
Walking through Target or flipping through a Toys "R" Us catalog, there's generally no question which toys are aimed at which gender. Facing those aisles of tea sets and Barbie dolls or toy guns and fight-ready action figures can make even the most tolerant among us crave a gender-free holiday.
For a list of America's most popular toys -- including boy, girl, and gender-neutral options, click here!
Toys tend to cater to traditional gender roles, but there's good reason to break out of the stereotypes. Broadening your child's toy horizons may help him or her tap into an undiscovered talent or interest. Playing with dolls may develop your son's understanding of empathy. A sporty playset may boost your daughter's confidence. Whatever your preference, the most important thing when looking for toys, says Laura Scott, a 30-year veteran in the field of child/adult education, is whether they're age appropriate and developmentally significant.
For this year's best educational, active, and
Should Boys Have Barbies? Expert Advice on Gender-Specific Toys
By Parents.com | Cool Mom – Fri, Dec 4, 2009 5:30 PM EST
Here an anonymous sex question that really riled up A LOT of moms:
If you have sex while co-sleeping and your baby/toddler wakes up, do you finish, or do you stop and put the child back to sleep?
I was surprised at how split moms were on this issue: Some moms were truly disgusted by the thought of having sex in the same bed as a co-sleeping baby or toddler. But other moms didn't see the harm in it - if the children are asleep, they don't know what's going on, right?
Should you have sex in the same bed as your co-sleeping baby/toddler? Take our poll.
Written by Cafe Kim for CafeMom's Healthy Living Buzz
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To Co-Sleep or Not to Co-Sleep?
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Read More »from Having sex when you're co-sleeping?Bad Parent: Good Cop/Bad Cop. How to Successfully Use "Wait 'til your father gets home."
By Babble.com | Cool Mom – Thu, Dec 3, 2009 11:43 PM EST
It was the type of scream that would have woken the neighbors. Instead it came at five o'clock in the afternoon, about the time my husband would be leaving work. To my left, the dining room table was a rainbow of Play-Doh balls, the seams of cherry wood a river of smushed dough. To the right, more mayhem - a jumble of LEGO bricks and jigsaw pieces littering the living room floor.
"You had better clean up your toys before your father gets home," I told my four-year-old, turning fast on my heel to avoid the impending face fall, the pleas for more time. This wasn't going to end well, and my patience had worn well past thin and toward cocktail.
It was dirty. But sometimes in a battle of wits with a pre-schooler, you realize you're the unarmed opponent. You've got to pass the buck. Preferably to the parent who isn't there to defend himself.
Read More »from Bad Parent: Good Cop/Bad Cop. How to Successfully Use "Wait 'til your father gets home."
Dirty or not, it worked. The mystery of what might happen when Daddy got home lingering over her head, puzzle pieces beganWeird Pregnancy Symptoms You Didn't Expect (Or Wouldn't Have Believed Anyways)
By ParentsConnect | Cool Mom – Wed, Dec 2, 2009 3:17 AM EST
GettySure, you were expecting the weight gain, the back pain and the morning sickness, but no one told you about these odd, deep, dark and (sort of) disgusting pregnancy symptoms. (Don't worry. They're totally normal.)
Long Thick Hair
Yes, on your head, but also on your back, upper lip, chin, legs, nipples ...Flatulence
This fun pregnancy symptom will crop up at the least opportune moment. Like when you're trapped in an elevator with your boss. Very attractive.Klutziness
You weren't expecting to be in Swan Lake, but you're freaked out to find that your changed center of gravity makes you move more like Elephant Swamp.Dark, Blotchy Patches
If (when) dark spots crop up all over you-on your face, belly, nipples and-you look like you had an accident with the self-tanner-don't despair! Called melasma, these spots typically fade after you give birth or stop breastfeeding.Sweating
Read More »from Weird Pregnancy Symptoms You Didn't Expect (Or Wouldn't Have Believed Anyways)
You're perspiring. A lot more than usual. And not just in your pits,Katie defends putting Suri in high heels...but are they really safe?
By Jennifer Romolini, Shine editor in chief | Cool Mom – Wed, Dec 2, 2009 12:30 AM EST
Photo: US WeeklyOver the past few months, there's been quite a bruhaha over little Suri Cruise and her little high heels. It seems the three-year-old daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes likes the elevated lady shoes, she's been spotted wearing them often, and this has caused all sorts of outrage, usually in the vein of "that's so weird" or "celebs are so lame."
But now, things are getting a little more serious. Suri's parents are currently being criticized for allowing their daughter to wear high heels, not just because this is an odd footwear choice for a pre-schooler, but because the shoes may be dangerous as well.
"A common side effect of adults wearing heels too often is the tightening or shortening of the Achilles tendon," New York podiatrist Dr. Oliver Zong told Fox News. "At Suri's age, children are growing quickly, and you want everything growing at the same rate. If the tendon is not growing at the same rate as everything else, it could become a problem."
And on her website, Dr. Read More »from Katie defends putting Suri in high heels...but are they really safe?Bedtime Battles? Try These 6 Tried-and-True Strategies
By Parents.com | Cool Mom – Tue, Dec 1, 2009 10:29 PM ESTBedtime battles have a tendency to tire out parents just as much as kids. According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 69 percent of parents reported that their child, ages zero to 10, had sleep problems at least a few nights a week, mostly centering around arguments about going to sleep or waking during the night.
Getting enough sleep is vital to your child's growth and development, not to mention your own sanity. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived kids get injured more often, they get sick more easily, their grades suffer -- and so do their moods.
Click here to see how much sleep your child needs each night.
Keeping a regular, enjoyable bedtime routine will help cut down on your struggles and help make your home a more peaceful place, day and night.
1. Watch food and drink consumption.
Large meals can make it difficult to sleep, so give your child some time between dinner and bedtime to digest. Make sure your child stays away from sweets
Read More »from Bedtime Battles? Try These 6 Tried-and-True Strategies5 tips for dining out with kids
By Andrew Knowlton, BA Foodist, Bon Appetit Magazine | Cool Mom – Tue, Dec 1, 2009 8:27 PM EST
Read More »from 5 tips for dining out with kids
Dear BA Foodist,
My wife and I like to try new restaurants, but we're also new parents. I've seen what can happen when children behave badly while dining out, and we dread fellow patrons' death stares. Any tips?
Chuck La Vallee, Los Angeles
Bon Appétit's 31 Best Holiday Cookies
Dear Chuck,
Cookbook author and food god Craig Claiborne opined, "I cannot estimate how many meals are spoiled by fractious, overtired children aching to be home, and their parents are doing no one a favor by permitting such disruptive behavior." I'd guess most folks agree with Mr. Claiborne, judging by the stink eye many waiters and fellow diners show parents eating with kids. It's a shame, really. True, a restaurant is not a playground, but it's not a church either. Some parents won't go near a restaurant with their children in tow, for fear of being ostracized. It's not like this in many other countries, where kids are welcomed to the table and where, not by accident, the food culture is strong. A fewWhy You Should Let Your Daughter Dress Like Miley Cyrus
By Kaboodle.com | Cool Mom – Tue, Dec 1, 2009 1:46 AM EST
Read More »from Why You Should Let Your Daughter Dress Like Miley Cyrus
Wardrobe arguments between mothers and daughters have been around since the fashioning of loin cloths. From a rebellious teen's perspective, you striking a strict pose on why she can't emulate the scantily clad likes of Miley or Britney may only make her hike her skirt up a little bit higher and ruin any chance for a conversation about what provocative clothes mean for women. Here are our tips on how to counterbalance media's fashion influence with your pop-culture obsessed daughter:
• Think about what you actually don't like about your daughter's wardrobe. Is it really a specific sparkly midriff you object to, or are you more concerned about how your girl will be perceived depending on what she chooses to wear? If it's the latter, consider talking to her about this issue in an honest way. If you need help getting the conversation started, parenting books on raising girls may offer a jumping off point. Trends constantly evolve so don't let a disagreement about a fad close the lines ofThe Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a major recall of 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including 150,000 with the Fisher-Price Logo. The recall is the largest crib recall in history, and follows reports of four infant suffocations, in addition to reports of more than 100 drop sides detaching from the cribs. It affects cribs sold since 1993. For information about this recall, visit the Parents.com Toy and Product Recall Finder.
Take our quiz to see how baby-safe your home is.
According to Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumer Reports, consumers should always avoid purchasing cribs with drop sides. Mays says 7 million cribs have been recalled since 2007, and most of the issues have revolved around the drop side and its hardware.
"Do not buy a crib that has a drop side," he says. "We are not convinced that any particular model on the market is durable enough to withstand the regular use and abuse that
Read More »from How Safe Is Your Baby’s Crib?
When I was little, I read a lot, but some books meant more to me than others. I grew up in the wilds of North Dakota, so for the most part my three siblings and I borrowed books from the library or the bookmobile, although our family occasionally made it to the bookstore in Fargo. I reread my favorites so many times that they are indelibly stamped on my memory. I can even remember where I was sitting or what I was wearing when I read some of them. Now that I have two kids of my own, I'm collecting new editions for them as I rebuild my childhood library.
Read on to see if your favorites made the list!
-Amy Scheibe, author of the novel, What Do You Do All Day?, longtime book editor, and Grandparents.com children's-book columnist.
Read More »from The 28 Books Kids Must Read
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