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Archive for the ‘discipline’ Category
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Dear Sprint, Limit the iPhone? Let Me Count the Ways
By Daddy Clay Monday, November 28th, 2011
You’ve seen the apps drifting across the cityscape in the most recent commercial from Sprint. The one that ends with a cherubic kiddo, maybe 5 years old, playing with what we assume is his parent’s iPhone 4S as the voice over asks, “Why would anyone want to limit the iPhone?”
Did I hear that right?
What next? Disney touting parent-free cruises to Amsterdam? Read the rest of this entry »
Beats by Dre: Giving Def a Whole New Meaning
By Daddy Clay Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
If you have a tween or a teen, you know what Beats by Dre are. And if this recent, breathless piece in the New York Times business section is right — there are going to be Benetton-hued, obscenely-priced headphones under a lot of trees this Christmas. While there is some debate about whether the sound quality of the Beats is crisp or craptastic, there is no doubt about one thing: Plug those ‘phones into an iPod, crank the volume, and your child can have permanent hearing damage in just two songs. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear School Administrator
By Daddy Clay Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Dear School Administrator,
Ordinarily, my wife and I would never ask for any kind of special treatment for our daughter Pookey (last year’s letter was an exception), but I do have a few small requests on behalf of my child.
Frequently when we ask about school, Pookey complains that her teacher “doesn’t like me.” I am supremely confident this is not the case (who could resist Pookey?), but feel some gesture needs to be made before there is self-esteem damage. A note perhaps (if it were passed in view of the other students it would be best). Or, hey, let’s get “outside the box” — Would it be too much to ask that this teacher bring my child a bouquet of flowers? How about if I provide the bouquet of flowers? Read the rest of this entry »
Parenting News: Breastfeeding and SIDS, Smartphones, Child Safety, Pets and Allergies, Video Games, Roughhousing
By Dad News Thursday, June 16th, 2011
Breastfeeding Linked to Lower Risk of SIDS: Babies who are breastfed – especially those only fed breast milk, and not formula as well – are less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, suggests a new analysis of past studies. (Reuters)
Smartphone Danger: Distracted Parenting: “Mama, put the phone AWAY.” That’s my kid talking to me, and she’s only 3. She’s scolding me, but she’s scolding you, too. (CNN.com)
Kids At Risk: Say Something Or Bite Your Tongue?: These situations make us cringe but it can be hard to know how we should react. Is it an innocent bystander’s ethical duty to approach the parent in the name of a child’s safety, or does society dictate minding one’s own business? (CNN.com)
Study: Living With Pets May Protect Infants from Allergies: Children who live with dogs and cats are less likely to develop allergies to those animals later in life, but only if the pet is under the same roof while the child is still an infant, a new study suggests. (Time.com)
Training Via Video Game Shown to Boost Kid’s Brain Power: Playing a memory-straining video game can help children solve problems more easily, a goal that can be difficult to achieve through so-called cognitive training, a new study suggests. (HealthDay)
Two Dads Offer the Perfect Antidote to Helicopter Parenting: A Guide to ‘Safe’ Roughhousing: It took an M.D. and a Ph.D. to come up with “The Art of Roughhousing,” a new parenting guide to good old-fashioned horseplay complete with ultra-simple diagrams for a safe “raucous pillow fight” or round of “human cannonball.” (Washington Post)
