As I dropped my youngest off at daycare this morning, the teachers’ in the 18 month old ro… more
Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Parenting News: Gender Selection, Nut Allergies, Prison, Autism, Recess, Netflix, Cartoons
By Dad News Thursday, August 18th, 2011
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)
Parenting News: Breastfeeding, Stay at Home Dads, Pregnancy, Kids and Hospitals, Asthma, Medications
By Dad News Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Hospitals Fail in Support of Breastfeeding, CDC Says: Across the country, just 14 percent of these institutions have a model written breastfeeding policy in place, and the majority give infants food or drink other than breast milk when it’s not medically necessary, according to the agency’s August issue of Vital Signs. (ABC News)
A Stay-At-Home Dad Wonders Why He Gets the Hairy Eyeball on Playgrounds: “Of course, I’m a potential predator simply because I’m a guy. It must be inconceivable for a man to comfort his own child, so the obvious conclusion is I’m attempting to abduct a kid in broad daylight and pick up some half-price noodles and toothpaste at the same time. Slightly less offensive is the notion a woman can be automatically granted a free pass.” (Today.com)
Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Lessen Infant Colds: Pregnant women who consume plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from supplements or natural sources such as salmon may be helping to fortify the immune system of their babies, a new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests. (CNN.com)
Study Finds Kids Want More Info About Their Hospital Care: The study authors interviewed 55 children and teens, aged 7 to 18, at three hospitals and found that the kids wanted to be included in discussions about their care and to have their views and concerns taken seriously. While some felt included in discussions, most reported difficulties. (HealthDay)
Indoor Mold Poses Key Asthma Risk for Babies: When infants are exposed to mold in thed home, their risk for developing asthma more than doubles, according to a study published Tuesday in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The study doesn’t prove mold causes asthma, but it does suggest that exposure to mold during infancy is linked to the development of chronic inflammation of the lung airways, which causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. (CNN.com)
Many Kids Abuse Controlled Medications: More than one in five teens who get strong painkillers, stimulants or other controlled medications from their doctor take too much of the substances, according to a new survey of Michigan students. (Reuters)
Parenting News: Talking to Strangers, Pink for Boys, Healthy Eating, ADHD
By Dad News Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Talking to Strangers? Rewriting the Rules of Childhood: We teach our children not to talk to strangers, but — as in Leiby’s case —sometimes they have to. After all, if they’re lost, how are my kids ever going to be found unless they first approach a stranger to lend them a cell phone so they can call me? (TIME.com)
For Young Boys, Is Pink the New Blue?: For generations the view has held strong that while girls must dress in pink to be girls, boys can’t do anything with pink, lest they turn into girls. It’s the view that’s determined the color scheme in many a kids’ bedroom, clothes and toy closets, and that has held strong through decades of change. But, in today’s 21st century world, is that view changing? (ABC News)
Happy Meal Gets a Makeover: The seemingly ubiquitous Happy Meals that have drawn the ire of health advocates and have been blamed for contributing to childhood obesity, will carry apple slices, reduced portion of french fries and a choice of beverage, including new fat-free chocolate milk and 1% low-fat white milk. (CNN.com)
Are Kids With ADHD More Likely to Get Hit By a Car?: Children with ADHD, by definition, are easily distracted and more prone to injuries. But a new study shows the condition could even be life-threatening since affected kids are more likely to be hit by a car when crossing the street. (TIME.com)
More Kids Eating Calorie-Packed Take-Out Food: The obesity epidemic is being fueled still further by a growing trend among kids to eat out and bring take-out food home, University of North Carolina researchers say. Such foods are high in sugar and calories, and their increasing popularity means youngsters are getting more calories than they need, the researchers noted.
(HealthDay)
Hey Kids, Is that Broccoli in Your Casserole?: A new study found that youngsters got more of their daily greens when researchers pureed veggies and added them to kids’ main dishes at breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the sly. And the kids didn’t seem to notice that anything was different — or to like the meals any less than non-veggie-packed fare. (Reuters)
