Fifty four percent of you made me feel much better last week by saying that even though it was close, “crap” is not really a cuss word. And then another twenty seven percent emphatically said “not at all” and now I feel perfectly justified telling my husband to shove the criticism. Because see! A bunch of people on the internets said I was right! So there!

This week’s poll stems from some distressing news found via Apathy Lounge. It seems that PBS wants to relegate Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to one show on the weekends. Which likely means most children will miss it. And of course, one show on the weekend will eventually lead to no show at all. This saddens me, as I think Mr. Rogers delivers a unique message that isn’t replicated on any other show.

Am I just being a dinosaur and showing my age?

And if you would like to protest this move, go here and find out ways to make your voice heard.

I’m going to do something I’m probably going to regret and jump into the Caesarean Section vs. Natural Childbirth debate.

First, I’m going to say that I’m not for scheduling C-sections because it’s “easier” for either the doctor or the mother than going through labor. It especially makes no sense to me, as recovery times for C-sections are significantly longer and more painful than for natural childbirths.

C-Sections, although having a low mortality rate, are just not as safe as having a child naturally.

But, no one should be looked down upon because they wanted an epidural.

No woman should feel guilty, “less of a woman,” or grief because she had to have a necessary C-section instead of natural childbirth. And other women shouldn’t necessarily feel superior for having a natural childbirth, either. Neither one makes you a better or worse mother.

I think that we perform too many medically unnecessary C-sections in the US.

Yet at the same time, we cannot forget that dying during childbirth was not uncommon all that long ago.

I think there is a distinct lack of true dialogue between mothers-to-be and their healthcare providers.  I don’t know if it can be traced to a bottom-line driven healthcare system, lack of knowledge, malpractice fears, or what.  But either doctors need to listen more, or women have to be more aggressive in questioning their doctors.

Or, better yet, how about both of those?

And yes, this is coming from a woman who had a scheduled, medically necessary C-section. 

toothpastefordinner.com

People will start saying you don’t love your baby when they see him pathetically gumming an Arrowroot cracker. Remember when Britney was looking into getting her baby’s teeth bleached…only the baby didn’t have any teeth yet? That’s the market for these things.

Happy 39th anniversary to Sesame Street, but why did they decide to have an open bar? Everyone knows what happens at those kinds of office parties.

Handsy little devil, ain’t he?

Ahhh, some of my fondest memories of camp were the new friends forged over endless games of “telephone” and dodgeball.  To cement the relationship, a custom-made friendship bracelet was just the ticket.  My friend would have me pick out the colors, and in a couple of days, I was the proud owner of a cute piece of jewelry that I would wear until it wore off.  Or, until the friend made me mad and I cut it off with a pair of scissors.  Whichever came first.

The Los Angeles Times is claiming that friendship bracelets are no longer the domain of pre-teens mooning over their favorite singer on the cover of Tiger Beat.  In fact, J. Crew will be featuring a $150 version in their upcoming catalogue.

Along with countless games and accoutrements that previously belonged to only young people, adults have now seen fit to horn in on friendship bracelets, too.  They are making them with semi-precious stones woven into the braid, or using expensive,fancy clasps.

Is there nothing that children can have that is their own anymore?

Are we adults so nostalgic, or so desperately seeking an infusion of youth, that we cannot leave anything in the past?

Nex thing you know, metal braces with colored rubber bands will be the next big thing among the forty year old set.  

Oh, my. I wonder who at Bayer’s ad agency thought that these charming images of spit-roasted children, ripped, apparently, from the virtual pages of a DailyCandy email (DailyCandyHell?) would sell burn ointment to Egyptians? Yes, it’s a speculative ad, not a real one, but still…Perhaps the secret lies in this comment from octopusink, over at Gawker:

You have to consider the target demographic. While in the US, the cannibal mother market is considered more niche, in Egypt it’s pretty mainstream. Anyone who’s ever tasted an egyptian child knows why.

Thanks for the clarification. I think.

From Copyranter via Gawker

Not content with dressing the anatomically impossible Barbie in tame outfits like fairy princesses and snow queens, Mattel decided to finally give Barbie the outift her figure has been crying out for all along.

Yes, Black Canary Barbie (based on a comic book character) is certain to captivate that certain elusive demographic Mattel has yet to successfully reach. That of the obsessed fanboy living in his mother’s basement.

Oh, and if a few little girls happen to see their favorite doll dressed like a dominatrix, complete with fishnets, uber-shiny latex and groin-grinding boots, well, that’s apparently not their problem.

A whopping eighty three percent of you are dictators at the family table, banning any and all electronic entertainment. I join you in celebrating our rule! I happen to think that eating together as a family is one of the most important things we can do for our children. I don’t care if it’s KFC you picked up on the way home from work, make time to share at least one meal a day together. That means talking with each other, not texting your friends or playing a Leapster. And, that includes meals out.

Something brought up in the comments got me to thinking about something that happened in early July. A woman boarded a Southwest plane with her sister and their children. One child is autistic, and another has cerebral palsy. The children were apparently disruptive during the flight, getting up and being loud. Upon attempting to board their connecting Southwest flight, they were told that due to the children’s behavior on the previous flight, they were not allowed to board. They were forced to get a flight on another airline the next day. Southwest did not give them a later flight, nor did it give them a hotel for the night.