Filed under: RecallsThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 71,000 Nintendo character-themed lapel pins due to the presence of toxic lead in the paint. The pins were sold at Nintendo stores in Redmond, Washington and New York, New York between April 2004 and November 2007 for between $1.50 and $4 each. They were also distributed to some lucky employees at electronics and games stores nationwide during that same time period.Distributed by Nintendo of America Inc. and imported by Pro Source Inc., the pins were made in China. The recall includes the following character pins: Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario, Mario Kart, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Starfox, Waluigi and Wario. The pins measure 1 to 2 inches in height.If you have one of these pins, you should immediately take it away from your child and contact Nintendo for instructions on receiving a free replacement lapel pin. You can reach them by calling (800) 431-0971 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or by visiting their Web site.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

parents, not Miley, are to blame
Filed under: Rachel Campos-Duffy, View from the Home FrontWell, this week I feel (sadly) vindicated. This is exactly what happens when we entrust Hollywood, the media, and corporations with our children!First, parents of young Hannah Montana fans had to explain the leaked photos of a bra-clad Miley and her boyfriend on the Internet. Then they were treated to a very grown-up photo spread of Disney’s 15 year-old teen-queen with bedroom hair and only a silk bed sheet covering her nude body. Not too long ago another Disney star, High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens, had to apologize for her leaked nude photos. Like this latest Disney debacle, it too sparked endless discussions on the fan sites and message boards that so many very young girls frequent. Frankly, the shocked headlines are what I find so shocking. Well, that and all of the “outraged” parents. Don’t they realize that this “teenager” is a billion dollar franchise whose marketing plan depends on capturing a younger and younger audience? The operative word here is “teenager”. She’s a teenager and if only teenagers watched Hannah Montana, this incident could actually be a teachable moment where we warn teens about taking compromising photos in the age of the Internet and Girls Gone Wild.Unfortunately, Miley’s audience not only includes my 17 year old niece, but also 5 to 11 year olds, who happen to be the most susceptible consumers of the ubiquitous junk sold in her name. So now, parents with 6 year-olds in the Hannah Montana fan club will have to have a conversation they would just as well have put off for another 8 years. In the end, this isn’t Disney’s fault and it’s certainly not Vanity Fair’s. It’s not even Barbara Walter’s, who told us in her glossy post-Oscar interview, that Miley was a “role model”. And a “Christian!” No, parents of young children have only themselves to blame for allowing Miley to become their 2nd graders’ role-model. Have we all forgetten about the term “age-appropriate”? Or at least the joy of a childhood where playing “house” did not involve a bored baby-doll masquerading as a streetwalker (have you seen the Bratz babies?). It seems that too many parents these days are too tired or too busy to swim against the current. We want our kids to fit in. We’d rather not deal with the nagging, so we give in and buy the video game or doll or outfit without thinking it through. We defer to kids, instead of carefully evaluating products and programs to see if their messages actually reflect our values. Thus, we end up mindlessly encouraging and financing a disturbing trend.Since I first started blogging for parentDish this fall, I have sounded off numerous times about the pressure on our kids, and especially our girls, to grow up too fast. From sexy Halloween costumes to thongs and racy t-shirt messages, our little girls are being robbed of their right to just be little girls. My oldest daughter is eight years old and High School Musical, Hannah Montana and the like are not permitted in my house. I don’t want my girls emulating a teenager in a micro-miniskirt and thigh high stockings - I don’t care how benign the bubble gum pop songs are. Moms like me are called a lot of things - controlling, prudes, and helicopter moms. Why? Because we’d rather our girls aspire to be astronauts or veterinarians rather than gyrating wanna-be “rock stars”?It’s not easy. My daughter may very well be the only girl in her class who does not own a Bratz doll or watch concerts and sitcoms with teenage themes and stars. With a precious few exceptions, it is only through my blog that I encounter like-minded parents. Thank God for the Internet! I was beginning to feel like an island unto myself. Never mind the irony that it’s the ex-MTV girl who’s forbidding the Disney Channel in her home. Still, there are plenty of moms who visit my blog who disagree with my parenting style. And that’s OK. They can’t understand why I’m trying so hard to protect my girls from cultural forces that would have them start thinking about boyfriends, break-ups, mid-driffs, and make-up long before I think they should. I’m repeatedly told, “You can’t protect your kids from the world”. Perhaps, but I can try. Look, what 15 year-old starlet wouldn’t fall under the spell of the iconic Annie Leibovitz and the surreal atmosphere of a fancy celebrity photo-shoot where everyone’s telling you how beautiful you look? Sure, her handlers should have known better. And of course, the judgment of her famous dad - who actually participated in a series of loungy photos that were more “hot Hollywood couple” than daddy and his teenage girl - is rightly being called into question. But the problem is not Disney, or Miley, or Billy Ray Cyrus. Christian or not, Miley is a teenage girl susceptible to all the temptations that have tripped up child stars since the dawn of television. Teen stars haven’t changed all that much, parents have changed. And yes, the media has also changed. So let’s all slow down and become more reflective and selective about the culture (and role models) our young children consume. Until parents of little girls and little boys decide that “age-appropriate” matters, Hollywood, Mattel and every other corporate entity will continue to serve up shows and products aimed at capturing the widest range of young consumers, regardless of the implications on a child’s innocence. They’re just doing their job. Are we?To learn more about Rachel visit www.rachelcamposduffy.comRead | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LHAB-023 Wine, Babies and Holidays
Episode 23 27:07 Click here to download this episoe directly. Don’t forget, you can always hit the play button on the snazzy little player over there to the right to listen to the latest show. Happy new year everyone. We hope 2007 is treating you well and that you enjoy this first episode from Adam and [...]

Half of sect’s teen girls are pregnant or already mothers
Filed under: Teenager, In the NewsYou didn’t have to be a mother to feel the anguish that the children and mothers of the the FLDS sect were feeling when over 400 children were removed from their compound recently. Like Kristin and many others, I was conflicted over whether the state of Texas had done the right thing. It’s no small thing, removing children from their parents, especially when so many of them were babies and young children. But as I watched video after video of the mothers in television interviews, I was struck by how vague and evasive their answers were. It made me wonder, what is really going on here?Today, a few answers have started coming out. CNN is reporting that of the 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 that were taken from the ranch, over half are pregnant or are already mothers. This seems to be in direct conflict with information given by the sect, that teen girls were not forced into spiritual marriages. In that same teen age range there are only 17 boys in custody. Among kids under the age of 13, there’s a pretty even split of boys and girls on the ranch, but this low ratio of boys to girls in the teen years seems to lend credence to the rumor that boys (coined “lost boys”) are kicked out of the group once they reach a certain age. Obviously, the sect has some explaining to do. But instead of doing so, they’re claiming that the girls are actually adults and that the state is wrong when they say they are minors. It’s a question a simple birth certificate could answer, but I have a feeling that nothing in this case is going to be simple.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Advice to a child from notorious convicts and esteemed Americans
Filed under: health and Safety, Pre-teen, Magazines, In the NewsIf a little boy sent an earnest letter to famous (and infamous) Americans, seeking their advice on whether he should continue with his education, what would the response be?That simple question is the focus of a rather fascinating human experiment profiled in this month’s issue of Radar Magazine. The story actually stretches back to almost a decade ago, when an unemployed 30-something with too much time on his hand decided to write to murderers, politicians, and celebrities. Bill Geerhart developed a pseudonym, that of a curious 10-year-old named Billy — and wrote letters to some of the most influential (and notorious) people of our time.The results surprised even Geerhart, with celebrities from Alan Greenspan to Oprah Winfrety taking the time to reply to his child alter-ego. Personally, I found the replies of notorious and dangerous criminals to be the most interesting (albeit slightly disturbing)When 10-year-old “Billy” asked Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker) if he should stay in school, Richard says, yes, he should (and also please send pictures of girls in bikinis.) Charles Manson’s reply is unintelligible but strangely fascinating and the Unabomber’s letter back is almost breathtaking in its banality. “Billy” also writes an earnest letter to Alan Greenspan, asking him how to save up for a boat, and to Larry Flynt requesting a Hustler for kids. Even though I really hope my own son will ask for education and (god help me) porn advice from his family, these answers were sure entertaining to read. Human beings, no matter their background, respond to kids on such a different level.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LHAB-001
Download this episode LHAB-001.mp3 size: 7.9MB length: 19min. 11sec. Welcome to the first episode of Let’s Have a baby! In this episode we explain a little about what the idea behind this whole podcast is, we talk about the past and what’s to come in the future and we even have our first guest. Hope you enjoy the [...]

LHAB-010
We hit double digits! Welcome to the Let’s Have a baby Podcast! We take a second in this episode to remind the old listeners and explain to the new ones what this show is all about. Sometimes we just go on and on without realizing that new peeps might be tuning in to learn about the challenges faced by trying to conceive. Steffe talks all about her trip to the doctor on Friday. You’ll find out what the doc told her and you’ll get a nice science lesson by a couple of amateurs (that’s us) about PCOS. Here’s a handy link to a wiki article all about it. I talk about hairy women and how they might be able to get help. I tease the stress relating to infertility topic again and apologize for not having time to cover it in this episode. You’ll just have to wait until episode 11. Drop us an email and let us know if you’re interested in getting episode 11 before next weekend since we’ve got a holiday on Monday. Bailey intro’d the show today and we dropped in a couple of words from Payton who also provided us with a fine outro for the Podsafe Music Network since they were so kind to hook us up with the tunes you heard in this episode. The first song was a snippet of Fly Away by Justin Winokur and the closer was Bittersweet by Artificial Intelligence in Texas.

LHAB-004
Download this episode size: 14.1MB length: 34min. 12sec. In this episode, I talk a bit about the experience I had going to the diagnostic lab to contribute a sample required for analysis - don’t worry, I leave out the juciest details. Then, Steffe hits me with a quiz from American baby that’s supposed to tell whether or not [...]

April 30th, 2008: Cartoon #4801
‘It’s a hybrid. It runs on Mom or Dad.’