At the park, a boy twice my daughter's age called her a "bit**" and threw sand in her face. She's 4. If this type of incident occurs at our local playground while the kids are accompanied by parents and nannies, what happens once they head off to school on their own? A recent report in the San Francisco Chronicle took a look at the serious repercussions of bullying — a first grader suffering a head fracture after being slammed into a tree and an eighth grader committing suicide. The statistics are just as alarming as the stories. It said:
According to the American Medical Association, an estimated 160,000 children a day refuse to go to school for fear of being bullied, often claiming headaches or stomachaches, which they may in fact be experiencing as a symptom of stress and anxiety.
To see how parents can help their offspring deal with this issue, read more
Nearly all parents of elementary school aged children know about the High School Musical phenomenon. Kids are crazy for the quirky teen sing–song sensation and Disney is cashing in on the paraphernalia surrounding it. Troy, Gabriella and the whole crew have had their likenesses turned into dolls, lunchboxes, backpacks and pajamas. While most of the items seem harmless, one packaged good is raising eyebrows.
Some parents have taken issue with the 3 pack set of undies with "Dive In" printed on the front of the panties. Since the outrage, Disney has pulled the product and issued a statement:
The knickers in question were designed using our High School Musical 2 artwork, which uses the creative theme of a swimming pool, as this is a key part of the film's storyline. . . Unfortunately a genuine oversight was made and the text on this product was used outside the context of the swimming pool.
All eyes have been on Olympian golden boy Michael Phelps, but swimmer Dara Torres is in a league of her own. At 41, this mama is the oldest Olympian to ever compete in the aquatic races and this was her fifth time doing so.
After taking silver in the individual 50 meter freestyle and another silver in the 4x100 meter relay, Dara who has one child isn't thinking about how she'll celebrate, she's figuring out how to get back into mommy mode. She told reporters:
The other girls were talking about going backpacking or going to Bali, but I get back on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning I have to take my daughter to school and I have a list of school supplies I have to get.
Kudos to this mum for inspiring other women to shoot for the stars — she deserves a gold. Source
Back in the 70s, we had PBS and few other cartoon options. The classics have endured while some newbies have made their way into the hearts of wee ones. Take my quiz to see if you can guess all of the right characters.
When a child enters school it's quite a commitment for parents. While most moms and dads want to be involved in their offspring's education, it gets hard to pencil in all the activities as the majority of the sports sign-ups, teacher conferences, holiday parties, plays and field trips are during regular academic hours. Some parents set on taking an active role are forced to use all their vacation to attend those "not to be missed" moments. Even stay-at-home parents have to find sitters for their other children to make it to some of these occasions. Do you wish your child's school were more family friendly? Source
Men may age like fine wine, but nothing is more attractive than a woman who struts her stuff after she has hit the half century mark and had children. Today Madonna, mother to Lourdes, Rocco and David, meets that milestone. Happy Birthday to the material girl who now joins the ranks of seasoned celebmamas who have aged gracefully in the public eye and raised offspring! Check out our favorite five talented mums.
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A recent report in the San Francisco Chronicle took a look at the serious repercussions of bullying — a first grader suffering a head fracture after being slammed into a tree and an eighth grader committing suicide. The statistics are just as alarming as the stories. It said:
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