Backpacks a burden to fill up with supplies

The downturn in the economy is hurting our children's education as families, many of them for the first time, can not purchase the required supplies for their children. Social organizations that give away stuffed backpacks say the demand is up from last year so much so that they are worried about having enough donations to fill the backpacks. We can not allow our children who are our future to suffer from the downturn in the economy. Those of us who have MUST give to those in need so that our future isn't sacrificed to fill the gas tank and out food on the table. Get involves, go to school board meetings, vote for officials that will provide for our children. Already the arts, music, and P.E. have been taken out of some schools due to budget constraints. What's next? Subject by subject we'll cut teachers? Stop the madness. Our children need the basic supplies to write and complete school projects.

Helicopter Parents Need to be Grounded for the Children's sake

What is a helicopter parent? One who hovers over their kids, micromanaging every aspect of their lives. They fly into school in attack mode ready to confront the teacher or coach for "unfair" treatment of their kids. They obsess over teacher assignments. Some demand that their child be moved to another class before the school year has even begun.

One problem with this approach is that it doesn't help teens develop their own decision-making skills. Kids gain confidence if they can solve problems themselves. Plus if we solve our children's problems like bringing in homework they forgot at home, we are not teaching them responsibility. Even worse, some kids then learn to feel a sense of entitlement to be taken care of this way when they drop the ball.

Parents should help kids learn to make their own decisions. Our role as parents is to prepare our children for life where they will be on their own in the big bad world. When I see parents whose children cower under their skirts or in between their legs, I worry about that child's future as an independent member of society. We need to build confidence and independence in our children even if it is emotionally difficult to do so. As parents we want to be needed by our kids but fostering this to extreme degrees is bad for the child.

ABC spinoff "SuperManny"

At Nanny Poppinz, we coined the phrase "manny" for our male nannies that help us with our Corporate accounts where we take care of hundreds of children at once including boys from birth to 18 years old. We need good strong fun males to help with the childcare. Some of our most creative and energetic childcare providers are our "Mannies." Families that consist of three-four boys are well-served by a male nanny who will bond with them and do all the "boy" things. Now ABC is getting in on what Nanny Poppinz has known from the beginning to be a good thing, "Mannies."

ABC hires 'Supermanny' for fall Male-based spinoff features child therapist Mike Ruggles. The network will air an episode of "Supermanny" as a back-door pilot in the fall. The spinoff's format will remain similar to the original, with a child-development expert lending a family in crisis some tough-love guidance. However, instead of professional nanny Jo Frost leading the living room intervention, gruff Chicago child therapist Mike Ruggles will step in. "With a guy, he can connect with dads in a different kind of way," executive producer Nick Emmerson said. "It's really powerful stuff." Ruggles' approach to diffusing family disputes will differ somewhat as well. Ruggles encourages parents to learn how to play with their kids and get to know them. "It feels different to have a guy come in to work with your kids," Emmerson said. "A woman has a woman's touch, and people are more accepting and ready for her advice. We had to find the right person who has real authority and a gentle touch as well." The project is from Ricochet Television, which also produces the original series. ABC plans to air the episode as a special in the new "Supernanny" time period, 9 p.m. Fridays. The spinoff has been in development since last year, with the network hoping to build off the sturdy reality veteran series that's performed competitively in various spots on its schedule.

Are sex differences genetic?

Anita Sethi wrote an article for Parenting.com about the differences between boys and girls. The following post contains my questions and information from that article.

Boys play with trucks and girls with dolls right? Is this genetic or environmental? Do we push boys towards "masculine" things and girls towards "feminine" things and worry about our kids' sexuality if they tend to like things that the opposite sex gravitate towards? Even if you try hard not to point your children to gender specific toys, it seems that they gravitate that way anyway. One study of 18 month olds found that when presented with a picture of a doll or a vehicle, the boys gravitated towards the vehicle and the girls the doll. Could we have already programmed our children by 18 months? Experts who study this issue believe these preferences are set at birth and are hardwired into us.

Gender research tells us the following:

BOYS:

Like motion: One study of 12 month old baby boys gave them a choice between watching mechanical motion and human motion making them pick between windshield wipers moving back and forth and faces of people talking, the boy babies picked the windshield wipers. Research shows that boys are about two month ahead of girls in figuring out the laws of motion.

Have the moves: boys squirm, kick, and wiggle more than girls and also wind up in the ER more because of it. They do not however walk before girls. Both walk around the same time.

Are more emotional: boys are more easily agitated than girls and have a harder time self-soothing.

Love a crowd: boys prefer to look at a group of faces rather than just one. Newborn boys would rather look at a mobile than a single face.

Are fearless: Boys express fear later and less often. Parents of boys ages 3-12 months report that their children startle less to loud noises or stimuli than girls of the same age. Another study had moms show a face of fear to their 12 month old when approaching a toy. The boys disregarded the moms' fearful face and went for the toy anyway. The girls hesitated and slowed their approach.

GIRLS:

Made to mimic: As early as three hours of age, girls excel at imitation, a precursor to back-and-forth interaction. Newborn girls did better than boys in trying to copy finger movements. As toddlers, girls zoom ahead of boys on imitative behaviors such as pretending to take care of a baby but, interestingly, are no different from little guys when it comes to pretending to drive a car or water the plants, actions that are much less about human interaction.

Good with their hands: Infant girls exceed boys when it comes to fine motor tasks, a head start that will stick with them until preschool. They're faster to manipulate toys; they use eating utensils sooner; and they write sooner (and more neatly), too.

Are better listeners: Girls are more attuned to the sound of human voices and seem to actually prefer the sound to other sounds. Shake a rattle and you'll see no difference between newborn girls and boys, but when you talk, the girls will be more likely to become engaged.

Like face time: Girls are more likely to establish and maintain eye contact, and are attracted to individual faces -- especially women's. They're also more skilled at reading emotional expressions; if shown a frightening face, for example, they'll look at Mom or get distressed, but they'll be fine if they see a happy one. Boys take longer to notice the difference.

Talk sooner: All that watching and listening pays off: Girls start using gestures like pointing or waving bye-bye earlier than their brothers, and they play games like patty-cake and So Big sooner, according to a study of children ages 8 to 30 months. Girls understand what you're saying before boys do, start speaking earlier (at around 12 months versus 13 to 14 months for boys), and will continue to talk more through the toddler years. At 16 months, they produce as many as 100 words, while the average boy utters closer to 30. Although girls remain somewhat ahead through toddlerhood, the gap does begin to narrow, and at 2 ½, both boys and girls have 500 words, more or less.

Congress responds to chemical threats to our children

As a follow-up to my blog yesterday which I hope raised some concerns for parents who might not have known about these potential dangers, today I want to follow-up with an article about our government and what they are trying to do to help.

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
Congress has passed sweeping legislation to improve the safety of toys and other consumer products. The bill — approved by the Senate Thursday night and the House of Representatives Tuesday — follows a rising tide of public concern over product safety, spurred by recalls of 45 million children's toys and products last year and growing worry over chemicals in plastic. The measure, which passed with "veto-proof" majorities, now goes to President Bush, who has not threatened to reject it.

The bill virtually eliminates lead in children's toys and bans six types of chemicals, called phthalates, that have hormone-like effects. Lead can cause both brain damage and behavioral problems in children. A number of animal studies and a few in humans have linked phthalates to early puberty in girls, genital defects and reduced testosterone production in boys and impaired sperm quality in men.

The bill requires that all toys be tested for dangerous chemicals before they're sold — a big change over the current practice, in which untested toys are sold and recalled if necessary, says Rachel Weintraub of the Consumer Federation of America. Outside companies will perform the tests.

The law also boosts the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission from $80 million to $118 million in 2010 and $136 million five years later. The commission will be required to set up a website where consumers can both register complaints and read reports posted by others.

"This is by far the most significant improvement in product safety since the Consumer Product Safety Commission was created in the 1970s," Weintraub says.

Congress is following the lead of several states — California, Washington and Vermont — which have voted in the past year to ban phthalates, used to add flexibility to rubber ducks, washable vinyl books and other plastic items.

Earlier this year, leading retailers and manufacturers, including Wal-Mart and Toys 'R Us, announced plans to phase out phthalates in toys nationwide.

The federal law would permanently ban three of the phthalates and ban three others temporarily, pending a scientific review. The phthalate bans go into effect 180 days after the law is passed.

Industry groups have had mixed reaction to the bill.

The Toy Industry Association supports the bill, noting that manufacturers will have an easier time abiding by national guidelines, rather than many different state laws. "We all want safe products," says the association's Joan Lawrence. "I'm a mom myself, and this gives me additional assurances."

The American Chemistry Council, which represents industry, supports strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but opposes the ban on phthalates, which it says are safe.

"Our children's health and safety is too important to rush through product restrictions without understanding their full consequences," said Sharon Kneiss, vice president of products, in a statement. "Restricting phthalates from children's products, when they have been deemed safe for use in those products by the CPSC, will do nothing to protect children's health."

Others say the reform is long overdue. Andy Igrejas, manager of the Pew Charitable Trusts' environmental health campaign, says environmentalists have been calling for a phthalate ban in toys for 10 years.

Some say Congress should go even further in banning chemicals. Igrejas says lawmakers should pass the Kid-Safe Chemical Act, introduced in May, which would require that all chemicals be tested for safety before being allowed on the market.

And Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday that Congress should examine the safety of phthalates in other products, such as lotions and shampoos. She is also co-sponsoring legislation to ban another controversial chemical with hormone-like effects, bisphenol A, or BPA, from products intended for children under age 7.

Plastic dangerous for your baby/children???

BPA. Have you heard about it yet? Bisphenol A is found in the resin of can linings, in the polycarbonate in baby bottles, in dental sealants and elsewhere. the longer a liquid sits in a container made with BPA, the more BPA can leach into the product. Think plastic water bottles left in your hot car. BPA, a synthetic estrogen, has been linked to a host of cancers, early onset puberty, obesity, and Type II diabetes, Scientists say the chemical can alter cell behavior at very low levels (in the parts per trillion range)yet humans are consistently exposed to BPA at levels 10 to 100 times greater. No federal agency has moved to limit ex[posure to BPA, Manufacturers, of course, say the chemical is safe for humans at low doses.

USA TODAY writer Liz Szabo wrote an excellent article anwering many questions about this topic and I have enclosed the article in its entirety because it is very informative on this topic.

USA TODAY asked experts how parents can avoid hormone-like chemicals in children's products

Q: What are the major types of hormone-like chemicals in plastic?

A: Two in the news: bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. In April, Canada proposed banning BPA, commonly used in polycarbonate baby bottles and the linings of formula cans. Last week, Congress passed legislation to ban several phthalates in toys for children under 12. The ban will take effect six months after being signed by the president, who is expected to do so in the next week or so, according to the White House. Chemical-makers say the chemicals have been used safely for decades. Studies have suggested the chemicals can affect the reproductive system

Q: Can people completely avoid these chemicals?

A: Maybe not. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have detected BPA and phthalates in virtually everyone they have tested.

Q: What can people do to reduce contact with phthal until the law takes effect?

A: Environment California suggests looking for phthalate-free plastics labeled PVC-free or marked with the recycling codes #1, #2 or #5. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, often made with phthalates.

If parents are worried about plastic teething rings, they can fall back on the old standards of letting babies suck on cold, wet cloths or fabric teethers, says pediatrician Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green. Denise and Alan Fields, authors of Baby Bargains, also recommend frozen celery stalks or frozen mini-bagels.

The Fields recommend fragrance-free shampoos because phthalates are often used in fragrances.

Blogs rating the chemical contents of toys include healthytoys.org, not4myhouse.com, zrecs.blogspot.com and squidoo.com/saferbabyteethers.

Toymakers that have phased out PVC include Brio, Sassy, Chicco, Evenflo, Gerber, International Playthings, Lamaze Infant Development, Lego and Tiny Love, according to a 2003 report card from Greenpeace.

About half the toys tested last year by healthytoys.org, a website sponsored by the Washington Toxics Coalition and the Ecology Center, were made with PVC. The Toy Industry Association disputes those findings and takes issue with the site's tests. Jeff Gearhart of the Ecology Center says there's good news: In testing thousands of products this year, Gearhart found less PVC used in toys and car seats.

Wal-Mart and Toys R Us say they are phasing out phthalates in toys by the end of the year.

Q: Can people reduce exposure to BPA?

A: Most makers of baby bottles offer new, BPA-free alternatives. They include: BornFree, Adiri, Avent, Dr. Brown's, Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Especially for Baby, Luv N Care and Sassy, according to Kathleen Waugh of Toys R Us, which also is phasing out BPA. Companies that make BPA-free sippy cups include Munchkin Inc., Boon Inc. and Learning Curve, Waugh says. CamelBak and Nalgene also make BPA-free sports bottles.

Many BPA-free bottles cost more than traditional bottles, manufacturers say, because the chemical substitutes are more expensive. The Fields also recommend glass bottles. They suggest avoiding plastic marked with a #7 recycling code, the category that includes BPA.

Should summer be filled with homework or play

For Summer Homework

Summer homework proponents believe that it helps decrease the learning loss that has been well-documented over all ages that occurs over the summer break. Cooper said it could take students several weeks to regain the learning lost over the summer. Supporters of summer homework said the assignments can help in several ways. For high school students taking advanced courses, summer reading can help keep minds sharp and study habits intact, while reducing the number of books students need to read during the school year. The assignments can take the pressure off students by spreading out the workload.

Against Summer Homework

Opponents argue that summer requirements stress out already super-stressed children from who much is demanded academically during the school year. Students already face a lot of academic pressure during the school year and many are busy with part-time jobs, internships, charitable projects and family vacations. The opponents feel that kids need a break. They believe summer is the time to rest and rejuvenate and then come back to school in September excited and ready to go. Opponents of summer homework also point to the lack of results. The children who completed math packets during the summer did not achieve greater results than those who did not complete the summewr work. So why burden the children? It should benefit the learner instead of burdening the child. Kids who are grinding through huge amounts of summer homework go back to school . . . already burned out.