When your three-year-old climbs onto your lap and asks, “Do you love me the best, Mama?,” what do you say? “Well, yes, but not as much as I love your Daddy?” I don’t think so. Keep reading »
Tag Archives: children
My Son And I Are Dating My Boyfriend
I waited five months before introducing my boyfriend, Andy, to my 3-year-old son. All the books and advice givers, including my therapist, suggested we meet at a public place; I chose the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and invited my mother to come along as a buffer. Keep reading »
Trend Alert! Little Boys Like To Get Primped Too
Girls are taking on beauty rituals at a younger and younger ages. I had my first manicure when I was in the fifth or sixth grade as a reward for doing well in school, but I didn’t experience a salon pedicure until the day before my high school senior prom. Mani/pedis, however, are tame compared to what these 5-year-old and preteen girls get into when they frequent spas that cater to the 0 to 12 set. These girls get expensive facials, hair cuts, highlights, and even laser hair removal, which is the most common cosmetic procedure for teens. It’s no surprise that girls are worrying about their appearance at young ages, but little boys are starting to care just as much. Keep reading »
The Fear Of Infertility
I was lying there on the cold, hard examining table. A stranger came in and before I knew it, I was uncomfortably spreading my legs. He told me it wouldn’t hurt and proceeded to stick a strange contraption up into my body. I was there to find out “if all my parts were as they should be.” Keep reading »
Cheating For The Kids
I thought I had heard every excuse for cheating — it’s payback, my needs aren’t being met, I was drunk, etc. — but this excuse takes the cake. A woman revealed to an acquaintance that she is cheating for her kids. Yep, you read that right. She’s not planning on staying in her marriage, so she’s trying to find a daddy replacement for her children before kicking their jerky father to curb. Keep reading »
Don’t Do It: Dating A Guy With Children
If you’re a 20- to 35-year-old woman without any children I caution you against dating a man with kids. I did this once and, let me tell you, I learned my lesson. I dated The Cop off-and-on for about six years and I have to admit that love kept me from realizing just how big a problem his children were in our relationship. Recently, he and I made plans to have a friendly, totally platonic drink to celebrate my promotion. He canceled the day of because his youngest daughter had hit her head and he’d spent the previous night in the emergency room. I totally understood why he had to cancel, but the situation also reminded me why he and I could never work and why I will never date a man with children again. Keep reading »
Get Up And Do Something
Any physical activity is good activity is the message behind the federal guidelines for physical activity, which the Department of Health and Human Services released this month. The core guideline is that Americans should get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend that time in the gym. For the first time, a variety of activities, including daily chores and physically-demanding occupations, count toward physical activity, which can lower the risk of early death, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. But thankfully, the feds have realized that physical activity isn’t one-size-fits-all, so after the jump find recommendations for adults, seniors, children and teens. [New York Times] Keep reading »
Can You Judge A Politician Based On His Baby-Holding Abilities?
I’m not sure, but Barack Obama supporters certainly have a lot of cute examples if they decide to use that as campaign fodder. Oh wait! They have! “Yes We Can (Hold Babies)” has already launched and it’s filled with adorableness. But what about McCain? While there’s no site called “Country First (Babies Too!)” (snatching that URL up, pronto!), I tried to find a picture of McCain doing some infant nuzzling on AP. No such luck. After the jump, the closest thing I could find…. Keep reading »
Bad Names: How Can Parents Do This To Their Children?
Some people don’t like their names. They wish their parents had named them “Melissa” instead of “Margaret,” or that they had a better/more normal middle name, something like “Marie,” the most popular middle name in my seventh grade class. And then there are those who need to change their name in order to function normally in society. A 9-year-old girl in New Zealand has been made a ward of the court so that she can change her name from “Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.” Seriously. Maybe her parents were drunk or high when they came up with the name, but really, is that an excuse for forcing your child to go through life with that name? The poor girl is so embarrassed by her given name that she is known among her friends as “K.” And yet, there are actually people who change their names from normal to bizarre. CNN reports that a guy in Illinois legally changed his first name to “In God” and his last to “We Trust.” Bet that helps him pick up the ladies. [CNN] Keep reading »
Birth A Kid, Lose A Tooth
If you’re planning on having children, please promise that you’ll continue to brush your teeth and visit your dentist twice a year. Researchers at NYU and Yale examined data on 2,635 U.S. women, and they found that across all socioeconomic groups, women with children had fewer teeth than women without children. Among those in the lowest socioeconomic group, the women with no children on average were missing two teeth, while those with one child were missing an average of three teeth. Women with four or more children were missing more than eight teeth! (If this were consistently true, Michelle Duggar would be toothless.)
One of the possible explanations is that women are more prone to gingivitis during pregnancy, which, left untreated, can lead to serious gum disease and tooth loss. Also, one of the study’s authors noted that women might be trying to avoid dental X-rays while they’re carrying a baby inside of them. (Lying in a dentists chair when you’re pregnant sounds incredibly uncomfortable, BTW.) Additionally, women with multiple children might forgo their own dental care due to lack of money or time. [Reuters] Keep reading »
