Archive for October, 2011

A new study finds that a threatening environment, such as the recession, causes men to want to cheat.  The new research will appear in the November issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

From The Huffington Post:

“The study, by Omri Gillath of the University of Kansas, is founded in evolutionary psychology, arguing that when faced with a threatening environment, men are hard-wired to seek short-term mating strategies to ensure their genes survive.”

“We’re biologically wired to reproduce, and the environment tells us the best strategy to use to make sure our genes are passed on,” Gillath told Science Daily. “When the environment is secure and you have enough food and things are working the way you would like them to, people are more likely to invest in their existing kids and stay with their current partner or prefer long-term mating strategies,” said Gillath. “But if the environment is dangerous and your chances of survival are low — if there is a famine …

Continue reading Does the recession make men want to cheat? »

Barbie has a new look and it involves tattoos around her chest and shoulders.

The Huffington Post reports: (Click the link to see a video of the doll.)

“The tokidoki Barbie, designed by the “Los Angeles-based fashion brand”, boasts a pink bob, tattooed skin, and cross bones stitched on an off-the-shoulder sweater.”

“The tattoos are permanently inked on the doll, unlike the 2009 controversial “Totally Stylin’ Tattoos” Barbie that came with stickers for children to place on the toy.”

So parents are upset about Barbie sporting tattoos but Mattel says the doll is marketed to adults.

From MyFoxChicago.com:

“Barbie has sported an endless array of styles. Many of Barbie’s most pop-culture couture outfits have been designed for the adult doll collector. The Tokidoki Barbie is a perfect example of a limited-edition doll sold through select retail locations,” the company said in a statement.”

So what do you think: Is Barbie setting a bad example for little girls or is this …

Continue reading Parents upset about tattoo Barbie; Mattel says not for kids! »

Addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky has teamed up with Smart Moves, Smart Choices to draw awareness to prescription drug abuse by teenagers.

Dr. Drew says the casual use by parents of prescription drugs send the message that they are harmless to kids. He says parents should be using lock boxes for their prescription drugs to send the message that they are to be treated with care and respect. Here’s more from a Q&A with Dr. Drew.

From the Huffington Post:

“Our general attitude toward prescription drugs is that they’re going to make our lives happier and better. Pills are designed to treat medical problems, not to make life easier. [Adults think] you can use these things without consequences, and adolescents don’t see the long-term horizon.

[Among teens] there’s a general note of, What’s the big deal? They’re given by doctors, mom and dad use them, how harmful could they be? And oh by the way, they really do get me high. They work, and I can steal them right out of my own …

Continue reading Dr. Drew: Parents should worry about teens, prescription drugs »

I am turning 40 in April, and I just don’t want to hit that age at this weight. I have been working out (inconsistently) for the past year and while I feel more in shape (I can swim a mile in about 50 minutes and have even started running on the treadmill, instead of just walking), I’m just not losing weight.

I was almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight of baby 2 after baby 3 but then I stopped nursing and my weight shot up 5 pounds. After that my brother had his heart transplant and my weight shot up another 5 pounds. Then I moved 2,000 miles from home and I put on another 5 pounds. So now I am 15 pounds from where I should be.

I’ve somewhat justified my weight saying that a lot of it is muscle but I did my measurements the other day and there’s no way to write off those inches around my waist. I was shocked at how much those numbers have changed over the years.

So after months of thinking about it, I finally signed up for Weight Watchers over the weekend (the online …

Continue reading I’ve started Weight Watchers: What are you secrets to success? »

I am enjoying so much seeing all my friends’ fall photos on Facebook. From pumpkin patches to corn mazes to pumpkin carving, I am seeing friends enjoying the lovely fall weather. I am reading tons of posts about pumpkin spiced lattes and seeing bunches of photos of pumpkin pies and pumpkin cookies baking.

We have been baking pumpkin-carrot muffins. The kids loved them. I was baking them for a friend who is diabetic and made a batch for us. I will definitely make them again. We also made pumpkin pancakes this weekend but they weren’t as good as the muffins.

Are you excited about Atlanta’s early drop in temperature? It’s been about 10 degrees below normal and a cold front is supposed to move in today.

I am so jealous of the fall weather in Atlanta. It’s still so hot here that it’s tough to get into the fall spirit. We did go away for a few days last week to Northern Arizona and southern Utah and had some crisp weather, which was lovely. (I will write more on that …

Continue reading How are you celebrating fall with your family? »

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had created new guidelines for diagnosing and treating ADHD in kids as young as 4. Previously their guidelines focused on 6- to 12-year olds.

An article in Time Healthland says that new data suggests that ADHD can begin earlier than 6 and kids may benefit from earlier behavioral treatments.

From Time Healthland:

“Treating children at a young age is important, because when we can identify them earlier and provide appropriate treatment, we can increase their chances of succeeding in school,” said Dr. Mark Wolraich, chair of the AAP subcommittee responsible for writing the report.

“Kids with ADHD typically have problems focusing and paying attention. They are hyperactive and behave impulsively. But the condition may look different in different age groups. Among school-aged children (age 6 or older), about half don’t have issues with hyperactivity, according to Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen …

Continue reading Should 4-year-olds be diagnosed with ADHD? »

My kids are out of school today for a teacher workday so I have scheduled to take all three of them to the dentist for a cleaning.

While it is convenient to do them all at once, it is also generally stressful. This plan works better when you have more than one hygienist (or hair stylist) to work on them simultaneously. Then I just pop from room to room and everyone is done at the same time.

The last time I took them all to this dentist, Walsh stayed in the waiting room with a book while the girls were worked on. I kept popping out to check on him and each time he was gabbing with a new person. (No surprise there!) We were pretty good until two were waiting on the last one and then they got unruly.

They also got in trouble for putting their hands in a waterfall display in the office. It’s a fairly large one and the nurse said it had chemicals in the water. (I guess chlorine.)

I keep considering taking them for the flu shots in the morning but I’m not sure I can stand two …

Continue reading What are the worst places to take kids? »

A new study from yourbabydomainname.com found that 8 percent of parents regret choosing the name they did. (I can’t find on their web site the number of parents surveyed or how valid this survey is but we can still discuss it.)

From The Huffington Post:

“Some people have baby names picked out when they are just kids themselves. Others don’t decide on a name until two days after their baby is born. Either way, according to a new study conducted by yourbabydomainname.com, 8% of parents regret choosing the name that they did.”

“Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, founders of Nameberry.com, say the most common mistakes parents make when it comes to naming their babies include letting their own parents have too much say in the decision or focusing on superficial factors, like how “cool” the name choice makes them look.”

“When the parents who admitted to regretting their children’s names were asked why:

“53%, felt this way because they had chosen a …

Continue reading Study: 8% of parents regret baby name choice »

The new “Footloose” movie is out today, and I am wondering if teenagers are actually excited or if it is just their parents?

I was 12 when the original “Footloose” came out. I don’t think I saw in the theater only years later on TV.  We did love the songs and loved to make fun of Lori Singer’s chicken dancing (She had the boniest upper body!), and Kevin Bacon’s maroon tux on TV.

My kids aren’t old enough yet to be watching teen angst movies so I’m wondering what movies have stood the test of time from the 1980s and1990s?

Do girls still swoon over Jake Ryan in “Sixteen Candles?” Do they feel Samantha Baker’s pain dancing with a nerd at a school dance or giving away her underwear?  Do kids with sexting and the Internet even relate to this school experience anymore?

Do then even know who Duckie is? I would think the poor/rich themes and dating outside your “class” in “Pretty in Pink” would still resonate.

Do they still melt over the volleyball …

Continue reading The new ‘Footloose’ is out: What movies from the ’80s, ’90s are teens still watching? »

Our current school district robocalls parents when there is abduction attempt or an attempt to lure children into a car. We’ve probably had five or six calls in the last 15 months and several, they believe, were perpetrated by the same man.

The recorded message tells you what happened including details about the sex and age of the child approached, a description of the person and their vehicle and how the child got away.

The district gets the message out quickly and does a good job posting extra teachers along routes the children walk home. I do find it helpful, but it’s also scary to know. I don’t remember any of these phone calls in Georgia, which makes me wonder do they not call or is it not happening?

I am also now on a list to get texts and emails about any threats on the university’s campus. They have had a couple of armed robbery attempts on campus in the last two weeks. I encouraged my students to sign up for the text messages. Several were already on the …

Continue reading Do you want phone alerts about abduction attempts, crime? »