Strollerderby : thingamababy

More Gross Parents From the NYT--Be Skinny and Popular!

Kelly Mills — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:01:00 GMT

I guess it's yucky parent week at the NYT. Now we have a bit on parents who pressure their kids to be thin and alluring and play sports and suck up to the mean, popular kids. Nice, huh? Oh, and when parents fail to take on this role, there's always a helpful aunt or uncle or other relative to step in and fill the void. Like this: "'All I ever think about is whether my niece is popular, thin and happy enough,' said Peggy Siegal, the movie screening doyenne and New York social engine. 'Her mother tells me I have very bad values.'" Hmm, ya think? I love how popular, thin, and happy all go hand-in-hand.

One theory behind why these parents are pushing their kids to be school stars is that the folks are living vicariously through the children. Why do I think that can't be good for the kids? "'It’s better for kids to see they can fail and survive than it is for them to always succeed,' said Laurie Zelinger, a school psychologist on Long Island, who sees too many parents putting children in inappropriately sexy clothing and inappropriately competitive situations. 'Kids don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be resilient.'" See, maybe I'm a nut, but I thought parents and relatives were supposed to ineffectually tell kids in the lower tiers of school social status how great they are, and how those mean popular kids are just jealous, and the kids are supposed to roll their eyes. But apparently dressing kids slutty or making 'em go out for football is another option. A very creepy one.

Labeling Your Steel Sippy Cups

Patti — Wed, 30 May 2007 22:28:00 GMT

This may be craftiness gone too far, but what are you going to do with a sippy cup that only comes in one style, that everybody is suddenly bringing to the park, and that even a Sharpie won't stick to? You make jewelry for it.

Thingamababy's got the goods, if you're a Kleen Kanteen owner who'd rather not spend $16 bucks every time you can't tell your sippy from the rest when you're packing up the sand toys and heading home from the playground. Or if you have a lot of Inner Martha that needs channeling. It's a cute idea, really.

But me, my Martha mojo has enough outlets already, and besides, I'm still merrily risking my children's lives with Nalgene bottles. And if I were to start taking responsibility for the amount of bisphenol my children are ingesting, I'd probably laze out and go Sigg. So pretty.

(photo credit: Thingamababy)

Strollerderby Playdate: Memorial Day Weekend Redux

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:02:00 GMT

After a long week in Virginia celebrating a very Southern wedding, I was delighted to get home to y'allses and see the holiday weekend stretch out before me, uncluttered by commitments or schedules or deadlines. It felt like heaven. I unplugged the laptop (*gasp*) and uncorked a bottle of wine (*ahhh*) and we settled in for a few days of hanging out in the sun on the back porch, lazy walks through the neighborhood, napping, and an impromptu BBQ at a neighbor's house with loads of screaming, soaking wet, deliriously happy kids and very relaxed adults hovering by the grill and keg. It was exactly as a holiday weekend should be.

Now that it is all coming to a close, I feel better about plugging back in and, like a nosy neighbor, peeking in to see how my favorite bloggers spent their down time this Memorial Day weekend. Here's the goss from around the blogo-block:

Check out Thingamababy for the report on the Kinetic Grand Championship that took place over the weekend. The crazy pics are hilarious and I was so amped to see racers from Corvallis, Oregon mentioned. I ate many a felafel sandwich on the sidelines of many a kinetic race during my stint in Corvallis years ago. Good times.

Head on over to MUBAR where Jen's had an a-ha moment about why (other) parents ban pinwheels plucked from grocery store holiday displays.

While you're grabbing up BBQ supplies at the store, Becki from Cooking with Whine reminds you to get the fixins for watermelon sorbet that will delight your senses and stir up your total irritation at how lame schools can be for kids (and parents) who just want to get their end-of-year potluck on.

Grab a lawn chair and lemonade at Susiej's, where she's reflecting on her personal connections and political conflicts as soldiers are sent off to war. Sus has a way of giving pause during what could be detached Memorial Day madness.

While you're taking a moment, hang out on the porch with Kristen from Motherhood Uncensored for a bit. She's offering up links and good thoughts for the folks serving our country while we're busy serving up potato salad and fruit kabobs.

[photo credit: Maura McEvoy via Barefoot Contessa]