GoodyBlog

Spankin' New Headlines

Special allergy-free nights at restaurants give families with food allergies a break. CNN

Are cloth diapers really the greenest choice? The Boston Globe

How two families cut their expenses and lived on a serious budget. USA Today

Seventy-seven-year-old baseball hall of famer Ernie Banks and his wife adopt a baby girl, sparking debate as to whether he’s too old. Chicago Sun-Times

Trend alert: Mini-treadmills and stationary bikes for kids provoke skepticism from experts. ABC News

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Happy Olympics!

Check out the New York Times' awesome Olympics tracker to keep tabs on your favorite events.

Also: Here's the craziest news to come out of the Olympics yet:

At Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, there was a 20 percent surge in deliveries, and hospital officials said they had to turn away a handful of mothers who, in an effort to capitalize on the auspiciousness of the day, were seeking Caesarean sections.

Oh dear.

Gold Medal Moms

It seems like all we've heard about the 2008 Summer Olympics is the awful air quality in Beijing and China's failure to reform its human rights and environmental policies. Fair enough. But there are reasons to get excited about these Games, which begin tomorrow on NBC. Foremost among them: 20 members of the U.S. team are moms, including 41-year-old Dara Torres, a 9-time Olympic medalist who will compete in her first Olympics since 2000 (and who actually got fitter and faster in the water while carrying her now 3-year-old daughter, Tessa); Lisa Leslie, who will try to win her fourth Gold Medal in basketball a year after giving birth to Lauren Jolie; weightlifter Melanie Roach, a mom of 3 (ages 6, 5, and 3) who has lifted twice her weight; softball teammates Jennie Finch and Stacey Nuveman, both of whom have won Gold Medals; and Lindsay Davenport, a 1996 Gold Medalist who returned to the tennis tour last fall just months after giving birth to a son, Jagger. It's amazing that these women have managed to return to the top of their sports after going through the marathon of childbirth (not to mention the pentathlon of diaper changing, bathing, feeding, comforting, and entertaining a baby). Win or lose, it's hard to argue that they're true champions.

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Good Deed Friday: Girls on the Run

Last week at the ESPY awards, 11-year-old Nichyria Byrd of Chicago, Ill. won the 2008 Youth Achievement Award. Sponsored by Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, the award celebrates kids who get out and work hard by playing their favorite sport. And Nichyria's sport is running—she's a member of the non-profit organization Girls on the Run, a prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. As a former athlete, I know that succeeding at a sport can make you feel amazing, and the values and discipline it teaches helps young girls become strong women. So, if you're interested in finding a Girls on the Run program near you, click here, or donate now to help get other girls moving.

Good Deed Friday: $ for Summer Sports

Could your kid's sports team use some new equipment? Or new uniforms? To help you out, Liberty Mutual is sponsoring 20 $2,500 grants—you can win by getting the most people to complete an online Responsible Sports curriculum on your behalf. Additionally, Liberty Mutual will recognize 50 coaches across the country that have demonstrated "safe, rewarding and positive sports environments for children." Parents, administrators, and fellow coaches can nominate a local mentor for a Liberty Mutual Responsible Coaching Award now through August 31 by clicking here. Winners – one from each state – will receive a $250 award to help fund his or her team. This is a great way to spread the concept of RESPONSIBLE coaching—we want our kids to have fun and learn through their sports teams and coaches!

Photo by Kris LoCascio.

Little Mermaids

With summertime, comes summer gear. And that includes all the super- fun beach and pool paraphernalia. 

Check out this adorable Mermaid Swim Fin—it holds both feet in one flipper, and of course it's pink (or purple, whichever you prefer). The fin has a velcro strap that fits shoe sizes 1-7, so moms, I'm sorry to say that it probably won't fit you.

Ariel, is that you?

Free Tennis, Anyone?

Live in the NYC area? Wish your kids were more active? Don't want to spend a fortune on sports classes? The New York Junior Tennis League has an answer for you. They're currently giving FREE tennis lessons for kids ages 6-18, where trained coaches provide instruction, practice and play for all levels. And parents don't have to worry about going out and buying gear that's doomed to spend a lifetime in the garage once lessons are over- loaner tennis racquets and balls are available. If you can't make the spring sessions, then check out their summer classes.

What free athletic programs does your family take advantage of?

Keep That Mouth Guard Clean!

If your kid is playing soccer, lacrosse or any other spring sport that requires a mouth guard, make sure to keep that baby clean, since mouth guards can become breeding grounds for bacteria that can harm the gums, according to a recent study. That means no tossing it into an equipment bag—your little athlete should scrub it with a toothbrush, then rinse it off and store it in a case.

P.S. For great info about getting the most out of team sports, check out this piece in the latest issue of Parents.

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Spankin' New Headlines

Some parents who've had it with all the baby gear decided to make a profit. Los Angeles Times

A new study finds that (in most ways) things are better for American children than they were a decade ago. Washington Post

Peanut allergies and bullying can be a dangerous combination. ABC News

Should an NYC 4th grader be allowed to take the subway alone? A debate over parenting styles. Newsweek

Biking sends kids to the hospital more than any other sport, according to a new study. Chicago Tribune

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A Lesson, but No Prize

Last week I blogged about my 9-year-old son's success in predicting the winners of the men's college basketball tournament, courtesy of a free contest at a local restaurant. He was perfect in predicting the Final Four teams (out of a starting field of 65 ) and was in strong contention to take home the grand prize of a flat-screen TV. I worried  that winning might turn him onto gambling, since he seemed convinced it was his smart picks (rather than random luck) that had put him near the top. Well, the smaller they come . . . . It turns out that I didn't need to give him a big lecture. His picks for the last three games didn't pan out, and he fell from 5th place to 70th in the final standings (still not bad, out of 286 contestants). I mentioned that it was really about having fun—and that if his money had been at stake, he would have been a sad boy. And I left it at that. Matthew took his defeat in stride and recited a phrase which, as a Mets/Jets/Knicks fan, I've become all too familiar: Wait till next year.

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