Daily Dose of Common Sense

As summer comes to a close, parents can breathe a sigh of relief that long days at the park are over. As I reflect on these past few months, I have to wonder about some of the things I observed about other kids while at the playground. Some are mildly annoying, but some are downright infuriating.

1. Unsupervised Kids
Yes, I saw plenty of parents and nannies turn small kids loose at the playground. One afternoon, I saw three kids hurt themselves in various ways on the play equipment. The caregiver would then appear from out of nowhere and tell the child it was time to go home. How about paying attention to the kid before he/she gets hurt? Making the child leave after an injury only punishes he/she for something that is the caregiver’s fault: not paying attention.

2. Too Old for the Park
What, exactly, are tweens and teenagers doing at a playground for small children? While I applaud their attempt to get exercise, it’s just not safe for the smaller kids. The bigger kids run around and push past the toddlers, and I’ve seen plenty of teens do dangerous things on the play equipment. Isn’t there a soccer field or basketball court you kids should be on instead?

3. Up is Down, and Down is Up
It really drives me crazy when caregivers let kids go up slides the wrong way. Yes, it’s fun to climb. But, when your kid is climbing up the slide, other kids can’t slide down. More important than the kids who are waiting, every time a kid climbs up the wrong way, he/she risks an injury. I saw plenty of collisions where a kid was going up and another kid was sliding down. And, this happened with supervised kids, too. Come on, parents.

4. Swing Hogs
Usually a playground only has a few swings and they are in hot demand. Lines form with anxious kids who try to wait patiently for their turn. However, some parents act oblivious to the line and let their kid swing as long as he/she wants. Move it, swing hogs! Let everyone have a turn.

5. Inappropriate Park Toys
I actually saw a toddler with a baseball bat at the park this summer. Kid swinging a bat + other little kids = BAD IDEA! But, also in this category is any toy that your kid doesn’t want to share, lose, or damage. If it’s a family heirloom, it has no business at the park.

I probably sound like a curmudgeon. But, I’m not. I think everyone should be respectful of the all the kids and parents at the park. For most parents, not doing the above is common sense. For others, however, please read and learn. You’re ruining the park for the rest of us. So, let’s do better next summer.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: foundphotoslj

With childhood obesity rates climbing, many people are looking for ways to turn the tide. One report out this week strongly suggests that junk food and sugary sodas should be taxed by state and local governments. According to the article, tobacco taxes have been shown to be effective in reducing tobacco use. So, they argue, taxes on soft drinks and fattening foods could do the same for the obesity rates in this country.

No one can deny that childhood obesity–and adult obesity–are problems. From the article:

“The prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled in just three decades,” the report reads. Nearly 18 percent of U.S. adolescents are obese.

While the food and restaurant industry cites personal choice and a lack of exercise, many reports have shown that unhealthy food is cheaper, more readily available and more heavily marketed than more healthful foods.

This is definitely cause for concern. But, are taxes really the answer?

First, who determines what “junk” food qualifies for the tax? This could be a very fine line. Soft drinks…chocolate…fast food…popsicles…flavored yogurt? Where does the list end? Plus, it would be very hard to get a fair assessment of all the foods that contribute to weight gain. You can bet that some special interest group would use every trick in the book to keep their products tax-free. For example, the soft drink lobby has not responded favorably to finger-pointing thus far:

Last week, the American Heart Association took on the $115 billion soft drink industry, saying the drinks are the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet.

The American Beverage Association, representing companies including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Co and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc, says sugar-sweetened drinks do not pose a particular health risk.

Second, the tax would mostly hit the people who can’t afford it. According to an article in Time Magazine, childhood obesity “discriminates by income: 22.4% of 10-to-17-year-olds living below the poverty line–less than $21,200 for a family of four–are overweight or obese, compared with 9.1% of kids whose families earn at least four times that amount.” So, the tax wouldn’t teach the lower-income families how to eat better; it would only have them pay more for what they currently know how to do.

How about more education for the lower-income families on how to buy fresh and healthy food more economically? For example, apples, bananas, and cheese aren’t expensive, and these are great snacks for kids. Grocery store chains could offer classes on purchasing healthy food for kids. Or, what about cost incentives in low-income neighborhoods to customers who purchase fresh fruits and vegetables?

Schools are starting to do their parts to educate kids about nutrition and take away access to all the sugary soda and candy. Healthier lunch options are also being made available. Will it be enough? Probably not, if the parents aren’t on board as well.

It seems as if no one wants to address the real issue, which is knowledge and access. Throwing money at obesity, even in the form of higher taxes, isn’t the answer.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: D Sharon Pruitt

A study just released claims that one in ten teenagers has posted a nude or seminude photo of themselves online. This incredibly high number should cause some head scratching. Like a hasty tattoo, these photos could be hard to later remove and therefore haunt these teens for years.

I have a friend who says that everyone should get nude pictures of themselves taken when they are eighteen years old. He says you’ll never, ever look better so document it while you can. Well, I didn’t and now that I’m sliding down towards forty, I have to say I agree with his logic. So, I certainly can’t begrudge teens for taking racy pictures of themselves. But, posting them online? We all know how iron-clad the online privacy is these days. Do these kids care nothing at all for who sees their photos?

I guess the teens uploading these types of photos aren’t planning careers in politics or anything with a morals clause. Nike might not be thrilled with seeing its star player’s bait and tackle all over the Internet, even if they were old pictures. Before she started scene-stealing on Ugly Betty, Vanessa Williams got in a little bit of trouble due to some nude photos, as have many other actresses. I guess if you’re going into porn, building a fan base with some nude photos might be a smart move. But, I doubt very many teens are thinking about future careers or potential employers. So, what about parents, teachers, classmates, neighbors, or other family members? Not everyone would want Mrs. Mitchell or Uncle Bob to see their racy photos on the Web.

Someone needs to remind kids about long-term ramifications and the Internet. Remember the Facebook privacy bruhaha from earlier in the year? The social network giant caught all kinds of flack after saying they own your content–even after you deactivate your account. Nothing ever goes away, folks. Not even when you delete it.

[Via PatsPapers.com]

Photo courtesy of Flickr: visualdensity

In a massive common sense fail, a Burger King manager in Missouri asked mother Jennifer Frederich and her six-month old baby to leave his restaurant. The offense? The baby had no shoes on. The manager cited public health code, which mandates that people wear shoes in places where food is prepared and sold. But, a six-month old? Come on–they’re not even walking yet.

“I just looked at him and said, ‘That’s my daughter.  She doesn’t own shoes.  She’s only six months old,’” said Frederich. 

Frederich says she went on to make the case that, “She doesn’t walk, so she’s not touching the ground.  There is no reason for her to have shoes on.”

The mother, who was clearly baffled by the request, tried to accommodate the manager by putting socks on her child. The manager said that was not enough and asked them to leave.

Burger King headquarters has since apologized to the family and offered them a free meal. A complimentary Whopper seems like paltry compensation for such a PR blunder. Couldn’t they at least have gotten to meet this guy?

Photo courtesy of Flickr: zieak

If there weren’t already enough reasons to make you think twice before you have kids, potential parents and irresponsible teens just got one more: Kids are really expensive. A recent report finds the average cost for raising a child born in the U.S. is now $221,000. This number only includes the money spent on the child until the age of 17, so college is not included.

If you already have kids, then this news is probably no surprise. Cell phones for the elementary school set? Check. Computers for “homework?” Check. TVs in every bedroom? Check. Whether it’s a Nintendo DS, Leapster, or an XBox, chances are that your child has one of them. Kids want THINGS. Mostly, they want what the other kids have in order to keep up.

Nowadays, however, it’s not just the fancy extras that add up on a parent’s child-rearing bill. Turns out the biggest expense categories in the report were for the basics. Kids need to eat and that’ll cost you. They need to wear something and that’ll cost you. And, they need a roof over their heads (usually), so that’ll cost you. In fact, housing is the largest single expense that parents shell out, followed by food and child care/education costs.

Over time, all this adds up to almost a quarter of a million dollars per child. So, before you have any mouths to feed, sit down with a calculator.

People pushing strollers get a pretty bad rap as far as pedestrians are concerned. I’ve heard occasional complaints from friends who grouse about the size of strollers and/or the speed at which they travel. I’m a mom with two small kids, and, although I always try to be polite in transit, I’ve received the occasional dirty look from someone while out pushing my kids. It’s time for the madness to end. We need to give strollers–and the people pushing them–a break. Here’s why:

1. We’re late, we’re late, for a very important…EVERYTHING.
I hate being late. It’s rude. But, since having kids, I usually run about ten or fifteen minutes late for everything. This isn’t for a lack of trying to get out of the house on time. Kids have a way of making sure you can’t find the sippy cup, snacks, keys, cell phone, or wallet when it’s time to leave. Or, one child suddenly needs a diaper change. So, people out pushing kids in strollers are generally running late and in a hurry. Which leads to….

2. Move quickly or get out of the way.
If you’re walking slowly, we need to maneuver around you. We need you to walk on the right-hand side of the sidewalk–not the middle. We’ll try to be polite about it, but we don’t always have patience for slowpokes who won’t move over. And, if you’re rocking out to your iPod with headphones, we will be annoyed that you didn’t hear us say, “Excuse me.” You know who you are, you dawdlers without kids in tow and not a care in the world. You might be out for a leisurely stroll by yourself or with a friend. But, we’re not bitter (usually). We’re just late. So, please let us pass without comment.

3. We’re pushing a heavy load.
A stroller generally weighs around 20 lbs. Add to that the weight of the kid(s), and you’ve got quite a torpedo. My kids are 40 lbs and 22 lbs, while my stroller weighs around 25 lbs. So, that’s close to 90 lbs I’m pushing around. Yes, I realize momentum and gravity do some of the work, but it’s still not easy to stop on a dime or get through doorways. We’ll do our best to accommodate other pedestrians, but sometimes it’s like steering a battleship.

4. We’re so tired.
Most parents don’t get a lot of sleep. We’re sleep-deprived and can be cranky on occasion. Sometimes, this perpetual tiredness can impair our judgement or make us lose our patience too quickly. Perhaps we aren’t as nice or courteous as we should be. We’re sorry. When we’re well-rested, we promise we’re a LOT nicer.

I’m not saying there aren’t obnoxious stroller-wielding parents and caretakers out there. I have seen my fair share. Most of us, however, do try to be courteous and respectful. We don’t want to run over people or play chicken with pedestrians. We just need to get where we’re going before our kids go into full meltdown mode. So, the next time you feel anger building toward some stroller-pushing parent, feel some compassion for them instead.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Payton Chung

Last week, a New York woman was charged with drunk driving while transporting home five kids after attending a festival. At 12:30 in the morning, she was pulled over for a broken headlight. But, the officer smelled booze and a sobriety test was performed (and failed).

The woman’s excuse? According to the news report:

“My husband was 10 times drunker than I was. I had two kids left with me that weren’t even mine that I had no intention of driving home in the first place. It was either let my husband drive and kill everybody or leave those two kids abandoned,” she said.

Hmmmm. First, how about coming up with a plan for someone in your group to be responsible and stay sober throughout the night? It seems like a simple, adult conversation to have, especially when you have kids along. “Are you going to drink tonight? OK, then I won’t.” If the advance planning is too difficult for you, how about asking someone else for a ride home? Or, calling a cab?

If I were the parent of one of the two non-family kids involved, I would be furious at this woman. There is a point where safety trumps carpooling duties. I would rather my kid be abandoned than driven home by someone who had been drinking. At least then, s/he could use a phone to call me.

It’s mind-boggling: After all the awareness through ad campaigns, public service announcements, pamphlets, and news reports, some people still get behind the wheel after drinking. What more can be done to convince people it’s a really, really bad idea?

I was surprised by this recent report from a mother who visited an IKEA in Brooklyn, NY. While breastfeeding her six-month old child in the store, the woman–who was fully covered–was rudely asked by the staff to move to the restroom instead. Shamed, she obeyed. Mother and daughter waited for a stall, but eventually gave up and left the store. (For the record, to force a breastfeeding mother into the restroom is illegal in New York.)

I’m shocked this sort of discrimination still happens, especially at a store with such a family-friendly reputation. IKEA stores have great monitored play areas for kids that allow parents a child-free shopping experience (and really, what’s better than that?!) plus they sell baby food, too. But, the offended staff member involved the security guards, so we know it’s not a renegade employee with the naked-mommy-boob heebie-jeebies.

This incident smacks of a bygone era. Are some people still so freaked out by the thought of breastfeeding (remember, she was covered) that they can’t tolerate someone quietly nursing nearby?

Breastfeeding isn’t exhibitionism, folks. It’s not a sexual act; it’s a practical one. Nursing is much cheaper and also better for the child’s health. We should all try to be supportive of mothers, whether they choose to bottle feed or breastfeed. Neither are an easy choice.

[Note: This post originally appeared on RationalMoms.com.]

My daughter had a birthday yesterday, and I had several well-wishers ask if she was bouncing off the walls because of sugar. Well, no, actually she was no more hyper yesterday than any other day. Yes, she ate a cupcake, Cracker Jack, Nerds, and a bunch of other junk, but she’s a healthy kid. That, and there’s no such thing as a “sugar high.”

I know, it takes a second for it to sink in. We have been led to believe that sugar makes people (especially kids) hyper. But, it’s just not true. Our bodies do a really good job of regulating the sugar we intake. Many studies have been done on this topic and the conclusions are the same: the amount of sugar that a kid eats does not affect his or her level of activity.

Jessie from Rational Moms did a great in-depth debunking of the sugar high myth. I highly recommend giving it a read.

So, don’t worry about your kids being up all night after eating a bunch of sugar. They’re up late because they want to be up late. Duh.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: terren in Virginia.

Earlier this year, a brief story appeared in the Times Online (UK) revealing how the data was fixed in the MMR/Autism study that sparked the current vaccine controversy.

The Sunday Times, along with the General Medical Council (our AMA), investigated into the claims made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study. In the original study, 8 of 12 families at one clinic blamed the MMR shot for their child’s autism. The Times reviewed medical documents and witnesses from the original study, and they discovered that Dr. Wakefield changed and manipulated the patients’ data. Again, both CHANGED and MANIPULATED patient data. In fact, in many cases, medical concerns regarding the child had been raised before the MMR shot was administered.

If this one little study doesn’t sound like a big deal, here is an alarming fact from the article:

Despite involving just a dozen children, the 1998 paper’s impact was extraordinary. After its publication, rates of inoculation fell from 92% to below 80%. Populations acquire “herd immunity” from measles when more than 95% of people have been vaccinated.

Last week official figures showed that 1,348 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales were reported last year, compared with 56 in 1998. Two children have died of the disease.

This was *the* major study that started all the anti-vaccination hysteria. Now that it’s been debunked, we can only hope the truth starts to get out. There is no scientific proof that vaccines cause autism. Here is a great video by the CDC that discusses some of the common vaccination fears.