I probably like it because I have COMPLETELY BOUGHT IN to this garbage line about what makes it all better. I’m also going to get my eyebrows done because that will fix my life. Thanks Walt.
If that hasn’t set you up for your next therapy session, wait.
You know in the ‘real’ little mermaid, the one written by Hans Christian Anderson, she DIES. She DIES because she changes for him. What a way to ruin the message.
But don’t worry, apparently some of the films have more progressive messages. Ish:Read more...
In it, Clarke and Milchard reenact an actual conversation Clarke had with his two-year-old daughter, Coco. Milchard plays the part of Coco, brilliantly turning the innocence of a young child into creepy possessiveness of a grown jerk. Does the conversation sound familiar? Will you ever look at your possessive two-year-old the same way again?
Did you walk to school when you were young? Do your kids walk to school?
If they do, they’re in the minority. Only 28 per cent of Canadian kids currently use active transportation (walking, in-line skating, skateboarding or biking) to get to school, compared to 58 per cent of children in their parents’ generation.
Many parents feel they can’t afford the time to walk or bike their kids to school. In most households, both parents are working: Having a parent home to walk kids to and from school requires either huge flexibility from the workplace, or enough financial wiggle room to have one parent at home. Read more...
How young is too young to talk about sex? Different ideas abound: China is somewhat famous for its early sex education programs and use of anatomically correct toys (shown below) in the process.
Here in North America we’re not so open. Over at Mommyish, parenting writer Lisa C. Baker makes the argument that it’s never too soon to talk about sex, namely:
Using correct names for all body parts, including penis and vulva (which is more accurate than saying “vagina”)
Teaching kids that “privates” really are private — and that only “safe people” can touch them. (And since “safe people,” even relatives, can be abusers, Baker stresses that consent is even more important for kids to understand.)
Letting kids choose when, how and who they want to kiss hello or goodbye.
Being age-appropriately honest about where babies come from.
Anyone looking to be recognized for massive Parental Overachievement need look no further than this Spiderman costume for their little ones. We have included a step-by-step guide to assist you: just follow the instructions and the honour is all yours.
The earliest-known game of Rock Paper Scissors took place in Japan during the 18th century; Japanese children these days learn it while they’re still toddlers.
Nick Craine taught his son Michael when he was not much older, which might explain how they got into the habit of throwing in ‘Broccoli’ every so often as a gag.
But it was during a six-hour train ride while on holiday in Spain that they formalized the Rock Paper Scissors expansion. “We kept a sketch book with us and it grew and grew, and we discussed it at length,” Nick explains. “Introducing ‘Time Change’ was big.”
Time change?
“Sure. Only ‘Stephen Hawking’ can beat ‘Time Change’”
Luckily for us, dad is a professional illustrator and made a quick-reference guide:
How much do you know about electronics? A start-up called LightUp has created a set of electronic building blocks to help kids (and their parents) become electronically literate – and build cool stuff while they’re at it.
Each of these electronic building blocks comes with a different part, such as a battery, a light sensor and an LED, allowing users to build devices such as a night light by snapping blocks together in different ways.
More advanced projects are also possible: the blocks can also be used to make a remote control, a wireless (infrared) transmitter, or even an instrument that changes tunes at the wave of a hand.
A companion “x-ray vision into circuits” app uses a smartphone’s camera to check any mistakes users may make while working on projects, showing when electricity is working and when it’s not – and how to fix it. The blocks are also compatible with an open source electronics program called Arduino.
If you think this a neat idea, the start up is looking for support on Kickstarter.
Archie Comics- those wonderful, colourful graphic novels of guilty tween reading pleasure, are so up with the times. After last year’s somewhat epic fail on the part of One Million Moms to ask ToysRUs to remove Life with Archie #16 - the issue where openly gay character Kevin Keller comes home a war hero and gets married – from its shelves, the issue sold out. Now the comics have won a 2013 GLAAD Media Award, and, well, One Millions Moms continues to fall short of one million.
In the latest issue, Kevin and his boyfriend Devon (to clarify, the Life with Archie issue where Kevin gets married is about a grown up Kevin, while this issue is of “current day” teen Kevin) share a quick kiss in Pop Tate’s Diner. A Riverdale mom has a bit of a “fit”, and Veronica records the incident and posts it on the Riverdale equivalent of YouTube. The whole thing stirs a local debate, while the issue pokes fun at the One Million Moms protest from a year ago. Read more...
It’s the funny thing about politicians. They’re supposed to represent our best selves, and work for all our collective best interests. Ideally, our kids look up to them. The reality is a little different.
If you’re looking for a modern way to “Aesop” your kids, look no further than the cornucopia of recent political blunders (that’s plural, folks).
Lest we call into question those well-worn phrases our parents and grandparents were so fond of, the following schoolyard morality tales for the very young, based upon political meltdowns circa 2013, remind us that age-old wisdom holds true.
Lesson #1
“The Biggest Bully is Usually the Most Insecure on the Inside”
Check out this safety manual from the 1950s. It takes safety to an extreme. Like guts spilled everywhere extreme. Like no matter what you do, you’re going to die extreme.
This is the safety advice our parents’ or grandparents’ generation was raised with – things turned out pretty okay, considering.
