Browse by Tags

• Things Fall Apart: "Soldier Bear" Toy Sets

  So, evidently, the U.S. military isn't exempt from cheap lead-filled toys from China. Huh. Yep, about 13,000 toy sets under the "Soldier bear" brand have been recalled. The sets include ones with action figures with dinosaurs, wild animals, and naturally, military vehicles and figures. The sets were sold to unsuspecting military families exclusively at Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) locations around the world. The new recall joins and expands on a previous one from May involving the Soldier Bear toy brand. The individual styles and model numbers of the sets involved in this recall are all listed here, and are all covered with or made from or containing lots and lots of lead. Yum! Posted Jul 20 2007, 02:32 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: toys, military, safety, recalls, things fall apart, AAFES, Soldier Bear

• Department Of Defense Launches Shaken Baby Campaign

  The Department of Defense has rolled out a program aimed at stopping or reducing the number of shaken baby deaths in the military community. Each year about 10 to 20 infant deaths occur across military families. According to David W. Lloyd, director for the Defense Department's Family Advocacy Program, fathers and other males are responsible for 70% of all shaken baby cases. I vividly recall moments when my kids were little where I could, for a brief moment, understand how someone could shake their baby. Of course, I don't condone such behavior but I understood at 3:30 am while holding a screaming infant, how you reach that point. My husband and I had a code word: 'SHAKY' which meant a fresh set of arms and ears were immediately needed. The program aims to educate parents about the risks of shaken baby syndrome and to provide parenting classes and coping skills for dealing with a crying baby. Military parents can also access a 24 hour counseling line at 1-800-342-9647 Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy said, "Military parents are like all parents -- they need information and support about how to cope with the stress of living with an infant, especially a baby that won't stop crying." Military parents are like all parents....except they go to war and shoot people while fighting for our country. Posted Apr 19 2007, 08:09 AM by Melissa Summers with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: parenting, military, child abuse, military families, child abuse prevention

• Babble's Military Mom: Husband Is in Iraq but the Battles are at Home

  Last week, this video of a tearful kindergartner being surprised at school by his father who had just returned from Iraq, was making the rounds. The video is undeniably sweet and it's almost impossible to remain dry-eyed when you see the look of joy and relief the boy's face the moment he sees his dad. This is one of those situations where unless you are deep in the heart of it, you can't possibly imagine what these families must be going through. What must the waiting and worrying be like? How do you explain to children who have no concept of time that mom or dad will be home in 6 months, 9 months, a year? Giving us a glimpse of what it's like to be in a military family is Korinthia Klein, who wrote Babble's latest personal essay entitled The Home Front. Dad is stationed near Baghdad, mom is at home with their kids.  She now knows where the fusebox is, but most of all she just wants her husband to be safe. Check it out.   Posted Apr 03 2007, 07:01 AM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with no comments Filed under: military, babble essays, military families

• I Support Our Muppet Troops: Sesame Street Explores Deployment

  Sesame Street has a long history of addressing serious issues with its young viewers--the death of Mr. Hooper was one of my earliest experiences with death and grief, and probably one of yours, too. Being different, navigating the pitfalls of friendship, adding a new member to the family--the things that can frighten or sadden a small child have been explored by Bob, Maria, and the Muppets at some point during the thirty-six year series run. Today, Sesame Street addresses a new and timely issue being faced by American children in When Parents Are Deployed, hosted by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (in case you were wondering what he was up to lately). In the special, Elmo learns that his father is being sent overseas and the Sesame gang comes along to help him get his head around it. In between Elmo segments, real military parents and children share their personal stories of deployment. By all accounts it's not great television, though it has good intentions.  And it may be preaching to the choir: the producers know that Americans are so polarized by the war that people who are not personally connected to anyone in the military will probably ignore their efforts. Retired Major General Charles Bolden, who consulted with Sesame Workshop on the special, says "The story that is told is one that the vast majority of Americans don't have a clue about," and notes the disconnect between those who are fighting in the war and those who don't support it. Posted Dec 27 2006, 01:33 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: politics, PBS, military, sesame street, elmo