Search Results for: blog the great stroller debate

The Great Stroller Debate Rages On

How old is too old for a kid to ride in a stroller? In my opinion, size is more of a factor than age when it comes to allowing kids to hitch a free ride in a pimped out pram. I’ve addressed the topic of older kids bumming rides in strollers in previous blogs. Personally, I feel if your child can fit into a stroller and you are able to push it without the assistance of a bulldozer or having the wheels warp, then have at it. My daughter is six and I still bring along a stroller when we … Continue reading →

The Great Stroller Debate—-Preschool Edition

A couple of years ago I lamented about toddlers and strollers. Traveling with my then fickle 2-year-old was a challenge because I was constantly debating whether or not I should bring the stroller with us. It was always a toss-up as to whether she would ride in it or spend the day running circles around it. I thought about that blog the other day when I read a post by another blogging mom railing on Gwyneth Paltrow. Said blogging mom wrote an open letter to Paltrow chastising her for allowing her 4-year-old daughter Apple to ride in a stroller while … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Carrying Kids: How Big is Too Big?

Want to illicit judgmental stares from hundreds of onlookers? Forget about spanking your kid in the check-out line at Target or screaming at her in church, all you need to do to carry your six-year-old through a crowd of window shoppers on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and you will feel the burn of prejudice cut through you like a hot knife slicing a cold stick of butter. You thought pushing a first grader in a stroller yielded discriminating comments; try schlepping a 50-pound child in your arms for 10 loooong city blocks and see the type of judgmental looks you are … Continue reading →

One of THOSE Moms

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It’s true, everyday I feel like one of THOSE Moms. You know the story. The ones that have a screaming child in the middle of the grocery store, or mall, or library, or wherever. You look over, and you think, “why can’t she get her kid under control?” or maybe you don’t think that. And, if you don’t, they you’re probably a Mom yourself. Now, that my “baby” is a willful two year old, I definitely have my hands full when shopping. He doesn’t like to sit in the front of the shopping cart anymore, so I tried letting him … Continue reading →

Twice the Farmer’s Market

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My wife and I recently took our son to a farmer’s market. It is often in these public situations that we really see our child shine. His personality seems to escape more easily from his body for some reason. We’d already kind of decided that he was a very sociable person but this trip only confirmed that even more. He’s a happy child and he enjoys other people. It was also really nice for my wife and I to get outdoors for an extended period of time with our son. The farmer’s market provided an interesting enough location with the … Continue reading →

Green Parenting Tips

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Being green starts at home and if you are like many of us, you have children. But, you can adopt green parenting strategies that can help the environment. Here are a few green parenting tips: Swap Kid’s Clothes Most kids outgrow clothes before they can stain them or tear them up, so swapping your child’s clothes with family and friends is a great recycling idea. Unfortunately for me, most of my son’s friends are girls, but there are a few younger boys he knows that we give good condition hand-me-downs to. Another great recycling idea is, as your child ages … Continue reading →

Visitors = No Naps?

Does your baby’s nap schedule change when you have visitors? I’m not talking about the inevitable excitement that your baby experiences when new faces are in the house. A baby is bound to be a little more wound up and restless than normal when new people are around. I’m talking about purposely changing a baby’s nap routine so that the baby is awake as much as possible when the guests are over. When our baby was little, she slept just as well, if not better, in someone’s arms as she did in her crib. Having visitors over made almost no … Continue reading →

Are You Guilty of Hyper-Parenting?

As if we needed yet another label to slap on parents who are actively involved in their children’s lives… Introducing… the Hyper-Parent. No cape involved, just a well-used minivan that has accrued thousand of miles from carting kids to football, gymnastics, ballet, swimming, tennis, art, soccer, hockey, karate, piano, and foreign language classes. A decade ago these types of parents were considered “pushy” for over scheduling their offspring. But these days they’re considered “hyper,” though the definitions of each are quite similar. The criticism is pretty much the same too. Rather than applaud these moms and dads for taking an … Continue reading →

Female Stars and Body Image

Don’t call actress Raven Symone fat. The TV star says she prefers to be considered “thick and fabulous.” Symone recently spoke out about her full figure during a Dove-sponsored self-esteem workshop specially designed for 11- and 12-year-old girls. The former “That’s So Raven” star’s goal at the New Jersey event was to boost the confidence levels of her young fans. The 23-year-old actress-singer, who’s been working on her fifth album, says she wants young girls to work on building their self-esteem and the reason she makes public appearances is to give them tools to defend themselves against “haters.” The former … Continue reading →