Bunchland

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 today:

1. So, we’re all pretty much on the ball in terms of advising kids not to talk to strangers, right? Good. Have you informed the little ones not to touch man-eating animals? No? You might want to get on that or else you could find yourself in the same position as this Brazilian mom who walked into her living room and discovered her 3-year-old son petting a five-foot alligator on the head. Thankfully, the alligator wasn’t hungry so there was no attack. Via BBC

2. Ever threaten unruly kids with a call to the cops? Yeah, one couple in Staten Island wanted to scare their 6-year-old into better behaviour, so they took her to the police station… where the police then charged the parents with child endangerment. Via New York Daily News  Read more...