is resulting in kids who don’t have a “culture of play,” said Jill Vialet, the founder of Playworks, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the climate of play in schools, teaching kids the kinds of games they would have once learned from older peers. (Today Parenting)
Netflix For Kids: Going After Your Children With Kid-Friendly Version of Netflix: In the fight to win back the hearts of consumers burned by the price hike, Netflix might have an ace up their sleeve: your kids. As any major retailer can tell you, if you get the kids… you get the parents… or at least their money. Netflix may be many things, but they haven’t shown themselves to be stupid, so they’ve created a kid-friendly version of the site that strips out the text and focuses on familiar, recognizable characters. (Reel SEO)
Cartoons on Food Boxes Create Nagging Children: It’s a tried-and-true marketing method: Slap a famous cartoon on food boxes and odds are children will be more likely to seek the food out at the store. But research now suggests that silly cartoons appearing on food boxes may also determine whether children will pester their mothers to buy the food and also the level of nagging parents are likely to experience. (ABC News)







I utilized the new Netflix interface last night – it’s made it MUCH easier to find whichever pesky episode my kid is asking for, rather than being buried in my queu. (We only have Netflix, no cable, so the price hike does not bother me as much as others!)