When should you have babies? The widening gap between culture and biology. NPR
Some schools are implementing single-sex classes to help boys catch up. Boston Globe
Is your child addicted to video games? U.S. News & World Report
An Arkansas woman, Michelle Duggar, is pregnant with her 18th child! (She wrote an article for us back when she had only 14…) Yahoo! News
Facebook is making changes to protect its younger users. New York Times
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Ahhhhh, birthday parties! (Do you hear a sigh of joy or perhaps a frazzled, pull-your- hair-out scream?) These events welcome both the joys and the anxieties of being a parent. But don't fret; we're here to help.
Check out the May issue of Parents that hit the news stands yesterday for 87 new birthday party ideas (yes, we actually counted). We give you everything from party themes to party planning do's and don't's to the coolest cake pans you'll ever see, so you won't be left twirling in circles, begging Calgon to take you away. And of course we would never leave you without the ever-important time line that will help keep your candles and cupcakes in a row.
Now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Party planning just got a little easier.
It's true...Toy Fair 2008 has come to an end. And while all that's left at the Javitz Center are forgotten game pieces, bits of cotton batting, and abandoned toy catalogs, here at Parents/GoodyBlog HQ we're still mulling over our favorite toys and booths at the show. For me it's simple: If I love the toys, I love the booth. And this year the booth that gave me the warmest, fuzziest, cupcakes-dancing-through-my-head feeling was Haba's. I visited their floor space at the show yesterday and got to check out many of their over 400 new toys. From rattles to room decor, this German company has something for every age and stage of your child's life. These are my show-favorites:
This play tent (you may have seen Kourtney in this exact tent) is just one of Haba's many room decor pieces that are durable, practical and just so darn beautiful. The tent even folds up to fit in the tiny round bag in front!
This soft play blanket has a few fabric loops on one end, so when your baby is ready to sit up, you can take it off the floor and hang it on the wall for more visual play. Such a great idea!
When your baby is ready to walk, this adorable wood cart will give her something to push around while she's moving her legs. And if she decides to take a rest, there are fun activities built-into either side.
Yes, this one is just a classic "watch-the-ball-roll-down" toy, but doesn't the natural wood design make it look so sweet? And you know your kid will love it!
2550 kids get called to detention at a Florida school. USA Today
How new parents adapt—or don’t adapt—their homes to fit their children. New York Times
82 children have died from playing a choking game, according to a CDC report. Chicago Tribune
How do kids become such expert liars? New York Magazine
New trend: Websites help families deal with health crises. Newsweek
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Nothing says Superbowl better than a homemade hero in my house! Something about the fresh bread (which we usually pickup from the local bakery that morning!) and carefully layered cold cuts make it so much more enjoyable when we dig in at half time. But this year, I'm taking my hero-building skills to the next level with this fun Pigskin Club Sub recipe from Wilton. The secret ingredient? The First and Ten Football Pan, kidnapped from the baking aisle and used to bake truly homemade bread, then filled with delicious meats and cheeses - just the way you like it! Perfect for restoring energy for the second half. Yum!
Addictive-site-find-of-the-day: Online Etch A Sketch. Let your arrow keys replace the white knobs, and sketch away! Best part: you don't have to worry about someone bumping into you and ruining your masterpiece. Go here to find out how an actual Etch A Sketch works... kinda interesting, actually.
That's my creation to the right. Apparently I need more practice...back to the drawing board!
We had our first snow day of the season in New York on Sunday, and I spent the day doing what I love most...all pajamas all the time, a non-stop fire in the fireplace, 
meals prepared with everything from the 'fridge (for a Southerner, snow is better seen and not felt), and now, a new addition to this day of perfection...hours spent playing Scene It!, a game exclusively made for Xbox 360.
If you like movie trivia, you will love this game! It comes with 4 perfectly ergonomic one-handed controllers (drink in one hand, controller in the other) that don't cause any tendon tightening, muscle cramping, or carpal tunnel syndrome. To play, you are presented with a series of challenges from answering questions based on movie clips to unscrambling pixelated faces of celebs. I do not exaggerate when I say that it's palm-sweating, heart-thumping, intense competition. It's like Jeopardy! meets IMDB.com.
The best part is the game's emcee who will praise or ridicule you based on your performance. Unfortunately, he repeatedly told me "Good job green team! You answered all those questions! Unfortunately, you answered them all wrong!". Sad. But it raises my game...and encourages me to stay up late watching more movies!
Simon is an old childhood friend of mine. I used to play it so much I can still hear its little tune in my head. Now it's been rejiggered so you can play it ONLINE (or let your kids play it—I'm sure it teaches some skill or another). Just go here!
Link thanks to Link Machine Go
Update: this is NOT a giveaway. For today's toy contest, click here!
Check out this list of 27 free car games you can play with the kiddos. There are some old standbys (License Plate Bingo, anyone?) but there are a few on here that I've never heard of. Cool! What's your family's fave?
Full disclosure: I found this link on a blog this weekend and for the life of me cannot remember where! Argh.
Photo via.
Having just joined a bowling league myself (let's get that average up, Mr. Lafata!), I'm a little preoccupied with the game of late. I have such fun memories of the leagues I played in as a kid, partnering up with my mom on the AWESOMELY named team of The Clowns, while my brother and dad formed the dynamic duo of The Turtles. (The scary part is that 6-year-old me named my team; my dad came up with my brother's.)
And while it's no, say, soccer, bowling offers up a little bit of exercise, right? I mean, as long as your kids aren't chugging down beer like me and my current teammates do, they're bound to benefit from the physical aspect of the sport.
So why not sign up for a league with your own little 10 pin? You can research leagues and alleys near you by visiting the AMF Bowling League site. Besides getting some exercise, it's a great way to let the good (quality) times roll. I promise you that you'll start racking up the memories along with your total pin count. To get the kids psyched, treat them a really fun ball, like the ones pictured here, available at Bowling.com. (Perhaps the force might be with you, Mr. Lafata, if you got this cool Yoda ball. And then maybe you could find the pocket. Just a suggestion …)
Anyone already in a family league with their kids? Got a better team name than The Clowns? (Yeah, right. Like that's possible.) Share it with the rest of us. Or post your high score, tell us what your least favorite split is … anything! Help me feed my bowling addiction!
