Bunchland

What we’re reading today:

1. New mom Pink wrote an excellent rant on her site directed towards the paps who are stalking her family. They’ve got a new family photo shoot in People because she and husband Carey Hart want to be able to control the media’s access to their daughter. “We are so appreciative that people are interested in seeing our daughter. We WANT to share our joys with you, but as parents (and new parents), we should be able to govern these decisions, shouldn’t we?” Yes.

2. So we all know a bunch of Emma and Sarahs and Julias, right? All those Victorian names that started really coming back into fashion a couple decades ago are now on their way down again. Also on the list of names trending down are Grace and Ella, but we thought those names only super took off in the last five-10 years? The New York Times article suggests perhaps the lack of Jane Austen movies in theatres these days has something to do with it. (So bring on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! The world needs more Elizabeths!)  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Does the Ontario government need to support adoptive parents more?

2. Are schools just uptight these days or are they acting in everyone’s best interests? The New York Times Motherlode blog reported that kids have been suspended recently for taping up cardboard letters to ask a girl to the prom and passing gas in sync on the bus.

3. The Washington Post editors polled its writers on what parents should get rid of during spring cleaning. Top offenders: crib bumpers, snack time, computers in the library and virtual reality video games. What would you get rid of?

4. Former Arkansas governor and a likely candidate to run for the Republican presidential nomination Mike Huckabee has come out with a line of educational animated history videos. Because he doesn’t think the schools are doing a good job.  Read more...

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

Warts and all, it’s an ok deal to be a queer parent in Canada these days. It’s not perfect, but it’s ok. Look South. A recent study found that queer parents living in states with limited gay rights experience more anxiety and depression than those who live in states with rights. No kidding.

But it doesn’t mean we have everything over here. In other areas of the world, there are some cool things for queer parents that we don’t have in Canada. … yet. Maybe this list will inspire someone!

5 cool things we don’t have in Canada … yet:  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

One Babble blogger says she doesn’t mind if her house is a little messy. Her kids eat off clean plates and wear clean clothes, but her place probably wouldn’t pass a white glove test. “My mudroom may contain actual mud and my countertops may be sticky, but my kids, my husband and I laugh a lot.” How important are shiny floors to you? Is this blogger justified, or do you agree with the comments that she’s just lazy?

So it’s school admission season in NYC and apparently 18-month-olds have to have interviews? Also, parents whose kids do and don’t get into prestigious private schools sometimes lie and get totally bitchy — Slate

And in child car seat news, keep that kid facing the back of the car until about 2-years-old.  Read more...

What we’re reading on the blogs today:

As always, BoingBoing has found us something we want: monster footprint snow shoes. Slow Mo Mama simply drew monster-y footprints on some study cardboard, cut them out and laced string through four holes in the footprint shape to tie it to a boot. Via BoingBoing.

Facebook friend Amanda tipped us off to this Salon essay titled, “Regrets of a stay-at-home-mom.” Borrowing from Jane Austen’s famous phrase, she writes, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of two teenagers must be in want of a steady paycheck and employer-sponsored health insurance.” Working moms, what do  you think?

Catherine Connors aka her bad mother has a lovely rebuttal to the whole Tiger mom = better mom debate. Her mother supported her love of ballet, despite the fact that Connors wasn’t exactly the most graceful of ballerinas, apparently. Catherine’s turned out pretty darn good we think.  Read more...

Your favourite Christmas gift memories

Previously, we got all of you Bunchlanders to reveal stories of gift fails: those horrible, awful, what-were-they-thinking presents you received as kids that were totally age-inappropriate, really boring or just plain weird. Tales of gigantic underpants, tampons and Don Ho records abounded.

In an effort to end the year on a more positive note, we recently shouted out on our Facebook and Twitter for your most treasured Christmas gift memories. As usual, you guys gave us a huge response. Here are the childhood Christmas gifts you remember the most.

“Theatre tickets from my grandma — it became a tradition. Also, when my nana bought matching pajamas for me and my Cabbage Patch doll. Amazing.” -Meghan, online editor

“Commodore 64.” -Natasha

“Probably a pair of Doc Marten boots. They were the super cool thing to have when I was about 15.” @JosiahsMommy123

Bunchland families could teach you a thing or two about having fun. You see, for them, hangtime is serious business. In Play List, we ask families about the top five awesome things they have ever done together and get an amazing illustrator to draw them, and we get blown away every time.

Marc and Damion adopted Sean at the age of 2. Marc is also adopted, and is close with his maternal birth family, so Sean has three sets of grandparents who love him a whole lot. How cool is that? Marc has no problem answering questions about their multi-ethnic, same-sex, adoptive family. Fun fact: Aside from Canada, their family boasts the cultural heritages of Italy, St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Vincent and the United States. Here is their Play List.  Read more...