Kids Born Via IVF Mostly Faring Well Into Adulthood “Because those earliest stages are different for children conceived through IVF, that could, in theory, result in differences in disease risks.” (Reuters)

Jailed For Taking Kids To Jury Duty How else will our children learn how the legal system works? (NYTimes)

Fake Nostalgia For A Pre-Therapy Past Are kids better off figuring out all their problems by themselves? (NYTimes)

Bully For You, Chilly For Me How should kids deal with a bully? How about parents? (Dadcentric)

In Practice: Overheard within twelve hours of mom’s departure — “You see, coach, My Wife Is Out of Town, so I couldn’t find Ri-ri’s soccer uniform. Or her water. Or her ball.”

In Theory: Don’t gender daily housework or routines, especially with your daughter. Model for her your ability to handle even those “girly” tasks like putting hair in ponytails.

In Practice: The bathroom door slams in my face when I ask if I can help with the hair situation. Her struggles continue all he way onto the sideline of her brother’s soccer game. She adamantly shrugs off my attempts to help. A mom on the sideline asks, “Can I help you with that?” and before I can warn her off, Ri-ri has handed over the brush and has backed in for service.

In Theory: Do not lose the children.

In Practice: It’s my second lap around the elementary school, panic rising. Ri-ri is on the field playing soccer, so she’s accounted for, but Coop has vanished from the playscape while I was spectating. He’s not on any of the fields, not on a second playscape, not in any of the bathrooms. All the other doors are locked. In desperation, I shout his name at the dense thicket that abuts the school property. It shouts back, “Dad! We found a creek!”

In Theory: Cook for the children, observing the same nutritional guidelines the family would normally follow. Dads are as competent in the grocery aisle and the kitchen as moms are. To depend on takeout and processed food reduces your standing and has negative impact on the kids’ health.

In Practice: Marinated and grilled pork tenderloin, pesto pasta, salad, apple slices, that the kids lavish with such patronizing praise that I’m serving frozen pizza for the rest of the week.

In Theory: Keep the kids healthy! Observing routines will help, but if a child does grow ill, dads are just as capable as moms of being patient and nurturing. Male nurses are more and more common, after all. Get in touch with your inner Florence Nightingale.

In Practice: As the stars parade across Oscar’s red carpet, I’m loading vomit-soaked sheets into the washing machine. For the second time. Because as any good parent knows, the last thing you want to do when a child throws up all over his room is strip the bed and put on the only other clean sheets, then deliver a stern lecture on nutrition because the child went on a Smart Food binge while you were chatting with an old college buddy on the soccer sideline because the child will promptly boot again, this time all over the pillows, comforter, stuffed animals, curtains, carpet and bookshelves, leaving you without any clean sheets so you will have to make a humiliating call to your spouse admitting that you not only allowed the child to become sick, but also that you don’t know if you can put the comforter and Wally the Panda in the washing machine.

In Theory: Parenting experts.

In Practice: We screw up so you don’t have to.

I had just inadvertently burst into the ladies room and I knew exactly who was to blame. Daddy Troy. It’s the Gear Daddy’s fault because he’s such a big fan of those bathroom door icons that are so “witty” that you have to stand in the hallway for twenty minutes until you finally puzzle out if you are a “Pointer” or a “Setter.”

I had obviously guessed wrong. So I quickly ducked back out and headed for the other door. This door featured a matron kneading dough. Could that be right? Was I a “kneader?” The first door featured a chef, clearly male, firing a pizza. Maybe I was right the first time.

I crept back into the bathroom and peered around a corner. There to reassure me was a urinal. But how could this be right?

The presence of the Most Epic Changing Station in the History of Men’s Rooms is what had thrown me off.

So let me say it loud: Mandola’s Italian Market restaurant on Guadalupe Street in Austin Texas has a changing table of Historical Significance.

Way back in 2004, the dadblogging pioneer Greg over at Daddytypes began posting a running account of which men’s rooms in New York featured changing tables — a project that gained national attention and brought focus to the, hem, changing roles of dads in modern families. SAHDs made the news because of this issue. Not surprisingly, we blatantly ripped this idea off.

Since then, changing stations have slowly made their way into men’s rooms as far south as Austin. The most ubiquitous is the Koala. I’ve come in recent years, despite that wonderful fact that my kids are out of diapers, to make mental note of when I see a Koala changing station in a restaurant. I check a box in my head in favor of that place. Seeing a Koala is still rare enough, but still encouraging.

But this Mandola’s thing. This is a game changer.

Let’s take a moment to note the features. To wit: a wooden frame changing station with ergonomic pad, disposable changing pad covers, wipes, baby powder (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know), diapers *of several sizes,* and a diaper pail.

What it says? “We honor parents that are also men. Bring your kids to our restaurant and we will make every possible accommodation to make your meal pleasant. We recognize that we have to be talking to dads as well as moms.”

In a restaurant in Austin, Texas? I think this poopy diaper station represents a tipping point.

85 Million African Children To Be Immunized Against Polio Polio might be a disease of the past in America but it’s still an epidemic in Africa. (AFP)

Rule #64: Send Your Kid to Mafia Training Camp 100% of kids get picked on at some point in their childhood yet few are trained to deal with it. That’s where Mafia Training Camp comes in. (ReallyBadParentingAdvice)

FDA Warns Nestle, Others For Misleading Food Claims So sugary chocolate wrapped up in other chemicals isn’t good for you?! (Reuters)

Having a Child to Save Another How far would you go to save your child? Is having a child to save a child ethically and morally wrong? (NYTimes)