News and Culture Five
What we’re reading today: 
1. We know, this is by now just common sense, but we need to remind kids about sunscreen. It seems the teens are too cool for it. Maybe that’ll all change when today’s 6-year-olds are teens. Don’t those teens know that sun damage causes premature aging??
2. Rebecca Eckler says the real joy of being pregnant is having your partner get your breakfast while you catch up on Kardashian gossip. Oh, and everyone else is extra nice to you too.
3. One blogger wonders if it’s wrong to raise kids in a sub-zero climate. We don’t really judge these things, but the piece is pretty whiny. Let the kid outside already. (Yeah, yeah, we see she does by the end of it, but ulgh.)
4. And something to think about when you’re getting busy: a teen in called the cops on her mom for having too-loud sex. Read more...
News and Culture Five
What we’re reading today:
1. Louisiana moms, in response to Colorado allowing a transgender kid in Girl Scouts, have pulled their daughters out of Girl Scouts. They want to be part of an organization “that only admits children who have been “persistently and consistently” identified as girls.” Yawn. Don’t these moms know they’d totally be in the villains if this situation was turned into a poignant yet humorous family movie?
2. New parenting site for South Asian families: Masala Moms!
3. When you’re actively trying to have a baby, is the sex not sexy?
4. How to carve out more family time when you’re working.
5. Tilda Swinton’s getting a whole bunch of well-deserved praise for playing the mom of a teenage psychopath in We Need to Talk About Kevin. And yet, we kinda prefer this version, We Need to Talk About Kevin McAllister. Read more...
News and Culture Five
What we’re reading today:
1. Conservative columnist Benjamin Shapiro says that TV is full of shows that promote left-wing agendas. In his new book, Primetime Propaganda, he calls out Sesame Street for promoting pacifism because the characters talk about resolving conflicts peacefully. The nerve of that Elmo.
2. If you’re crying in front of your kids, are you teaching them empathy, or burdening them with taking care of you? Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams is having a whopper of a year and has found her self bursting into tears more than usual.
3. How open are you with your kids about sex? Brad Pitt says there are no secrets in his house, when he and Angelina Jolie need some alone time, they tell the kids they’re going off to kiss.
4. If your kid’s born in November or December, would you hold them back a year before starting school? Have you? Read more...
News and Culture Five
What we’re reading today:
Seinfeld actor Len Lesser, better known as Uncle Leo, has died. Reportedly, he went peacefully in his sleep. He was 88. Uncles are pretty great. We think this is a good opportunity to call your uncles and tell them so.
We were so happy when Alyson Schafer said you’re not a bad parent if you don’t limit screen time. And her not limiting screen time led her 15-year-old daughter to build a website and do some volunteering in Africa. But some parents aren’t sold. Australian mom Susan Maushart convinced her three teens to go without their electronic devices for six months. SIX MONTHS. You can read about their wireless adventure in her book, The Winter of our Discontent. Via GeekMom Read more...
