Strollerderby : families

Jon and Kate Season Premiere Countdown ...

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:01:00 GMT

So the Jon and Kate plus Eight season premiere is in a few hours, and already the news is in: Jon is having an affair. With Elmo. It's sure to be a very special episode. Bring the kids.

OK, so maybe not Elmo, per se, but someone. And Kate, too, apparently. On top of the affairs, there's paparazzi, nosy neighbors, drive-bys and people who literally stop at their house to walk up to the porch and peer into their windows, hoping, I suppose, to see Jon hunched in the corner, crying himself to sleep.

Why?

Not why as in why do these crazy gawkers do this? But why do Jon and Kate continue to let them? I'll get back to that in a moment.

It does, indeed, promise to be a very ... odd episode, as the couple tries to come to grips with all these rumors and accusations -- all while watched and critiqued by millions. I read an interesting inteview Karl posted over at FameCrawler the other day, and between the lines it seemed pretty clear that it sucks for the family to deal with this ... and yet, there's so much money involved, so much possibility. Eight kids cannot be easy to raise, financially speaking, and this show and media frenzy just seems to be, in their eyes, what they have to do to make their future work.

But what impact will this have on the kids in years to come? What impact is it having now?

It makes me wonder: If you had eight kids and the possibility of having everything they could ever want paid for (important things like college and hamsters, I mean), would you continue to put them through this very public ordeal?

The 10 Best Famous Road Trips in the U.S.

editors — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Last summer was all about the 'staycation'. This year, ditch the kiddie pool for the open road. Sure, the classic road trip usually includes a bunch of 20- somethings on a Kerouacian romp- But, hey, why wait until then for your kids to know the grandeur and diversity of this great nation? National Geographic's 10 Best of Everything: Families will take you far beyond Route 66.

1. Covered Bridges, Vermont

See five covered bridges on one drive through Vermont's Bennington County: Silk Bridge, Paper Mill, Village Bridge, Henry Bridge, and West Arlington Brigde. Autumn is the best time to go, but it's also lovely in late spring.

2. Lighthouse Tour, Maine

There are 65 lighthouses still standing in Maine. Today, about ten light stations include museums; others are bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, or a nature preserve; and a few house research facilities. Drive from Frazer Point Picnic Area and Winter Harbor light to Prospect harbor and Prospect Harbor Light, Maine, in one day.

3. Skyline Drive, Virginia

The 105-mile parkway along the crest of the Blue Ridge mountains starts in Fort Royal, Virginia, and winds above the Shenandoah River valley, where early American Indians lived and where Daniel Boone and settlers passed through on their way to the western frontier. The mountains here are smooth and low, and famed for the blue mist created by foliage.

4. A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Florida

Allow two hours to drive this byway, which lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal Waterway on a narrow barrier island. Along with breathtaking views, you'll see the Gulf Coast, flora and fauna, resorts, and art deco architecture.

5. Michigan's Peninsulas

See the iconic dunes, shoreline, waterfalls, pines, and famed cherry orchards. The road stretches from Sleeping Bear Dunes to Petoskey to St.Ignace to Sault Ste.Marie to Munsing.

6. San Juan Skyway, Colorado

Travel the "road to the sky," which offers views of the towering 14,000-foot San Juan Mountains to rolling hillsides speckled with ancient Pueblo Indian ruins. It's a 236-mile route from Durango to Ouray, through Telluride and Mancos, back to Durango.

7. Albuquerque to Taos, New Mexico

Explore the Southwest through its fabled history and figures. Drive the Turquoise Trail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe to Taos, then back to Albuquerque to discover the culture of the Pueblo Indians, Georgia O'Keeffe, mountains, canyons, cliffs, cliff paintings, ghost towns, and artist colonies.

8. Goint-to-the-Sun Road, Montana

Lake McDonald is Glacier National Park's largest lake, at ten miles long. Driving along the McDonald Valley provides a history of the glaciers that carved the U-shaped valley. Families can park at the visitor's center at Logan Pass, the top of the Continental Divide. The road leads to the Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, at 9,642 the highest in this area of the park.

9. Pacific Coastal Highways, California

Take in the West Coast in its entierety or in manageable short jaunts.The first section begins in Portland, passing the Willamette River, early pioneer settlements, stunning waterfalls, rugged coastline, weird monoliths, and towering redwoods. The second section from San Francisco to L.A. features the Golden Gate, Big Sur, wine country, Hearst Castle, Spanish missions, Hollywood, mountains, beaches, surfing and harbors.

10. Chain of Craters, Hawaii

Chain of Craters Road, located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, is a 20-mile journey that showcases a natural landscape shaped by volcanoes. Whether driving or hiking, visitors can see craters, lava flows, tropical rain forests, mountains, and coastal areas.

Amy, Florida: "Out for a drive I always say that my car has better upholstery than most of the furniture in my house. No wonder we all love leisurely sightseeing drives, with time to talk, look out the window, maybe stop for ice cream..."

Reprinted with permission of the National Geographic Society from the book The 10 Best of Everything: Families by Susan Magsamen. Copyright ©2009 National Geographic Society.
Photo: Bernie McCann

Related Links: The 10 Best Carousels in the U.S., The 10 Best Children's Museums in the U.S., The 10 Best Living History Sites

The 10 Best Living History Sites

editors — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Move over Felicity, Samantha, Kit Kitson and the rest of the bunch; American Girl dolls don't hold a candle to the country's finest historical reenactments. With National Geographic's 10 Best of Everything: Families as your guide, your tots can become Minnesota farmhands for a day or climb aboard the Pony Express.

1. Actor's Beechwood Mansion
580 bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840, 401-846-3772

Step back in time at the Astors' opulent Beechwood Museum. The Beechwood Theatre Company brings to life the Astor family, their friends and servants. There are daily tours of the early 20th-century mansion given by living history performers.

2. Gettysburg National Military Park
97 Taneytown Rd., Gettysburg, PA 17325, 717-334-1124

The most epic battle of the Civil War was fought here on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863. Confederate troops attempted their second invasion of the North at Gettysburg, not far from the state lines of Maryland and West Virginia. Union soldiers pushed back--at a cost of more than 7,000 lives. Five months later, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address here. Reenactments are regularly scheduled.

3. Colonial Williamsburg
101A Visitor Center Dr., Williamsburg, VA 23187, 757-229-1000

Duke of Gloucester Street and the reconstructed governor's mansion are the centerpieces of this re-created historic city depicting the best of British colonial life in the New World. Shop for authentic toys, wear a tricorn hat, and return the greetings of costumed barristers, shopkeepers, and servants.

4. Middleton Place Plantation
4300 Ashley River Rd., Charleston, SC 29414, 800-782-3608

Experience a taste of the Old South, with the benefit of a view from the 21st century. This carefully preserved low-country plantation is now a resort, working farm, and historic garden area-- and a beautiful family destination. Staff members here are characters who introduce you to life on a 19th century southern rice plantation.

5. Castillo de San Marcos
1 Castillo Dr. S, St. Augustine, FL 32084, 904-829-6506

This fort was built in 1972 to protect Spain's footprint on the North American continent. Reenactments and weapons demonstrations are regularly scheduled, and rangers are on hand.

6. Conner Prairie
13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers, IN 46038, 800-966-1836

A renowned living history museum, farm, and learning center where families can explore 19th century life of the American Midwest. It's divided into four main areas: a homestead, a prairie town, a farm, and a Lenape camp. Events are planned every weekend, including storytelling, traditional arts, farm experiences and more.

7. Oliver H. Kelley Farm
15788 Kelley Farm Rd., Elk River, MN 55330, 763-441-6896

Be a Minnesota farmhand for a day. Try churning butter and weaving a straw hat, and see oxen and horses at work in the fields. Dressed as farmers and field hands, staff members show families how a 19th-century farm was run. Seasonal activities and daily chores provide a hands-on view of daily farm life and early American agriculture.

8. Pony Express Re-Ride
1202 Penn St., Saint Joseph, MO 64503, 816-232-8206

This annual event commemorates the founding of the Central Overland and California Pikes Peak Express Company, also known as the Pony Express. In June, teams of horses and riders ride the original trail from Missouri, with handoffs along the way in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and then across California to Sacramento. The ride begins at the original Pony Express headquarters, now a Missouri musuem. Families can mail a letter that will be carried along the route.

9. Flint Hills Overland Wagon Train
El Dorado, KS 67042, 316-321-6300

Experience life on the pioneer trail with an overnight covered wagon journey in the Flint Hills, an unspoiled tallgrass prairie that was once a pathway to the American frontier. Traditional entertainment and chuckwagon-style meals are provided, with a campfire and sleeping under the stars at night. You can bring your own horse and ride along.

10. George Ranch
10215 FM 762, Richmond, TX 77469, 281-343-0218

This historic park has been in one family for four generations. It includes a mansion home, working ranch, and seasonal crops that visitors can help to harvest. Schedule your visit for a Saturday and plan on having an authentic 19th-century-style meal at one of five different venues around the park.

Photo: Bates Littlehales

Related Links: The 10 Best Carousels in the U.S., The 10 Best Children's Museums in the U.S.

Letting the Economic Squeeze Draw You Closer

Amy Kuras — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:02:00 GMT

“Families cutting back” stories have become a little too perennial in this recession, but I liked this one about the Smith family of Schenectady. Why? Because so many of these stories seem to focus on families that might have to – shudder — send their children to the YMCA day camp instead of Camp Horseysnob or cut down to two Starbucks runs a day. Not something you can work up a big wad of sympathy over, you know?

The Smith family didn’t have a ton off cash and indulgences to begin with – both work hourly retail jobs, and dad works part time. The indulgences they cut were planned amusement park trips this summer and their Friday night dinners out, which were replaced with secondhand bikes, a swingset, and family cooking lessons taught by mom.

As a freelance writer married to a social worker in one of the hardest hit areas for this recession, I’ve been finding it pretty hard to work up sympathy for people who are cutting out things that are really high-end luxuries that no one needs. And on the other end of the spectrum some of these stories are “OMG how are people surviving --can I scrape up a check for the food bank -- thank God we still have health insurance and a house.”

I liked this story because this is a really relatable family, and they are focusing on how to maintain the right things – time together and getting to know their kids. They are, like many of us, splurging in order to save; they bought a Wii, for example, to stave off the temptation to hit the mall or the movie theater or rainy days. It seems to be the way a lot of us are struggling through – we spend a little to splug more long term money drains, we pull ourselves in closer to home, and we focus on family time together, not how expensively that time is spent.

Where is your family splurging and saving? And what are you focusing on as you make those decisions?

Blended Family Works With Therapy

Brett Singer — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Here's the story / of a lovely lady / who was living with three very lovely girls…

And so on. You know it, don't you? If not, here's a refresher:

And here's Jamie Foxx singing it, just because it's funny.

For the Bradys, it looked so easy. Real life is rarely that simple. So Claudia Gryvatz Copquin and her boyfriend Glen Ames decided to move in together, they sought help from a therapist.

In general, I'm a believer in therapy. I find that it helps me, and I've known many people who benefited from talking things over with a professional. But when someone says, "I wish the therapist could move in with us," my eyebrows go up like Mr. Spock when Doctor McCoy says something particularly illogical. (Except that I can't raise just the one brow the way Spock does. Must be a Vulcan thing.)

But things like who sleeps in which bed? That's too much. Seriously, what happened to, "This is what we're doing, deal with it"? If that seems harsh, or unrealistic, OK, maybe. Still, where do you draw the line? Do you call the therapist every time?

Apparently this couple does. In fact /They didn’t commit to living together until receiving a go-ahead from the therapist. “It gave us confidence,” Mr. Ames said./ And Ms. Copquin told the therapist "I wish you could move in with us."

I'm sure the therapist is thrilled. Mo' money! But I think that's too much dependance on outside help. If each person had their own shrink, I might feel differently. I'm not sure why but that seems more productive. If you trek the whole family over to the office whenever there's a fight over the remote control, what kind of life is that?

Source: NY Times

Image: Wikipedia

Husband Loses Job, Wife Loses Respect For Him

They Say - Older Fathers Spawn Dumber Kids

Kate Gosselin Dreamt Of A Husband and Children - Did You?

Three Generations, Just One Birthday

JeanneSager — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:37:00 GMT

The chances of having three generations in one family share the same birthday are seven in a million.Meet number seven - she was born February 2.

So, for that matter, was Anala Broussard's mother, Jasmine, and her grandmother, Cherise Terry.

I had to laugh at the comments from an astrologer in the Mercury News article on the family: "These kind of ties between people is a strong sign that they are karmically linked and shared other lives." Yes, they're karmically linked all right, biologically linked too!

But whether you're the superstitious type or not, there's something just this side of coincidence about every female in one family making her entrance on the same day.

As the Terrys point out, it does have a drawback for Mom - her birthday ceases to be important as the focus of celebrations and parties goes to her daughter, and now it will go to her daughter's daughter. But I suppose it must save a bundle on birthday cakes?

It also bears noting that Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day - and like Bill Murray, this family is apparently living one day over and over again.

Does your family have a double - or triple - birthday? Has it impacted celebrations?

Image: Mercury News

Little Girls Really Do Marry Their Daddies

JeanneSager — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:01:00 GMT

Did your daughter ever inform you when she grows up she's going to marry her Daddy?

It turns out she probably will - or at the very least his doppelganger. Your son, by the way? He might well grow up to marry a woman is a heckuva lot like his Mom.

Recent research and surveys have come up with the same answers - an overwhelming number of people grow up and fall in love with someone who shares either facial characteristics or personalities with one of their parents. Some researchers say it has to do with familiarity, others because they are following set patterns in their lives (ie. a girl with a missing dad might marry an emotionally unavailable man).

Let's face it, kids inherit traits from their parents. So it only stands to reason that the traits they inherited from one parent would be the same kinds of traits that drew that particular parent to the other. If a girl is more like her mother, for example, wouldn't it make sense that she'd be attracted to a guy like her father?

Is one of your kids more like you? Do they have the kind of personality that would mesh with their other parent better? Who is your little one going to grow up to marry?

Image: Sydney Morning Herald

The Problem with Testing for Food Allergies

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:30:00 GMT

It turns out you may not need to buy that expensive hypoallergenic formula after all. After years of steadily rising allergies in kids, pediatricians are beginning to acknowledge that it might be the allergy tests, not the food, that’s the problem.

The rise in false allergy diagnoses is due to a little something called modern convenience. (Speed coming at the price of accuracy? No!) Instead of administering lengthy food challenges—in which doctors watch children consume a whole variety of foods—most doctors now test for allergies by giving kids a blood test for certain antibodies. The problem is that this test falsely identifies allergies more than half of the time.

Given this finding and other studies that have linked early peanut exposure to a lower allergy risk, doctors’ groups are considering revising allergy guidelines to encourage parents to introduce high-risk foods like peanuts and shellfish earlier rather than later.

In the meantime, parents may need to start relying more heavily on the only tried-and-true allergy test there is: if your kid can eat it, he’s not allergic.

Photo: MSNBC

Babble Talk: Fighting Around the Christmas Tree

Amy Kuras — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:31:00 GMT

Yes, they believe we can change the color of traffic lights by blowing on them, that we can make whatever they want to eat magically appear, and sometimes even fall for our explanations of why the sky is blue or why water is wet – but you can’t BS kids on the really important stuff.

And never does this become more apparent than when they’re sorting out family relationships. Let’s just say I’ve learned to be verrryyy careful when I complain to my husband about certain people.

That may have been what the little one who’s my pick for the Babble kid's quote of the day had in mind – although it was most likely adorable toddler mispronunciation:

"Mommy I love all the Christmas arguments," while looking at our ornaments!

At least someone does, kiddo.

Got a sweet little quote machine in your house (and really, who doesn’t)? Click on over to our “Kids Say The Cutest Things” feature and you might see us highlighting your kid’s brilliance in a post.

Family Really Does Warp Your Brain

KeriF — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:35:00 GMT

Family driving you crazy? Blame it on your brain.

When we look at our family, we're looking at versions of ourselves, according to a new study. We process our relatives through a self-referential part of the brain that has no patience for our own flaws, especially in other people. So when you're pissed off because your sister is being passive aggressive and sulking because you ordered the wrong kind of pizza even though she said she didn't really care that much and you tried to order something you thought she'd like, it's really because you're passive aggressive yourself and can't stand seeing it in people that resemble you.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

When we look at friends or strangers, on the other hand, we process them in a different part of the brain, so we may be more tolerant of certain behaviors.

Researchers looked at MRI brain scans on people viewing relatives, friends, strangers, and themselves, to identify which parts of the brain are used to process each type of person. When subjects looked at pictures of biological relatives and themselves, the same part of the brain was active. So we tend to judge our relatives with the same harshness we use upon ourselves.

Which is why family reunions are so… fun.

Family Sues Over Free Playboy TV Access

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:34:00 GMT

Morons.

Free Playboy TV? What's the problem again?

Yes, yes, I'm a fifth-grader, but honestly, there is a far, far easier solution to this "dilemma" than a lawsuit. According to the Bourne family of Prudeville Pennsylvania, unauthorized access to the Playboy Channel is tantamount to "trespassing" on their property.

The suit claims "that Verizon failed to maintain “reasonable and proper control over its equipment” and unreasonably intruded on the plaintiffs' “right to physical solitude or seclusion.”

This is nothing but a money grab by this family, plain and simple -- because the easiest solution to this problem is to simply not turn on the Playboy Channel. (And use parental controls so your kids don't.)

Biggest Family Rip Off: Preschool Applications

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:01:00 GMT

A year ago around this time, we shelled out $50 a pop so preschools could "review" our applications -- which largely consisted of 1-page sheets of paper. Why it costs $50 to take a piece of paper, file it away and completely forget about it, I'll never know, but that's what the going rate was.

Fifty bucks. Ten schools. That shit adds up quickly.

This year, it's getting worse.

A friend recently shelled out $75 for preschool application administration charges in San Francisco, and I'm sure it's even worse elsewhere.

The application processing scam was by far the worst part of the preschool process -- far worse than those annoying orientations in which some mom would invariably kiss a teacher's ass by asking "Do you believe in playtime?" or "Do you have any stats showing which colleges your students went on to?"

Thankfully we were able to get into a school last year, but I feel badly for all those parents in the midst of the preschool process right now. What's your least favorite part?

Child Hunger in the U.S. Doubled in 2007

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Agriculture Department has reported that 700,000 American children went hungry in 2007, up from 430,000 in 2006. Since this sharp increase in the number of kids who are not getting enough to eat came before the economic crisis, it’s very likely that 2008 will be an even more difficult year for children in lower income families.

As if the president-elect didn’t have enough world crises to combat, these new figures make Obama’s promise to expand food aid and end childhood hunger by 2015 even more important—and more daunting.

Among those families suffering from “food insecurity” (i.e., the inability to afford or get assistance for enough food to maintain a healthy lifestyle), the hardest hit were—in descending order—those living below the poverty line, single mothers, African American households, and Latino households.

Overall, 12.2 percent of Americans didn't have enough to eat in 2007.

Photo: Total Broadcasting

They Say: The IVF Kids Are All Right

Amy Kuras — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:06:00 GMT

Here’s some good news for families with kids conceived through IVF – at adolescence, they show no differences with families with children conceived “naturally.”

A study from the University of Leuven in Belgium, published in the journal Human Reproduction, looked at families with 15 and 16 year old children who had participated in a similar study when their children were two years old. Both parents and children of IVF families and non-IVF families filled out questionnaires assessing the parents’ parenting style and stress, and the teens’ psychosocial adjustment. Both teens and parents filled out both surveys.

The sample size was small; only 24 families in the study group and 21 in the control group.

The study found no significant differences in parenting style or in parenting stress between IVF mothers and fathers and mothers and fathers in the control group. There was also no significant difference between the groups in self- or parent-reported behavioral problems. Interestingly, a comparison of behavioral problems between IVF adolescents informed or not informed about the IVF conception did not reveal significant differences. That surprised me – I always thought the conventional wisdom that telling children is much more healthy that not would be borne out by research.

According to the research team, the study is the first psychosocial follow-up of IVF parents and children in mid-adolescence, and adds to the evidence that IVF children and their parents are well-adjusted.

Families Found for Parents and Kids

Amy Kuras — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:31:00 GMT

I know, from personal experience, how sad it is to want to be a parent desperately but be barred by biology, finances, or circumstances from doing so. And I can’t imagine how sad it is to be a child who wants a home just as desperately. I’m someone who values family over anything else, so I am huge sucker for stories like this one out of Atlanta about several children being adopted out of the foster care system into permanent homes.

The family court in Fulton County finalized 30 adoptions of foster children on Saturday as part of the National Adoption Month Celebrations. Courts all over the country do this as a way to bring attention to the need for foster and adoptive families.

Single dad Wallace Ponder III formally adopted the three boys he’s been caring for as a foster parent, ages 12, 10 and 6. The oldest even took a new name, becoming Wallace Ponder IV.

Other new families profiled in the story were 65-year-old Joan Walcott, who raised biological children who are now grown, adopted a six-year-old boy named Raheem, and a 30-something couple that adopted the baby girl they’d been caring for since she was 7 months old.

My husband and I actually looked into foster adoption when we were deciding how to build our family, but it wasn’t the right decision for us (or for any potential kids) at the time. But I just find this so moving – parents who need kids and kids who need parents, giving each other a home.

Now back to your regular Strollerderby snark…

Photo: AdoptUSKids.org (not one of the families featured in the story)

Doling Out Halloween Candy to Over-Sugared Tots

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:26:00 GMT

My first inclination when confronted with a pillow sack full of candy is to steal it -- steal the whole thing, hide it away high on a bookshelf and spend the next 30 nap times lazily eating on miniature Mars bars and those delicious Smarties.

Then I imagine my daughter bursting into tears after such a heinous breach of parental trust and I relent.

"One piece," that's what I'm sure I'll tell her tonight, "You've may have one piece of your bounty tonight and then some more tomorrow."

She's 2 and a half. A sack full of candy so late at night would doom us all. But again, 2. That's pretty easy to handle.

How about you parents with older kids -- just how much do you allow them to eat tonight? Some people fall into the whole bag side of the debate -- let them eat the whole damn thing and they'll be so sick they'll never do it again. Others go for the one piece side of the equation. Lots of good points on both sides.

So how do you dole out that candy tonight?

Family Friendly Sex Shops -- Taint heard that one!

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:03:00 GMT

Because apparently this week is devoted to dildos and children, I bring you this story of an Australian sex shop that bills itself as family friendly -- complete with coloring books for the kids so mom and dad can shop for a ball gag in peace.

And did I mention the dolls!

I found this story via Jezebel and clicked on the link and was all, like, you know: Finally! A sex shop I can bring the kid to! Why didn't they think of this in the states!

Seriously, I kept reading the article and found myself agreeing more and more that children should be allowed into the stores -- if I followed the owner's rational. She said she wasn't inviting families or throwing parties. Rather, if parents absolutely needed to bring their kids in -- say, instead of leaving them in a sweltering car -- then of course they're welcome.

Well, duh. Cars bad. Sex shops better. This is a no brainer. But I guess it doesn't get to the heart of the question.

New York has a few. I'm not sure exactly if they're considered "family friendly" but San Francisco has some remarkably clean sex shops I wouldn't hesitate to bring the kid into in a pinch. ("Hold her! Now quick, where are your maid outfits?")

So tell me, are sex shops acceptable places for kids to hang while parents peruse?

Seame Street's Gordon: Precursor to Obama?

Amy Kuras — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:19:00 GMT

How does an actor stay fresh in a role that he’s been playing for more than 30 years?
It probably helps when the show’s target audience refreshes itself every few years. That’s the case with Sesame Street, and one of the few grownup characters who have stayed with the show for most of its run, Gordon, played by Roscoe Orman.

This profile of Orman reveals a few interesting facts: He was actually the third actor to play the role, and didn’t think he’d stick around for long. Previous to taking the Sesame Street gig, he was best known for playing a pimp in the blaxploitation film “Willie Dynamite.” And Gordon and Susan (who we don’t see much anymore, because the actress who plays her has a PhD and is a noted educational expert) have the longest African-American marriage on TV.

This isn’t mentioned in the article, but many years ago when the show followed Gordon and Susan adopting their son, Miles, he was played by (and named after) Orman’s real-life son. Orman’s the father of four and grandfather of five.

I don’t know about you, but I was awfully excited when I started watching the show with my daughter and discovered that many of the grownups I’d known and loved as a little kid were still there. The show has become much more Muppet-centric (yes it IS a word) and focuses less on the human characters, but I love that the adults are still there showing kids the way grownups should treat them – with respect, kindness and caring.

One person quoted in the article says the strong, kind, warm persona of Gordon may have primed the pump for the ascendancy of Barack Obama, because it gave us such a positive image of black men. Interesting – and probably true.

They Say: Technology Keeps Families Connected

Amy Kuras — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:02:00 GMT

If you’re reading this, it’s no surprise to you that people use mobile phones and internet connections to reinforce their social ties. That’s borne out by a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life project.

And it’s the most traditional families, with two married adults and minor kids – that are most likely to have cell phones and net connections.

More than half of families surf the Internet with their children, as well. Of course – why else would there be so many Sesame Street clips available on YouTube? It can’t all be nostalgic Gen Xers and Ys, right?

Also, of couples with two mobile phones, 70 percent use it at least once a day to talk to their spouse, and 42 percent talk to their kids via mobile at least once a day – a figure which I find low, personally, since I don’t actually remember how I used to grocery shop without calling my husband about five times to ask him questions and update him on my whereabouts, and he does the same when he’s on kid duty.

More than half, 53 percent, of those questioned said that the quality of their contact with distant family members had improved thanks to technology, while 47 percent said it improved interaction with those they live with.

Where’s all that time to surf and chat coming from? Mostly TV watching – 25 percent of people say they watch less TV now. I’d have to agree – I am usually surfing and blogging and watching TV all at once.

So, to sum up – technology good. Who knew?

Photo: dvorak.org

Queer Spawn Make Better Teens?

Shannon LC Cate — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:16:00 GMT

Teenaged kids of lesbian moms are doing as well or better than peers, according to the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study conducted by Dr. Nanette Gartrell of the University of California-San Francisco. Not only did the study find that the kids in the 79 families still in the study (which started with 84) have higher social competence and lower overall "problem behavior" than the general population of their peers, it also found 80% of them rating their lives as enjoyable and satisfying which, I don't need to tell you, is not typical of teens.

Apparently, the nuances of these responses correlated with how the schools these kids attended handled homophobic incidents. The better the handling of the issue, the better adjusted the children from lesbian families reported themselves to be. It goes to show you that society's homophobia, not same-sex parents themselves, are the probable cause of any sexual-orientation-related trouble our children have.

I found some of the responses a bit implausible, however, such as a finding that of the kids reporting sexual activity of their own (again, less than the general population) 100% of this was opposite-sex activity. Though the researcher says she believes the self-reporting kids are being honest, I have to wonder if they aren't also heavily influenced by the sense of responsibility Abigail Garner found when she interviewed the adult children of same-sex parents for her book, Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell it Like it Is. Garner discovered that children with queer parents felt the need to prove to the world that they were normal and healthy and sometimes, most of all, heterosexual. It seems the worst fear outsiders have about same-sex parenting is that we'll turn our kids gay and enough of us have enough internalized homophobia to worry about it ourselves. Could be that a group of 17-year olds aren't ready to break away from protecting the family image enough to admit they are experimenting as much as the rest of the population?

But overall, the study's findings are encouraging. Given all the legal and financial drawbacks to having a lesbian family, a little break during the teen years seems fair enough.

Photo by dellafels

Two Moms is Not Enough

LGBT Magnet Schools: Help or Hurt?

Check out the Winner of the Funny Face Contest!

editors — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:03:00 GMT

After all the looking and laughing and laughing some more, our panel of judges picked Dana Randall (that's her munchkin, above) as our big winner of the Funny Face Contest on The Babble Playground. Dana will be going home with the NettoCollection Moderne changing table, a $1,750 value. Whoopee! What do you think someone did to that baby to get this reaction? Dana, please do tell.

Even though Dana is the grand prize winner, we had so many great funny face options it took us an extra long time to choose, so we decided to recognize some of the other finalists in the great Funny Face Contest of '08. These lucky Babble Playground familes will be receiving some consolation prizes from the Babble library. Take a gander at the other winners, after the jump.

Meet the Runners-Up

Alicia's submission:

This left us wondering if perhaps someone left The Shining in the DVD player.

Lizzie's submission:

Excellent use of props.

Lisa's submission:

This would have fit in quite well in my high school yearbook.

You say you want to win fabulous prizes of extraordinary value? If you haven't joined the Playground yet, now is the time. Connect with other families, showcase your brood in photo and video and enter to win more exciting contests coming soon! - April Peveteaux

The Human Element of War

Brett Singer — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

No matter what you think of the Iraq War (or any war for that matter) I think it's important to remember the human side of things. The soldiers aren't only fighters, they're people.

Some of them are even parents. In her terrific Personal Essay titled "Return to the Home Front", Korinthia Klein tells us what it was like when her husband Ian came home from "over there." It's all worth reading, but here are a couple of highlights:

"By the time I got my arms around Ian, all I could do was sob."

"Ian marveled at the quiet as we went to sleep, because he'd lived so long with mortar fire and the constant whine of generators and military jets. I kept forgetting that he didn't know where things belonged and that he still had to be introduced to some of the people and places the kids and I know best."

"The children adjusted remarkably well. It's hard to believe Quinn's daddy was a stranger to him only a few weeks ago."

Look – support the war, don't support the war. But no matter what, always support the troops.

10 Ways You're a Great Parent

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:59:00 GMT

"You know, you are a fabulous parent!!" "You sure are a wonderful mother/father" "Wow! Your kids are so well adjusted!"

Wouldn't it be nice to hear these things once in awhile?

The truth is, despite all the bad news making headlines, most of us are doing a wonderful job parenting our kids.

Here are 10 things you are doing every day that prove this:

1. You hug and kiss your little one

2. You feed them and clothe them and occasionally make them eat vegetables

3. You sing them songs and give them baths at night.

4. You look at your child playing and smile -- sometimes they see you, sometimes they just feel you.

5. You try and be a good parent, even when you're exhausted, cranky, and tired.

6. You love them unconditionally, even when you don't like them very much.

7. You read them books.

8. You hold them when they're scared.

9. You want them to have a good, happy life.

10. You give them everything you think they need.

See? Don't believe the hype. You're doing a wonderful job!

5 Ways to Recapture a Day of Rest

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:36:00 GMT

Finding a day of rest in the busy hither and thither of modern family life might seem old fashioned and quaint, but many of us need it now more than ever before.

Assuming you don't have a second home in the Hamptons or an ability to go to Club Med, here are a few ideas to cultivate more rest:

1. Create a Hammock - If you don't have anywhere to put a hammock, create one. A hammock is relaxing because it is outside and you have no other tasks to accomplish other than laying there, taking deep breaths, and maybe grabbing a cat nap. Create a hammock by laying outside somewhere on a soft blanket and closing your eyes. Of course, this works much better if you don't have to dodge marauding dogs or children.

2. Unplug - Turn it all off. The television, the cell phones, the computer, the pager, the fax, the blackberry. If the idea of doing this makes you twitchy (it's a lifestyle, man!) then come up with a way to keep your mind off of all those crucial emails you might be missing (the ones about enlargement and magic happy pills especially).

3. Road Trip - A change of scenery is refreshing.. even if it's only a trip to a part of the city you've not been to before, or a visit to a town 45 minutes away. Pack up a picnic and get out of your usual routine.

4. Hello Leisure, Be My Baby - In our society, we often mistake leisure for watching television and eating potato chips. True leisure and rest are states of being that require few inputs and free time. Television and music and beeping phones are all a distraction. For the type-A's among us, leisure time (unstructured, unplugged free time) can be scary, so sometimes you might have to ease into it. Plan an hour to start and go from there.

5. Just Do It - The neat thing about cultivating a day of rest, whether it's for religious or health reasons is you begin to make it part of your family routine. My brother's family sets aside Sundays for quiet family time. The kids can play games (board, not video) and are given a day off from chores and homework. The parents don't clean or catch up on email or mow the lawn. I've been able to do something similar in my family, but usually only for a half day.

Making rest and leisure a priority sets a good example for the kiddies, which is why after posting this, I'm closing this computer, laying out on a blanket and counting the clouds.

Most Objectionable Book for Kids?

Kelly Mills — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:31:00 GMT

The American Library Association says the book the public objects to the most was one written for children. (Objections were measured by written complaints filed with a library or school.) Was it the one explaining mommy's plastic surgery--"My Beautiful Mommy"? Nope. The one where Curious George gets high on ether? Nah-ah. So what book was so offensive to folks?

The number one challenged book--for the second year in a row, no less--was "And Tango Makes Three," co-written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. It's about a penguin with two dads. You know, the gays are coming after your kids, one penguin at a time. Sigh. See, I'll get that book for my kid now, cuz I've grown weary of the way heteros always push their agenda in kid lit. Other books that made the objected list were: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou; Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn;" and Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," for anti-religious stuff. You know what books I object to? Those crappy little Disney ones that summarize "Cinderella" or "The Little Mermaid." They always have at least one typo and actually melt your brain with boredom when you read them.