InnoTab 2 Baby
InnoTab 2 BabyThis morning I opened my email to find exciting news! The first-ever tablet specially designed for babies is out for the holidays, and it's selling for the low, low price of nearly 90 bucks. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Another piece of crap babies don't really need to lure parents into the baby commerce trap!

More from The Stir: New Toys Encourage Babies to Play With REAL iPhones

Moms! Dads! You're going to need to learn the following phrase once your kid hits the toddler years anyway, so listen up: just because it's there doesn't mean you need it.

In fact, there's zero evidence in this world that babies need their own tablets. Not even the fancy schmancy InnoTab 2 Baby from VTech.

Hold on, I'm not some Luddite out here trashing tablets. I own an iPad, and my 7-year-old got a Kindle Fire for her birthday. But we're both of an age when we can actually do things like, oh, I dunno, read, and wipe our own butts. And neither of us has chewed on anything

Read More »from High-Tech Tablets Made Just for Babies Are All Kinds of Wrong

I can't have any more children. At least none that are biologically mine.

I'll never be pregnant again.

More from The Stir: 43-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Gets Pregnant Using Her Own 37-Year-Old Eggs

A couple of weeks after our first child was born, I underwent a radical hysterectomy to remove cancer that was discovered at the time of my C-section. Having the surgery was a no brainer. It was a do it or die situation. I chose to fight to live, and that's what I'm going to continue to do for as long as I can.

But now that the cancer seems to be in remission, I'm noticing that I sometimes feel jealous around pregnant women.

Now, who knows if we would have chosen to have another child after Maggie. When she was born, I was no spring chicken at age 44. And I wasn't going to get any younger.

Plus, ours was a high risk pregnancy. We were fortunate to deliver a child with no apparent health problems. To us (and to her pediatrician), she appears to be perfect. So,

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Have you heard of the "uncanny valley"? That's the theory of life-like inanimate objects. The more human they look the cuter they become, that is, until they're almost too human. Then they start to creep us out. That point of no return is called the "uncanny valley," and it's the home to a collection of dolls created by French Artist Laurence Ruet. Ruet is one of a handful of specialty doll-makers customizing "fake babies" so human-looking they're often mistaken for the real thing. But Ruet doesn't stop with babies. She's created a series of life-like kid dolls with remarkably "uncanny" human features and expressions. The result is not exactly something real kids want to hug when the lights go out.

Read More »from Real Kid Dolls: The Most Realistic (and Creepy) Dolls We've Ever Seen

Teenager, toddlerI remember, way back when Girl Child was little and wasn't yet capable of articulating the many random thoughts that were probably floating around in her tiny baby mind even then, I used to tease her and say, "Pooter, when are you gonna start talking?" And she would burble or chew on her foot or smile and my one-sided conversation would come to a close.

I remember those times fondly because that same baby is now 14. And long gone are the days when I have to ask her when she's going to speak up. That chatterbox gets a-turnin' early in the morning and doesn't stop cranking out run-on commentary until she's in deep sleep again at night.

More from The Stir: A Parent's Stress Can Be Really Harmful to Kids

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Packs of Pampers aren't loaded into my shopping cart, formula no longer lines the shelves in the kitchen, but I still find a surprising number of similarities between my daughter the baby and my daughter the teenager.

Read More »from Toddlers Vs. Teenagers: Who’s More Exhausting?

j bubbles Growing up, I was taught that turning 7 years oldsignified reaching the "age of reason." What that meant, exactly, I wasn't quite sure (except that I could make my 1st Holy Communion). But now that I have kids of my own, an 11-year-old and, you guessed it, a 7-year-old, I think I kinda get what they were talking about. Once you hit the age of 7, you're a bonafide big kid. A 7-year-old knows right from wrong, more or less. A 7-year-old is also pretty independent, or at least that's the way it seems: Like he's capable of handling most of the everyday tasks that younger kids with less developed motor skills can't pull off on their own. And in fact, he seems capable because he probably IS capable. Phew! Time to take a step back, helicopter parents.

More from The Stir: 25 Ways You Know You're Such a Mother

Except, not really.

Just because he's capable of getting things done "all by himself" doesn't mean he actually will. Here are 7 things you still can't trust your big kid

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Holiday décor can be a minefield when it comes to a baby’s safety.  There’s the obvious, like tinsel and tree ornaments, but there’s also other dangers you might have not even considered. TheBump’s Lori Richmond highlights the hidden décor dangers to watch out for, and even if you don’t have a little one, with all the extended family and friends visiting for the holidays, it’s important to baby proof your home.

Here are the décor dangers to avoid, plus additional hazards not mentioned in today’s episode.

Is your home baby proofed? Once you run through our list below, we can assure you you’ll have the tools you need to make sure your home is hazard free and ready for the holiday season!

Purses and Shopping Bags

Don’t forget that your visitors can bring hazards into your house. Visitor’s handbags and shopping bags are tempting for babies and haven’t been childproofed. Stow guest’s bags in a safe place (like in an extra bedroom and close the door shut) to keep your child

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Aries (March 21 - April 19) Shift your competitive side into high gear and take on the world, as in applying for a new job or promotion. Cool it when you challenge your tyke to that new game, though; they need to win every once in a while! Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Chinese Luck Prosperity and Longevity Reading

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Power issues will be less of a struggle than usual today. Assert yourself gracefully, and make new alliances. If the young'uns are hard to handle, there's a simple reason: They're just too full of pep! Find fresh outlets for their energy. Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Numerology Portrait

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) Peace on earth, goodwill towards tots. Today, especially, you'll want to make sure your child gets along well with all the other kids at day care or at the

Read More »from Astrology.Com Daily MomScopes -- Monday December 3, 2012

The Who, What, Where, When and Why of the Flu VaccineThe tendency among many parents when their children get sick in the wintertime with vague, virus-like symptoms is to blame the flu. However, the flu is a serious, diagnosable illness that can result in hospitalization or, in rarer cases, death, as it attacks the breathing system as well as the entire body.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend - among other things - that all children over 6 months old receive an annual flu shot; it's proven to be the best way to prevent the flu each year.

Related: 6 tips for keeping your family healthy during cold and flu season

Here are the basics about the annual flu shot, and why medical experts say it's critical to get them to protect your children:

WHO:
Young children, pregnant women, and people over the age of 65 are prone to getting much sicker from the flu. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children younger than 2 years old - even healthy children - are more likely

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