Behold the redneck jolly jumper. No substitute for the real thing, it is a staple of childcare among those who should not be entrusted with the task of caring for children in the first place.

Such as this guy:

Erie Police say Keith Holbrook was seen duct taping a pair of 3yr. old students to the wall in the “preschool” room at Little Wonders Child Care, and inviting other teachers to watch.

No, anyone who’s ever been in charge of a room full of toddlers for any length of time can perhaps identify with the sentiment (was it Camus who said a thought-murder a day preserved one’s mental health?) but, generally speaking, we refrain from shackling children to the walls, whether with adhesive tape or other means. So, while we revile the actions of the now-fired preschool teacher, we understand the sentiment and can only hope that justice will find a way to give him a better understanding of the inappropriateness of his actions.

Somebody needs a little time-out. Say, eighteen to twenty-four months?

One of my favorite clothing lines for children is Small Paul from designer Paul Frank.

Paul started out in his garage in Orange County, California and came up with his now-iconic Julius the Monkey graphic.  He began with a wallet with Julius’ face emblazoned on it, and interest grew after a friend requested that Paul make him the same wallet.

The Small Paul line features bright, irreverent, and funky graphics that kids love to wear.  I tend not to like graphics, but I make an exception for Small Paul. The clothes definitely have a Southern California, beachy feel. My son’s bright orange Julius tee is one of his favorites and I have seen a  smile creep onto people’s faces when they see him in it.  Cute monkey, cute kid, who could resist?

But seriously, Small Paul has come out with different signature characters for boys and girls, including the popular Skurvy Skull.   Julius can take on many different looks as well on different pieces, sometimes sporting a beehive or X-ray specs, or whatever else suits the designer’s fancy. As with most designer clothing, the prices can be a bit spendy, but the tees can be reasonable, and even more so on sale.

This is a small sample of the current line: