Bunchland

What the cool parents are reading today:

1. Turns out that new dads are just as likely to experience postpartum depression as moms. Unlike new moms though, it’s not the postpartum hormones messing everything up, it’s that “fathers are more susceptible to mental health problems as they take on a more active role in parenting,” according to one of the authors of a recent study.

2. Did you struggle/are you struggling to lose baby weight? Here’s a helpful guide of what not to do from the Hairpin’s wonderful Nicole Cliffe.

3. A new theory as to what causes autism: chemical cocktails. “It is likely not one bodily insult that’s driving up [autism] cases, but a number of contaminants and exposures acting in concert,” according to environmental writer Brita Belli.  Read more...

Warning: This story is very disturbing

New Jersey dad Stuart Chaifetz was “stunned” to hear that his 10-year-old autistic son Akian was getting in trouble at school. Akian, who’d never exhibited any sort of violent behaviour before, was hitting his teacher and aide and having violent outbursts at school. His school, Horace Mann School, is considered to be one of the best schools in the States and one of those independent schools that parents are dying to get their kids into.

Since this behaviour was so uncharacteristic of the boy, his dad set up a meeting with the teachers and school therapists. A behaviourist even tried to create scenarios that would push Akian to his limits in order to see what would set him off. It didn’t work. So what would cause this peaceful boy to lash out?  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. With the changes to autism diagnoses, some parents are worried about reductions in services with their kids’ treatment.

2. Do you love Valentine’s Day? Do you hate it? Do you have to mask your hated of this Hallmark holiday since you have kids and they’re expected to give out valentines to everyone in their class?

3. How to raise racist kids: Don’t point out any ethnic differences ever. Turns out we do need to talk about our differences with our kids, and probably sometime before age 9.

4. We’re having a hard time wrapping our heads around this one: one child development prof says that moms and dads need assigned roles and dads need to spend more time playing with the kids while moms tidy up.

5. And while this has nothing to do with parenting or kids, can we just take a few moments to appreciate Adele at the Grammy’s?  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Parents of kids with behavioural or learning issues really, really don’t need you diagnosing their kids.

2. Looking for an old Biblical name for your kid but want something a little more unique? Here are 12 underused names for boys. (Though we’d still stay away from the ones with such negative meanings)

3. If your kid confesses to you that their friends are engaging in some bad behaviour, do you tell those kids’ parents?

4. Some mom who went on Toddlers and Tiaras is now suing a bunch of media outlets for sexualizing her daughter. Um, we’ve seen Toddlers and Tiaras; it’s not the media outlets doing the sexualizing, it’s the crazy pageant moms.

5. Love Walking Dead but wish there was a family-friendly zombie show to watch with your kids? If only!

 Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. A husband and wife both want to be parents, just not at the same time.

2. There are at least two beach resorts in Florida that advertise themselves as “autism-friendly.” The staff have been trained to meet the needs of autistic guests. Innovative!

3. Have you heard about this Chicago school teacher who, after forgetting to bring a lunch one day, decided to eat in the cafeteria with the kids? She was disgusted and from then on chronicled the school lunches on an anonymous blog. Now she’s got a book, Fed Up With Lunch.

4. Barack Obama doesn’t want his girls watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians, but Michelle Obama says she doesn’t mind as long as Sasha and Malia take away the right message: that Kim’s wedding was krazy. My takeaway: Michelle Obama watches the Kardashians with her daughters. Yes!!!  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Does everyone secretly think single moms are crazy? Katie Roiphe thinks that they mean romantic rather than crazy: “They mean that she is not influenced by the practical news on the ground, is listening instead to another story that is in her head. She is drawn to things that are, according to the dictionary definition of romantic, ‘impractical in conception or plan’ and is in thrall to the ‘heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized.’”

2. People continue to debate whether or not circumcision is the healthy choice.

3. New groundbreaking study finds that stress is bad for parenting.

4. If you have a child with special needs, of course you’re going to try whatever treatment or therapy you think might help them, but sometimes it’s better to hold back a bit.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Want to get in your kid’s teacher’s good books? Don’t assume they’re “the strict one” and schedule time to meet one-on-one rather than ambush them after school.

2. How one dad learned about autism from his son and a follow-up question from a fan of his memoir.

3. How do you explain sex and babies and all that to kids? Go with the stork explanation or wait to see what their teachers come up with? Check out these teaching aid sex-ed dolls from around the world.

4. Want to ensure your kids eat their lunch at school? Get them involved with the shopping, preparation and packing of the lunch.

5. Beauty and the Beast is a classic that teaches kids how what’s truly important is how beautiful/kind/whatever you are on the inside. But just what is Belle thinking on the inside? Hey Girl!  Read more...