I feel like I am seeing more and more toddlers on leashes these days. And I have to admit that I have a visceral reaction to seeing a child harnessed to their parent like a pet.
It's true, I tend to give the parent the cut eye for the parenting fail. But when I started to research this post, I'll admit, I had a small change of heart.
A friend told me that her husband volunteered in a Junior Kindgergarten class and some of the kids didn't know how to feed themselves.
Isn't that sad? For the kids and their caregivers, who have spent hours spooning food into their mouths? It isn't just sad, but it is bad for the kids - it is even bad for babies.
Did you hear that shot through the momosphere? That was Anderson Cooper firing up a new round of mommy wars using the term "lazy" as his weapon.
*Disclaimer: I hate the term mommy wars. I think it has been created by the media to place women's choices into boxes that need public approval, but not reflective of women's lives or their relationships.
On a promo for an upcoming show, Cooper had a group of stay-at-home moms and working moms arguing over who was happier. On the Anderson Cooper website the episode was called: "Are Stay-at-Home Moms Lazy? Plus, Kathie-Lee and Hoda" (Kathie-Lee and Hoda and their giant glasses of wine are just a bonus.)
Working mothers are happier than stay-at-home mothers. At least that is what the latest study is telling us.
Working mothers, both part-time and full-time, suffer less depression than moms who are at home full-time. The study seemed to say that moms who work part-time have the best of both worlds since they have time for volunteering in school and time out in the world talking to other adults.
Are constant tantrums a part of your everyday life? Is the yelling and screaming getting you down? Are your old methods of time-outs, the naughty chair and yelling back not working anymore? There is a new method available, and it is free, thanks to the Yale Parenting Center.
(I actually don't want to make fun of the Yale Center, which is one of the few places out there that is doling out parenting advice based on actual research.)
The American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a revised policy last week saying that kids under the age of two should have NO exposure to screens. No TV, phones, tablets - nothing.
The AAP goes one step further saying that adults should not have TV on in the background while their kids are around.
Great, it's too late for my kids. They had lots of screentime as babies and toddlers. I used to watch TV while feeding my babies. What else do you do at 5 a.m.? And occasionally, Oprah was on in the background as I played Hot Wheels for the 1000th hour in a row.
Every once in a while a study comes out with breaking news: Moms are not always happy! We have secrets! Moms need alone time!
The Today Show recently did a large-scale study with parenting.com which promoted incredible headlines such as: Moms Medicate Their Kids For Peace and Quiet; Moms Would Rather Sleep Than Have Sex; Moms Are Overwhelmed!
No kidding. You don't need to ask 26,000 women to get those results. Just head on down to my house and I will invite two friends over.
One of my children is a holder. I won't tell you which one, but one of them can avoid going to the bathroom for days. Our family joke is that he is grinding diamonds in there.
It's been a problem for years (though I have to admit it is getting better) and if any of your kids does it, you will understand some of the agony that we have been through in trying to get him to go empty his bowels. Because when he holds it for a couple of days he is grumpy, tired, he feels sick and it can affect the whole family.
What is your child up to this summer? Camp? Daycare? Hanging around and making you crazy?
If your child is three and lives in New York, they may be in tutoring ensuring that you they, get into a desirable preschool. In fact, three-year-olds living in many parts of North America may be in tutoring this summer, or at least some kind of formalized reading and school readiness programs.
I love a little baby belly. I love seeing it over the top of a diaper, running wild in a bathing suit bottom, anywhere except in a bikini.
I just think bikinis for little girls are a bit wrong. Now I know that many people disagree with me, that they think bikinis are adorable and sweet. But I think those little triangles (c'mon leopard print??) that rarely cover the nipples are at best useless and at worst, trying to portray little girls as sexy. And let's be honest, bikinis aren't even comfortable! So what's the point?
Emma WavermanEmma Waverman writes five days a week about the chaos of modern family life here at MSN.ca. She is the co-author of the family cookbook Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and Families Who Love Them and is hoping to one day to finish her certification as a parenting coach. She lives with her three kids, ranging from tween to grade schooler, and husband in Toronto. Emma has written for a variety of national parenting and lifestyle magazines and papers. When she’s is not making typos, telling you what she thinks, and thinking about dinner - you can find her on Twitter at @emmawaverman. You can contact Emma at embracingchaos@hotmail.ca
Spoon feeding isn't making childeren obese!!! It is the garbage they are eating and the lack of exercise!
onMy daughter is 10 months and she is about 50/50 between spoon feeding and self feeding. She starts her meal with the goopy stuff that requires a spoon, and ends it with eating the finger foods. I can understand how spoon feeding could lead to obesity if its forced, but you've also got to teach your children to communicate/ learn how to read them. When I'm spoon feeding my daughter, when shes full, she tends to close her eyes and put her hand up. Try once or twice more, same reaction, shes done. Its not so much the method the food goes in the mouth, but the idea of "cleaning your plate" that creates the problem. If a person has a child self feeding, they can still make them eat beyond satisfaction. Not the method but the attitude!
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