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  • advertisement
    6
    days
    ago

    Over-medicating ADHD... or over-blaming parents?

    By Rebecca Dube

    Does bad parenting cause ADHD? It seems crazy to even ask the question, but some concerned doctors and parents say that’s exactly what a recent opinion piece in the New York Times suggested.

    It started with an essay called “Ritalin Gone Wrong,” by L. Alan Sroufe, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development. He questions whether ADD and ADHD are over-diagnosed, and if we’re relying too heavily on drugs for kids. Fair enough. In 30 years, he points out, usage of attention-deficit drugs has increased twentyfold. Is it too much? Maybe.

    But Sroufe raised hackles when he started theorizing that attention-deficit problems are caused not by inborn brain differences, but by bad parenting. He wrote:

    Behavior problems in children have many possible sources. Among them are family stresses like domestic violence, lack of social support from friends or relatives, chaotic living situations, including frequent moves, and, especially, patterns of parental intrusiveness that involve stimulation for which the baby is not prepared. For example, a 6-month-old baby is playing, and the parent picks it up quickly from behind and plunges it in the bath. Or a 3-year-old is becoming frustrated in solving a problem, and a parent taunts or ridicules. Such practices excessively stimulate and also compromise the child’s developing capacity for self-regulation.

    Putting children on drugs does nothing to change the conditions that derail their development in the first place.

    Live Poll

    Do you think kids are being over-medicated for ADD and ADHD?

    View Results
    • 174991
      Yes
      84%
    • 174992
      No
      16%

    VoteTotal Votes: 558

    So, you have a kid with ADHD, you’ve tried everything you can to help him, and now it’s your fault because you put him into the bath too quickly when he was a baby?

    Ouch. Dr. Nancy Snyderman responded to the debate on TODAY as NBC’s chief medical editor – and also as the mom of a child with Attention Deficit Disorder.

    “The maternal guilt of, ‘what did I eat wrong, was delivery too fast, what did I do wrong?’” Snyderman said. “There is a lot of self-doubt when you raise children that don’t fit into societal norms, when you have a child who can’t sit in circle time… that’s seen as bad behavior, but it means the brain wiring is different.”

    It’s true that some children may be over-medicated or on ADHD drugs unnecessarily, Dr. Snyderman said, but many parents have seen medication work wonders for their children. The safety and side-effects of these drugs need to be studied long-term, she said, but “in the meantime, you want your kid to get through high school, be socially aware and go on to have a decent career.”

    What do you think: Do you worry about attention deficit medicine being over-prescribed to kids? Or do you worry more about a backlash blaming parents for ADD?

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    10 comments, including:

    It's amazing how quickly people will point the blame. I have two of the most well-behaved children. They truly are good kids.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: add, adhd, ritalin, dr-nancy, showfront
  • 24
    Jan
    2012
    11:05pm, EST

    Olympics' baby-seat policy prompts wails of protest

    By Rachel Elbaum

    Your flights are booked, itinerary organized, and every few weeks you sneak a peek at those nearly impossible-to-get tickets to the  Olympics. Then you realize that your new baby, who wasn’t even conceived when you made your plans, needs its own ticket – a ticket that could be just as difficult to get as yours was, and that could cost another small fortune. Some parents were gobsmacked this week to learn that babes-in-arms would be required to have their own tickets for Olympic events.

    After a public outcry from moms, dads and parents-to-be, Games organizers said in a statement on Tuesday that they may change their policy, and “will look at what we can do [for parents in this situation] when the remaining tickets go on sale in April.”

    Live Poll

    Would you take your baby to a major sporting event?

    View Results
    • 174314
      Yes. Go team!
      10%
    • 174315
      No. That's what big-screen TVs are for.
      90%

    VoteTotal Votes: 3612

     

    It was welcome news to many moms who say that they need to bring their babies to breast-feed, or because they have no other childcare options. Babies in a front-carrier or sling don't exactly take up more room or require their own seat (they can barely hold their heads up, let alone sit down,) although organizers have said the extra ticket is to ensure that Olympic venues don't exceed capacity.

    Related stories:
    Restaurant's baby surcharge dishes up outrage

    Kid-free flights and restaurants: Where do we sign up?

    The Equality and Human rights Commission even told one complainant that she may have a case for “indirect sex discrimination,” the Guardian reported.

    But should parents really be bringing a baby to the Olympics in the first place? Long security lines, crowded stadiums and the need to take public transport to many Olympic events are just some of the obstacles -- and germ fests -- that parents and their babies will face this summer.

    Plus, London in July and August isn’t exactly like Beijing and Athens, homes of the last two Olympics. Summer in England can be downright chilly, never mind the rain. It's enough to persuade any parent to find a reliable sitter.

    Would you take your baby to the Olympics? Tell us in the comments section below.

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    83 comments, including:

    I do not understand parents taking little babies to events like this. Aside from the hassles for the parents, it is not right to inflict your crying infant on others who are trying to enjoy the event.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: olympics, babies, breast-feeding, showfront
  • 18
    Jan
    2012
    8:08am, EST

    Fat dad, fat kids: New research points to fathers' influence

    By Rita Rubin

    Live Poll

    Who do you think has more influence on kids' weight?

    View Results
    • 173629
      Moms
      79%
    • 173630
      Dads
      21%

    VoteTotal Votes: 284

    If you want to predict whether a baby is going to have a weight problem, new research suggests, look at his or her dad.

    Yes, for once dads get the blame for something.

    Scientists used to think obese men were more likely to have obese sons, while obese women were more likely to have obese daughters, but studies are starting to disprove that.

    A new Australian study, published in the current issue of the International Journal of Obesity, focused on 3,285 two-parent families in which only one parent was overweight or obese. The kids in the study were 8 or 9. Researchers found that heavy dads were more likely to have heavy sons and daughters, but heavy moms were no more likely than healthy-weight moms to have heavy children.

    Link to study abstract in the International Journal of Obesity

    Huh? Don’t moms generally spend more time with the kids and buy more of the groceries? So why would dad’s weight, not mom’s, be linked to whether kids have to shop in the plus-size department?

    Lead author Emily Freeman says she’s not sure, and hopes to explore the question further. “Because our findings are counter-intuitive, we felt that it was very important to get the message out there straight away that dads have a big role in keeping their children healthy,” Freeman, a psychologist with the Fathers and Families Research Program at the University of Newcastle, said in an email.

    One possible explanation: Dad as role model. “We have had lots of anecdotal reports about children looking to their dad to determine whether or not they have to eat the vegetables that mum has served them, or if they should be going outside to play in the park,” Freeman said.

    In other words, dads should set a good example by eating lots of fruits and veggies and actually playing sports, rather than simply watching them on TV.

    Who do you think has a bigger influence on kids' weight, mom or dad?

    Health and parenting writer Rita Rubin lives with her husband and two daughters in Washington, D.C. She tries to set a healthy example by always eating all her broccoli.

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    3 comments, including:

    Why do they think so, is it genetics or habits?

    Show more
    Explore related topics: obesity, weight-loss, fat, dads, showfront
  • 17
    Jan
    2012
    3:23pm, EST

    It's your child's birthday. Do you invite the whole class?

    Charles Taylor / featurepics.com

    Birthday parties can lead to mama drama when some kids aren't invited.

    By Kim Brown Reiner

    Socially speaking, there are worse things for a young child than not being invited to a classmate’s birthday party. Enforced isolation due to the bubonic plague comes to mind. Yet, whether being excluded is a rite of passage or an unnecessary cruelty, it is still a polarizing issue in the mommy wars.

    Which camp we side with reveals a lot about our own childhood memories.

    I can still recall the punched-in-the-gut sensation when I found out that a girl who I believed to be a close friend did not invite me to her 10th birthday party. After I learned that many of my classmates were included, I could barely drag myself to school.

    So it’s not surprising that when my 5-year-old daughter has a party, we invite all the children in the class, not to mention most of our neighbors’ kids. Having a summer birthday makes it easier to have a crowd — think cake at the park — but perhaps our family does go overboard.

    My daughter was fortunate to be invited to the two parties she knew about in kindergarten this year. Others, however, have not emerged from the first months of school unscathed.

    Everyone was invited to the first party, but I knew there was trouble brewing when a mother told me about her daughter’s upcoming birthday and immediately lamented the size of her apartment.

    Sorry, but we live in New York City and a lack of living space is a fact of life, not an excuse to break hearts.

    The cafeteria scenes my daughter described in the days leading up to the party, as her friend discussed who was and was not invited, sounded like they were taken directly from “Mean Girls.”  There are only 14 kids in the class. Couldn’t the mother have invited all or none? Or at least invited all the girls?

    As I mulled over these questions, I said to my daughter, maybe we shouldn’t go since everyone wasn’t invited; her response was to burst out crying. While she felt sorry for the kids who weren’t included and said everyone could come to her party, she wasn’t about to become a martyr for their present cause.

    I asked her not to talk about it in school on Monday, but she came home with a drawing of the party she created for a “Weekend News” activity.

     “What did the other kids say about your picture?” I asked.

     “Well, some of them wanted to make presents for the birthday girl,” she answered, “because they couldn’t be there.”

    It was proof, once again, that kids are resilient. After all, life is full of rejection, and kindergarten may be as good a time as any to start to accept that.

    As one mom posted on urbanbaby.com:

    Live Poll

    When your child has a birthday party, do you invite all of the kids in your child's class?

    View Results
    • 170938
      Yes, we invite everyone in the class to the party.
      46%
    • 170939
      No, we only invite a select group of kids to the party.
      54%

    VoteTotal Votes: 954

    “BTW, my child never was hurt by not being invited...Understood the simple concept that not everyone is invited to everything. I honestly, not being snarky, don't understand why this is such a hard thing for moms to understand.”

    On an intellectual level of course we understand, but we also feel our children’s pain. Try explaining the “simple concept” to my friend’s son, who was not invited to a single party in nursery school—my friend chalks it up to her lack of socializing with the other moms. On Mondays, her then-3-year-old often heard children talk about the parties they went to over the weekend and witnessed parents delivering gifts they didn’t buy in time for the birthday.  Ouch!

    This lack of discretion is one reason why so many elementary schools have policies prohibiting the distribution of invitations in school, unless all children in the class are included.

    Some moms think these regulations have gone too far.

    Another poster on urbanbaby.com believes her child can “spend what they like, invite who they like, have it where they like.”

    “It's their party,” she wrote. “Prospective guests don't get to dictate the kind of birthday party a 5 y.o. has, neither does school culture or 'protocol'. Ridiculous.”

    Is it? What is your policy for inviting children to birthday parties?

    Kim Brown Reiner is a New York City mom, who tries not to speak to her five-year-old daughter or three-year-old son in the morning until she drinks coffee. In addition to freelance writing, she works as an educational consultant.

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    34 comments, including:

    I happen to appreciate the forcing of all or nothing invitations. A teacher's job is to teach, not coordinate everyone else's social calendars. My thought is if you want to be exclusive, do it on your own time and on your dime.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: featured, invitations, ettiquette, birthday-parties, showfront
  • 9
    Jan
    2012
    9:59am, EST

    Have you lied to your kids today?

    Live Poll

    Do you lie more or less often since you had kids?

    View Results
    • 172817
      More often
      31%
    • 172818
      Less often
      42%
    • 172819
      About the same
      27%

    VoteTotal Votes: 1014

    By Rebecca Dube

    Update: We asked TODAY Moms for some of your best -- or worst -- whoppers. Moms chimed in on our Facebook page to let us know that sometimes lying is unavoidable... and sometimes it's just hilarious.

    Some of the lies our readers have told lately:

    I told my 2 year old that if she didn't sit nicely in her booster seat that monsters would come eat her feet.

    I always told my kids when they were little that when the ice cream truck was playing music it meant he was out of ice cream for the day

    I have convinced my 3 year old that eating his "boogies" will cause him to grow worms in his mouth! He doesn't eat them anymore ~ and proudly proclaims it as well!!!!

    Related from Parenting.com: Why lying's not so bad

    Sometimes we lie to save ourselves aggravation. Yes, we know that we should straight-up tell our kids they can't have ice cream, but after a long day, a little white lie to prevent a temper tantrum seems forgivable.

    Of course, sometimes moms lie about more serious things -- or to protect their children from harsh reality. One mom wrote on our Facebook page:

    My son found our (stray, but we loved her) cat frozen, stuck in a fence. I told him that the vet saved and adopted it. He had just lost his biological mother the week before and another family member a few months before. He had enough death in his life. I hate to lie, but I couldn't break his heart.

    The big debate over lying is how much is too much. And some moms think even little white lies are inexcusable, setting a bad example for our children:

    TODAY Moms, I thought you were joking. Children copy the examples set by parents, & will eventually figure out if their parents are liars. Lying is not kindness -- it confuses a child about reality. I can usually explain the truth kindly & simply to a child (ran a licensed daycare), on their level--if (rarely) not, silence is an option.

    What do you think? Read our original post, below, for more mommy lies and confessions.


     

    Motherhood and lying -- they go together as naturally as motherhood and apple pie.

    Of course, you know we didn't really bake that apple pie ourselves, right? Yeah, we bought it at the supermarket, threw out the plastic packaging and pretended it was home-made when we brought it to the bake sale.

    We all know honesty is best, especially when it comes to setting a good example for our children. But a survey of 26,000 moms by TODAY Moms and Parenting.com found that a third admit to lying about their parenting practices.

    And that doesn't count the lies we tell others, like the half of moms who say they've sent a sick child to school or day care (a lie of omission, if nothing else). And how about the whoppers we tell our kids? If you keep making that face, it'll freeze that way... Santa is totally watching you right now!

    Related: Biggest Mom Confessions

    Sometimes lies are innocent, even kind. It's OK to tell a friend that you can't get a baby-sitter instead of telling her you'd rather get a root canal than listen to her book club discuss Ann Coulter. It's fine to tell your husband that his new haircut totally doesn't make him look like Curly from the Three Stooges (it'll grow out). And it's sweet to reassure your child that you've sprayed extra-strength monster repellent in the closet and underneath the bed.

    Live Poll

    In the last week, have you lied to your children?

    View Results
    • 172820
      Yes
      48%
    • 172821
      No
      52%

    VoteTotal Votes: 569

    Check out lies other moms tell. Here are some of the answers we got when we asked moms, anonymously, what their biggest parenting lie or secret is:

    Live Poll

    In the last week, have you lied to your spouse/partner?

    View Results
    • 172822
      Yes
      29%
    • 172823
      No
      71%

    VoteTotal Votes: 542

    "My kid never does that..." trust me he has.  Mine will talk back, will tell you like it is and really doesn't care, and will call you out if you lie to him. Yeah, Mommy taught him that one...

    "[Telling my kids] there's not more junk food/ice cream/chocolate" .... because I ate it or will be eating it. 

    While I was pregnant with my second child and craving lots of sweets I told my 3 year old that Rice Krispie treats were spicy!  I did not want to share!

    Live Poll

    In the last week, have you lied to your friends?

    View Results
    • 172826
      Yes
      25%
    • 172827
      No
      75%

    VoteTotal Votes: 524

    1. Told kids that I had eyes in the back of my head (when the kids were little they believed it because I always knew...) 2. Variation on a theme: we went away and left the teens at home and my husband told them we'd set up webcams. They tried to find them :-)

    "I don't think it's on right now" when she wants to watch her favorite show on TV.

    I claim that we are busy when I don't feel like hosting playdates... I'd rather that my kids just play with each other. Less stress with fewer kids in the house.

    Live Poll

    In the last week, have you lied to your boss/coworkers?

    View Results
    • 172824
      Yes
      22%
    • 172825
      No
      78%

    VoteTotal Votes: 468

    Biggest Lie: That I can do it all. My house is a wreck, but I'm not going to prioritize cleaning over childcare, work, food, or sleep.

    Biggest secret is probably that I do have a favorite child of the three. It's so stinkin' hard NOT to like him more!

    I am known as a nutrition "freak" but there are nights that my husband is out of town when I park the kids at the TV. Then I go in the kitchen to make a dinner of popcorn (whole grains), jerky (lean protein), and grapes (fruit). Then I sit down in the kitchen & eat cheese & buttered popcorn & wine with a gossip mag.

    Faking out the Stouffer's frozen macaroni and cheese in the Red Robin containers.  Our kids only eat Red Robin mac and cheese, but it's exactly the same as Stouffer's, so we kept the containers, boxes and bags from Red Robin, microwave the Stouffer's mac 'n cheese and then put it into the Red Robin containers.

    What do you think: Is fibbing an inevitable part of motherhood? Do you embrace the occasional fiction... or worry about it? What's the "best" whopper you've told lately? Come clean here!

    Getty Images stock

    Really, mom? Eating brussel sprouts will turn me into a princess?

     

     

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    39 comments, including:

    My daughter was about 4 years old when she announced that her friend's Mom just had another baby and that her friend told her "it hurts really bad". She asked me if that was true and I told her it was. She asked how babies get into their Mom's bellies and I told her that Jesus puts them in there.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: lies, showfront, mom-confessions
  • 4
    Jan
    2012
    1:47pm, EST

    Mom calls cops on her bickering teens

    By Rita Rubin

    Fed up with her bickering kids, a Salem, Mass., mom called upon the cops to arrest the oldest two, who are teens. “I want them both out of here,” she told police on Monday evening.

    Granted, it’s an extreme move, but who among us has never, ever fantasized about doing it?

    I’m not saying I’d ever actually act upon that fantasy, but I do feel for the woman. Maybe Monday was the final day of her children’s winter break, and she — and they — just couldn’t stand all that togetherness a minute longer.

    Live Poll

    Would you ever call the cops on your kids?

    View Results
    • 172403
      Yes
      38%
    • 172404
      No, I would never even dream of it
      31%
    • 172417
      No, but I've been tempted
      31%

    VoteTotal Votes: 2716

    According to the local paper, she’s a single mom with five kids. The two oldest are a girl, 16, and a boy, 15. The story gets a little murky: Were the kids fighting before she left the home to do errands, or did they start fighting while she was out?

    The woman apparently did get part of her wish — her son will be summoned to court for punching his 8-year-old sister. However, the police also notified the state Department of Children and Families about what’s going on in that home.

    Do you think this woman was out-of-line when she asked the cops to help her control her kids?

     

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    42 comments, including:

    The only reason the human population continues to grow is because we have no idea what the teen years are going to be like. The sweet little baby turns into the two-year old, who's first two words are usually, 'mine' and 'no' - greed and rebellion.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: cops, teens, showfront
  • 29
    Dec
    2011
    4:07pm, EST

    Got milk? Target does! Readers share stories from the Target nurse-in

    Live Poll

    Should a mom be able to breast-feed her baby inside a store?

    View Results
    • 171939
      Sure! It's not a big deal, she's just feeding her baby.
      38%
    • 171940
      Only if she does it discreetly, under a blanket or nursing cover.
      52%
    • 171941
      No! I don't want to see that and I'm incapable of turning my head or looking away.
      10%

    VoteTotal Votes: 24592

    By Rebecca Dube

    Nursing moms descended on hundreds of Target stores around the country this week, but they weren't looking for after-Christmas deals. Nope, they came for a nurse-in: a public gathering of moms breast-feeding their babies, in support of a woman's right to nurse in public (known in some circles by the handy acronym, NIP).

    Why was Target the target? Texas mom Michelle Hickman says she was hassled by several different Target employees last month when she tried to breast-feed her baby inside a Webster, Texas store. She says she was sitting in a quiet corner, using a blanket to cover up, but apparently that wasn't enough for the employees she encountered or the clueless customer service representative who allegedly told her on the phone that laws protecting women's right to breast-feed don't apply inside Target stores. (Newsflash: they do! 45 states have laws allowing women to breast-feed in public.) She complained on her Facebook page, her complaints picked up steam with the breast-feeding mom community, and a nurse-in was planned for Dec. 28. Moms from all over took part, including some TODAY Moms readers.

    Related: NASCAR driver sees woman breast-feeding, freaks out on Twitter

    NBC Chicago

    The milk bar is open! Moms participate in a nurse-in at a Chicago-area Target.

    "It was a great experience," Springfield, Va. mom Gwen Arredondo reported on our Facebook page. "Every employee I encountered was kind and gentle. I nursed my son as we returned some items and while checking out. The manager told our group that nursing mamas are welcome in her store and she encouraged the group." Later that day, for good measure, Arredondo said she nursed at Kohl's -- and had a good experience there, too.

    Related links:
    More adoptive moms learn to breast-feed babies
    Dairy Queen? What’s your breast-feeding nickname?
    Beyond the breast-feeding wars: A supplementer speaks out

    Alabama mom Hannah Ellis said she put on make-up and nice jewelry just to make sure she'd look respectable at her first ever nurse-in. Like Arredondo, she and her baby had a great experience. "I stood in front of Target's nursing bra display (OK, couldn't help it -- humor got the best of me), picked my son out of the cart and popped him neatly under my Hooter Hider," she wrote on the TODAY Moms Facebook page. "After feeding for a minute or so, I got more confident. I decided to walk past the dressing room...the employee working there was busy and didn't even notice me. I browsed through racks of clothing around the dressing room. Women shoppers browsed around me...no one said a thing or looked twice. Feeling encouraged, I decided to really put my Target to the test. I headed toward the front of the store and the main aisle in front of all the check out counters. I browsed displays, still nursing my son under my Hooter Hider. 'Good morning,' I said to a Target employee as I passed her, nursing. 'Good morning,' she replied. 'Have a great day!'"

    Target executives, for their part, hopped on the public breast-feeding train. They issued a statement reiterating their support for moms who want to feed their babies while they shop. (They're no dummies -- more potential customers!)

    "We continually educate our team members in stores across the country on store policies to ensure all guests have a great experience," Target wrote in a company statement. "Target has been in touch with the [Webster, Texas] store to ensure all team members are aware of our breastfeeding policy. Target is proud to support all mothers who breastfeed year-round."

    But not everyone is down with NIP. On the TODAY Moms page a fierce debate raged after some commenters declared public breast-feeding to be "gross." (Real mature, guys!) But the issue isn't black-and-white. Some moms say they totally support breast-feeding, and think women should be allowed to nurse in public -- but they don't think a "nurse in" is the answer.

    "To be honest I really don't care how you chose to feed your baby, that is your business not mine, but you make it my business when you and your buddies go do a sit-in," complained Monica La Fuente Ramirez. "Now I have to avoid the store because I don't want to see a bunch of women breast-feeding their babies all at once, please this is a store not a mommy play group."

    As Nesie Spencer wrote, "Breastfeeding is natural. Yes that's fine. But I think making all this noise is a bit too much. I think there is only such a huge 'scandal' about it because people keep talking about it. It's like 'look at me, look at me.'"

    Still other moms wondered why all the big fuss about a little baby nursing. "It's a shame that women are judging each other on here," said Hillary Prickett. "It's hard for me to believe people are offended. I see more boob on TV than I ever do [from breast-feeding moms] in public. Be discreet and everyone else get over it. Babies need to be fed. However and whenever is mom's choice and her right."

    What do you think? Do you nurse in public, or support other women's right to do so? Would you ever go to a nurse-in?

    View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

    NBC Chicago reports on the local Target nurse-in.

     

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    1666 comments, including:

    so, I can stroll by the video game section at target and see game images of one man shooting another in the head, or I can walk down the magazine row and see an image of a woman giving head to a lolipop, wearing a crop top and a bikini bottom, with a headline about how to please your man in bed, and …

    Show more
    Explore related topics: target, breast-feeding, nurse-in, showfront
  • 29
    Dec
    2011
    9:55am, EST

    Why the 'crying kid' meme is just mean

    By Rebecca Dube

    Of all the internet memes that were hot in 2011, the one that most deserves to die next year is the "kids crying" meme. 

    Live Poll

    What do you think of 'crying kid' YouTube videos?

    View Results
    • 170799
      So funny!
      25%
    • 170800
      Some are funny, some are mean.
      33%
    • 170801
      So over them; not funny anymore.
      42%

    VoteTotal Votes: 1415

    Yes, “funny” videos of kids crying have been all the rage on YouTube lately. Sounds cruel – and it kind of is.

    Viewed independently, you can almost see why some of these parents thought this would be a cute moment to record for posterity. An adorable little girl weeps because the Vikings lost, again. A little boy falls to the floor and sobs because his Halloween candy is all gone.

    But watch them one after the other, and a disturbing pattern emerges: Kids crying, and adults laughing. I’m all for funny kid videos and not taking parenting too seriously, but it’s starting to get creepy. Even Jimmy Kimmel seemed to realize he’d taken it a step too far when he asked viewers to tell their kids that they’d eaten all their Halloween candy, and tape the reaction. It did not go well.

    Jimmy Kimmel Live - YouTube Challenge - I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy

    “I guess I didn't expect so much crying,” Kimmel explained. Still, he showed the videos. And people laughed. Except for the kids, who are probably still wondering why their parents would mess with their heads like that.

    Kimmel tested his followers -- er, viewers -- once again this month with his Christmas video challenge: Let your child open one gift early, but make it a really lousy gift. "Hilarity" at the expense of upset, crying children once again ensued.

    Jimmy Kimmel Live - YouTube Challenge - I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present

    I'll admit to a little hypocrisy here, as I do have a soft spot for "Scared of Santa" photos. But with photos, we can believe that the moment after the picture was snapped, mom or dad scooped the crying child up in their arms, comforted them, and then they all went to the playground. In a video, there's no such illusion. The kid keeps crying, and the camera keeps rolling. 

    Why do we think it’s OK to laugh at kids’ emotions? Sure, the things that upset them may seem trivial to us. But football games and Halloween candy and lame presents aren’t trivial to them. And “punking” your kids puts your cheap laughs above their emotional security. Seems like a great way to teach kids to stifle their emotions – or better yet, never get excited about anything! That way, when someone pulls the rug out, your parents will have no embarrassing footage to post to YouTube.

    So the next time your kid cries, do us all a favor -- put down the camcorder and be a parent.

    Funny, or a disturbing trend?

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    134 comments, including:

    So glad I was raised before the digital age youtube revolution. Be cruel to your kids just because Jimmy wants to do a comedy bit? Some of these parents seem vindictive, others like drones, incapable of thinking things through before acting.

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  • 14
    Dec
    2011
    1:06pm, EST

    Toy aisle smackdown! Some parents go to extremes to get the 'hot' gift

    By Rita Rubin

    Parents do the darnedest things when it comes to tracking down that toy their kid just has to have for Christmas.

    In the early 1980s, moms and dads camped out overnight in store parking lots in hopes of snaring one of those goofy-looking Cabbage Patch dolls. In 2008, an episode of “The Office” aptly captured the phenomenon when Dwight bought up all the Princess Unicorn dolls around Scranton and sold them at an enormous profit to desperate parents.

    Our TODAY Moms/Parenting.com online survey of 6,000 moms found that 4 percent say they'll do whatever it takes to get that must-have holiday gift, whether paying a premium for it, driving all around town to find it, or even wrestling it away from someone else in the toy aisle!

    Read the full results of our 'Spoiled by the Holidays' survey
    Related: Expert advice on raising grateful kids
    Related: Parents share their kids' worst spoiled-brat moments

    Krissy Lawton, of Haughton, La., can’t even remember what toy her daughter wanted so badly for Christmas 2009. She only knows she couldn’t find it anywhere and decided she wasn’t going to get caught shorthanded last Christmas.

    Live Poll

    Would you go to extremes to get a Christmas present for your kid?

    View Results
    • 170841
      No way. If it's not in stock, and preferably on sale, my kid's not getting it.
      32%
    • 170842
      I'd drive to a couple stores, hunt for it online, or maybe pay a little extra if it was something my kid really wanted.
      60%
    • 170843
      Yes! I am a shopping ninja and I will not be stopped. THE TOY WILL BE MINE!
      8%

    VoteTotal Votes: 413

    “Last year, I’m like forget this,” says Lawton, 32, mother of Molly, 5, and Campbell, who’ll be 2 in February. “I’m going to Google what’s going to be the hottest toy and buy all the ones I can.”

    That, according to her research, would be the “Sing-a-ma-jigs,” cute, plush Teletubbie-esque toys that sing and emit other sounds when their tummies are pressed.

    December 2010, several weeks after she snared five or six Sing-a-ma-jigs — gotta think of the nieces, too — at her local Target, Time magazine named them the top toy of the year. But by then, Lawton says, “every store everywhere had bins and bins” of them.

    After last year’s wasted effort, Lawton didn’t bother investigating this year’s hot toys. So when Molly started asking for a pink Fijit, Teletubbie-esque toys that talk when you squeeze them (do you detect a theme here?), Lawton thought, “no problem.” Besides, “her wish list changes every five minutes.”

    Still, Molly kept talking about that pink Fijit, so after Lawton tucked her kids into bed on Thanksgiving, she made a late-night run to Walmart. You guessed it: After fighting through hordes of shoppers, Lawton found that the Fijits shelf was bare. That weekend, she checked another Walmart and Target. Ditto. Sure, she could have bought one on Amazon or eBay for $30 more than the suggested retail price of $50, but, she says, “I don’t think she’s going to play with it very long. That’s why I wasn’t going to pay the big bucks.”

    She started bracing Molly for disappointment. “I heard from Jay, the Elf on the Shelf (interestingly, another toy that, like Cabbage Patch dolls, kids can “adopt”), that Santa’s elves didn’t make enough Fijits this year,” Lawton told her kindergartener.

    Still, she kept trying. She checked ToysRUs and Toy Fair, a local store. No luck. She did find Sage, the green Fijit, at Kmart. Lawton figured a green Fijit was better than no Fijit, so she bought it. Then Lawton started playing with Sage and reading Fijit reviews. “Apparently, nobody likes the green one. It goes into this weird alien voice.”

    So she nearly dropped her son when, on a trip to Books-a-Million, she spied two pink Serafina Fijits as well as a purple Willa and one Sage. She snapped up the Serafinas and the Willa and plans to return Sage to Kmart.

    As for baby brother Campbell’s wish list? “All he asked Santa for was a train and a truck,” Lawton says. “He’s very inexpensive.”

    Rita Rubin, a contributing writer for msnbc.com and today.com, once bought a Cabbage Patch Kid the week before Christmas, and survived. She lives in suburban Washington, D.C., with her husband and two daughters.

     

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    5 comments, including:

    Gee and people wonder why today's kids are such self-centered, spoiled brats?! Could it be because of this....? It's all about "me me me" "I want, I want, I want", "every kid in school has this so I must have it too" "buy me this, and this, and this, and anything else you buy me is crap", but it see …

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    Explore related topics: survey, spoiled, showfront, fijit
  • 1
    Dec
    2011
    9:39am, EST

    The most popular baby names of 2011, revealed

    By Rebecca Dube

    The baby names are out! BabyCenter revealed on TODAY its most popular names for 2011 – a list eagerly anticipated each year by name nerds and parents. (If you are both, like me, even better!)

    This year it’s all about two letters: A and N. For girls, the top five names all end with –a: Sophia, Emma, Isabella, Olivia and Ava. On the boys’ side, the –n ending ruled five of the top eight: Aiden, Jackson, Mason, Jayden and Ethan. 

    Live Poll

    What's your naming philosophy?

    View Results
    • 169789
      Classic, timeless; nothing too unusual or funky.
      58%
    • 169790
      Nothing too popular! I want my child's name to be unique.
      36%
    • 169791
      Modern, trendy; no fuddy-duddy old names for my kid.
      6%

    VoteTotal Votes: 104874

    Top Baby Names of 2011

    Girls                                       Boys

    Sophia                                    Aiden
    Emma                                    Jackson
    Isabella                                  Mason  
    Olivia                                     Liam  
    Ava                                        Jacob
    Lily                                        Jayden
    Chloe                                    Ethan
    Madison                               Noah

    BabyCenter Editor-in-Chief Linda Murray pointed to celebrity influence on expectant parents, noting that Mason – the name of Kourtney Kardashian’s two-year-old son – rose eight spots in the rankings. Of course, it helps that he has the trendy –n ending. His K-named relatives did not fare as well, with Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie and Kristin all dropping in popularity.

    Related: What should the Duggars name their next baby?

    On the girl’s side, the name Pippa soared 45 percent in popularity, though it’s still a rare choice. Again, there’s that –a ending!

    Baby name expert Laura Wattenberg at BabyNameWizard.com spotted the -n trend back in 2007 (see her post here), and it certainly seems to be going strong. You can see some fascinating graphical representations of the popularity of different name endings, from -tie (think Hattie, Lottie) in the 1900s to the -any/anies (Stephanie, Tiffany) of the 1980s, in her post here. 

    Related: Baby names for 2012 are fierce, heroic

    Of course, the TODAY crew really wanted to know how their own names did in the ranking. Amazingly, the name Matt Lauer rose 98 percent! Just kidding. But Matt did increase a respectable 24 percent in popularity in the BabyCenter rankings. Savannah rose 17 percent, Natalie is up 14 percent, Al rose by 3 percent; and poor Ann is down 4 percent. (If only she was Anna, she’d fit the trend!) No one at BabyCenter named their child Kathie Lee this year, but there were two Hodas -- up from none the year before, so go Hoda-woman!

    Jonathan Dube

    Babies... cute however you name 'em.

    Related: Should you let siblings name the new baby?

    BabyCenter’s data comes from the names of 300,000 babies whose births were registered on the website in 2011. Just as interesting is their Baby Names Survey, which looks into how moms and dads choose their child’s name. Among their findings: 2 out of 5 moms share their baby’s name on a social networking site within minutes or hours of giving birth. (That probably includes the eager sharers who tweet the baby’s name along with the first ultrasound pictures!)

    Of course, name lists mean different things to different parents. Some will be happy to see their kids’ name in the top ten, while others aim for monikers that will never crack the top 100. How did you choose your child’s name? Are you happy with how popular it is now? Would you choose differently if you had to do it over again?

    Moms, moms, mo-moms, banana fana fo foms... what?! It's the name song! Check out more great TODAY Moms content here:
    Thanks aren't enough for my twins' surrogate
    Red-eye flight with a baby, and the chairman of the Federal Reserve
    Happy "No Judgment" Day, moms!
    Salute to military moms and dads

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    510 comments, including:

    If we went with our 3-yr-old son's suggestion, his baby brother's name would be, "Baby High-five."

    Show more
    Explore related topics: popular, featured, baby-names, sophia, babycenter, aiden, showfront
  • 30
    Nov
    2011
    9:10am, EST

    How to teach kids good money habits over the holidays

    By Michele Borba

    Reality check: 80 percent of all college freshman say they've never had a conversation with their parents about managing their money. What's more, almost one in four of these same teens say it's just fine to blow as much as $500 without checking in with Mom and Pop.

    (I'd love to have their allowance, but that's another issue).

    The findings are hardly a proud parenting moment. The truth is too many kids are flunking financial literacy and one big reason may be that we've failed to teach our children essential "money-smart lessons."

    Live Poll

    Are your children smart about money?

    View Results
    • 169589
      Yes, they know the value of a dollar.
      45%
    • 169590
      No, they really have no clue.
      55%

    VoteTotal Votes: 77

    If you're concerned about your kids' future spending habits, there's no better time to start your money talk than these next few weeks. the "official" holiday shopping mania has begun. Newspapers will be filled with coupons and penny savers. Television ads for holidays "deals" will air non-stop. Teen magazines will feature those supposed holiday "must have" items. Lots of pressure to spend, sure, but this is also the perfect opportunity to let your kids know that money doesn't come easy. It's the time to set clear expectations and limits for your family's spending during the holidays. Here are a few ways to use the holiday season to boost kids' money smarts.

    Monitor TV Consumption
    Television commercials are relentless in trying to get kids to buy, buy, buy. Research shows that media affects our children's money attitudes and increases materialism. During the next few weeks retailers will be pushing products and urging your kids to spend. Beware of those advertisements! Do take time to explain to your kids the real intention of those advertisers.

    Be a  role model
    Take your child shopping with you. I dare ya! Show him how you compare prices. Explain to her how you look for bargains. Use those outings as teaching moments to instill good shopping habits.

    Teach bargain hunting
    If your kids are purchasing gifts for siblings (or even you!) get them involved in checking out penny saver ads. Have them clip coupons. Tune your kids into the bargains at those dollar stores. Hit the outlet malls, and don’t overlook thrift stores and even garage sales. And tell them to watch for sales! Grandma will never know if her present was ten dollars less because Johnny waited to buy until sales day.

    Cut impulsive shopping
    Set a household rule that your child must write down any pricey intended purchase, and then postpone buying it for at least twenty-four hours. It's a great way to teach kids to delay gratification and to think before spending. (Profound concept, eh?) A younger kid can draw it  on her "wish list." The wait time could vary from an hour or day to a week or month depending on the child's age and maturity.  If your kid loses interest before the time is up, even she will agree that she didn't really want that item after all.

    Teach “Wants vs. Needs”
    This is the “Gotta Have It NOW Generation,” so a big step in helping today’s kids become smart spenders is teaching the difference between “want it…” versus “need it.” Get your kids to assess what they already have that is still in good shape and can be recycled; what’s missing and then what's really needed is on the holiday request list.  

    One-store shopping boosts consumer skills
    Your kids planning to do their own holiday shopping? If so, this is a great way to help teach them consumer skills. Consider choosing just one store that has the best bargains in town to take the kids for their shopping this year. By announcing, “We’re shopping only at this store,” the kids are forced to look for the best bargains in one place and you won’t find yourself driving to multiple stores (and bringing back multiple items). Save money and gas. This is also the time for them to bring their coupons and shopping lists.

    Consider after-holidays gift buying
    Seriously! I know families who realize the best deals are December 26. Those parents set a rule: "You receive a few items under the tree but wait for that pricier item the day after the holidays." The kids learn to appreciate the value of a good deal, the parents are grateful to save a ton of money, and the whole family enjoys that day-after shopping outing for everyone's special-- and better-priced -- gift.

    All the best on your shopping!  

    Dr. Michele Borba is a TODAY contributor and author of "The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries." Follow her on twitter @micheleborba.

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    1 comment, including:

    I use a couple of strategies. One I learned on the Today Show - three jars: save, spend, donate. Another - My son loves to decorate for every holiday. We shop for decorations AFTER the holiday is over and then put them in our labeled bins in the basement.

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    Explore related topics: borba, holiday, shopping, showfront
  • 28
    Nov
    2011
    8:00am, EST

    Food fails! 8 ways we're making our kids fat

    From banning sweets to serving too much fruit juice, some feeding mistakes can backfire on well-meaning parents. TODAY nutrition expert Joy Bauer explains.

    By Joy Bauer

    Bribing kids to eat their broccoli, banning sweets and offering too much 100 percent fruit juice can backfire on even the most well-meaning parents. Here are 8 feeding mistakes parents too-often make:

    Live Poll

    Parents, do you worry about your kids being overweight?

    View Results
    • 169361
      Yes
      69%
    • 169362
      No
      31%

    VoteTotal Votes: 2367

    Mistake 1: Telling kids to clean their plate
    For the most part, healthy young children eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. As a parent, you don’t want to mess around with their internal cues by encouraging or bribing them to “clean their plates” and eat past the point of fullness.

    Instead, provide small-moderate portions at meals and encourage your kids to eat until they are comfortably full. Teaching your kids to be “in tune” with their own hunger and fullness cues will allow them to have a comfortable relationship with food and avoid overeating as they grow older.

    Mistake 2: Offering sweet rewards
    Trying to get children to eat their vegetables can be downright frustrating – and parents often resort to bribery. Does this sound familiar? “Eat your broccoli and you can have ice cream for dessert.”

    But unfortunately, this technique teaches our kids that broccoli and other vegetables are “less appealing” because their consumption requires a reward. At the same time, this approach positions dessert as the prize, something to be valued over other foods. 

    Plus, multiple studies have shown that, in the long run, preference for foods decreases when kids are given rewards for eating them. Bottom line: Keep dessert a separate entity versus the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

    Mistake 3: Serving up too many snacks
    Constant snacking throughout the day translates to calorie overload – plus, can leave kids uninterested in nutritious food (like chicken and vegetables) at mealtime when lunch or dinner rolls around. 

    Try to stick to a consistent meal and snack schedule. Allow at least 2 hours between snacks and meals.  No more than 2-3 snacks a day, and limit them to about 150 calories apiece. 

     


    Mistake 4: Filling up on empty liquid calories
    An eye-opening study in the journal Pediatrics found that today’s youths take in 10 to 15 percent of their total daily calories from sugar-sweetened beverages (like soda, sports drinks, and fruit drinks) and 100 percent fruit juice.  Further, kids’ average daily caloric intake from these beverages increased from 242 calories to 270 calories over the last 10 years and continues to rise.  Most of these drinks are sources of empty calories, meaning they provide simple sugars but little else in the way of nutrients — plus, high-calorie beverages do not trigger the same satiety mechanisms as solid foods.  This means that your kids are unlikely to feel full from drinking lots of soda or juice, and therefore will not innately compensate for the extra liquid calories they slurp up, which can inevitably pack on the pounds.

    Your best bet is to limit the beverage choices offered in your home to water (including seltzer and sparkling water), low-fat milk (after age 2), and diluted 100 percent fruit juice on occasion.  Don’t introduce young kids to sugary waters, juice drinks, or soda at a young age.  Set a good example, and don’t drink them yourself!

    Mistake 5: Giving in to kids’ dinner demands
    When it comes to mealtime, kids inevitably request pizza, chicken nuggets, pasta, burgers and fries. Instead of accommodating unhealthy requests, parents should take charge — nix sugary breakfast cereals and pastries in the am, and provide ONE universal meal for dinner each night (of course, try to take your kids taste preferences into account). 

    In fact, you can even learn to prepare healthier versions of your kids’ favorite meals by making simple swaps in the kitchen: use lean meats (like ground turkey in place of fatty ground chuck), low-fat dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt) in place of full-fat varieties, and lighter condiments. If they love chicken nuggets and fries, prepare “baked” nuggets with “oven roasted” potato fries and a green vegetable. If they like burgers, make lean turkey burgers. If they crave pasta, try whole-wheat pasta with marinara and turkey meatballs.

    And there’s no need to rely on “kid foods” every night of the week.  Continually try out new foods and recipes -- healthy renditions of beef stir-fry, chicken parmesean, even hoisin-glazed salmon -- and make it a policy for your kids to take at least one bite.  If you encourage them to sample new foods regularly, as they grow older and their taste buds evolve, they’ll be more likely to enjoy a healthy variety.

    If they don't want to eat what's being served for dinner, I suggest offering one "back up" meal that doesn't require the stove or oven (this way you’re not a short order cook) — perhaps a bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk and bananas, or maybe a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.  This strategy gives the child some power, parents some less-exhaustive options, and puts boring limitations on dinner so your kids are more likely to venture out and try new things on the table.

    Mistake 6: Letting kids overdose on screen time
    According to a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation report, in a typical day, 8 to 18-year-olds in this country spend more than 7½ hours using media (TV, music, computer video games, etc.). That’s almost a full work-day of media time each and every day! When kids are parked in front of the tube, they’re totally sedentary and eating up time that might otherwise be spent playing or moving around. Plus, there’s a good chance they’re mindlessly snacking on junk food while watching their shows — and also being bombarded by unhealthy food ads. SO it’s actually a TRIPLE whammy of unhealthy habits.

    Set house rules on television time, and limit your kids to their favorite shows. Only have the TV on at set times when people are watching a designated program — don’t keep it on as background noise all day long. And definitely don’t allow the TV to be on during mealtimes —when it can distract them and interfere with them listening to their body’s natural fullness cues.

    It's also a good idea to keep TVs and video game systems out of their bedrooms and store their electronics (cell phones, video games, iPads, laptops, etc.) in a public space at the end of the day so they’re not staying up late to use them at night.

    Mistake 7: Letting kids stay up late
    Sleep deprivation messes with appetite cues. It increases levels of hormones that make kids hungrier and decreases levels of hormones that keep kids feeling full, so tired kids are more likely to want snacks and nibble and graze throughout the day. Plus, if your kids aren’t well rested, you’ll have more issues getting them up in the morning in time to eat a healthy breakfast (and skipping breakfast makes them far hungrier in the afternoon/evening hours).

    What to do: Set a firm bedtime, have a routine in place and get your kids ready for bed at the same time each night.

    Mistake 8: Using strollers excessively
    Strollers are a wonderful necessity, but using them excessively as your kids get older robs them of exercise — and reinforces the idea that it's okay to be sedentary. Whenever possible, encourage toddlers and young kids to walk on their own instead of being pushed in the stroller (when you're out for a walk, try 10 minutes in the stroller and 10 minutes out). And make sure you’re phasing out the stroller as your kids get older — lots of parents wheel kids around after 3, when they are certainly capable of walking.

    For more information on healthy eating, visit joybauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook and Twitter.

    "Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

    57 comments, including:

    Thought I'd seen it all until my friend showed up with her 4 year old in a stroller sucking on a bottle filled with soda!!!!!! I mean, come on!!! What do you even SAY to someone like that?? Isn't that almost a form of child abuse???

    Show more
    Explore related topics: diet, obesity, nutrition, overweight, joy-bauer, showfront
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