GoMom

Children now spend 25% less time doing chores around the house than
they did 20 years ago. It's not that they're spoiled--their parents now
rely on outside help, and kids are expected to spend more time studying
or participating in extracurricular activities. But what effect will
this have on them as adults? A piece in the Wall Street Journal posits
that these little boys might grow up to be aggravating husbands 'cause
the Modern Woman needs a mate who helps with the housework. More
interestingly, whether or not children do chores is a big predictor of
whether they will volunteer in their communities as adults. Anybody
have anecdotal evidence that supports this?

Derfwad Manor: Who needs food and money when you have passion?

Undomestic Diva: I made the mistake of asking my husband what I should blog about

Unexpected Bliss: My son's internet obsession

In honor of the panic that will hit us around, say Wednesday morning, when we've run out of ideas of what to throw in the bag.

First of all, get a SIGG, because how do you not have one already? Fill it with chocolate milk shaken with a touch of cinnamon and vanilla.

If you have the time for homemade sports-bars, these are cheaper and tastier than most shelf brands.

Dark chocolate covered bananas, and they're organic, fair-trade, and will get your kid an A from the hemp-wearin' English teacher.

Shun just any pbn'j, surprise them with a pbn'mf: peanut butter and marshamallow fluff sandwich. Relax, it's all natural and probably no worse than jelly. Plus you'll get a huge smooch when they get home.

The least you can do is throw in some Pocky sticks, but better yet, send along some choice Double Whammy Hard Candy! Who doesn't want that?

A piece in the Washington Post examines what we can now, 17 years after the first comprehensive study of children in day care began, say about children cared for out of the home: they don't suffer any ill effects. While the Study for Early Child Care and Youth Development had to rely on observation and therefor can't address cause & effect relationships between child care and child development, researchers were able to conclude:

"There were few significant differences between children cared for
exclusively by their mothers and those in any form of day care. The
most important predictor of children's attachment, as well as their
cognitive and social development, researchers found, was the
sensitivity of their mothers and the characteristics of their families,
such as parental income and educational levels. The influence of these
factors trumped any effects of day care."

Okay, but what does "sensitivity" mean in this context? I went to the home page of the study but it was uninviting. If daycare doesn't matter much but "sensitivity of mothers" DOES, why won't the Post tell me how to be a sensitive mother?

Spazz Dad: City idiots on ATVs

Black Hockey Jesus: Putting your shattered boy back together again

Dad Gone Mad: Why a shower caddy doesn't make a good gift

Blogger Diana Goodman runs a site called NotWithoutMyHandbag, and she keeps a running collection of absurd baby names that makes for very entertaining reading. Goodman invites readers to send in their tips, and then tries to corroborate the info to make sure she's not trying to serve up Oranjello/Lemonjello style urban myth as the real deal. Kynda Boring? Unconfirmed. Chanda Lear? Yep, she's really out there. Luv Joy Seamon? Walking around a college campus (probably introducing herself as "Madison") as we speak.

The schools my kids attend are the same ones I went to as a kid. Besides the addition of a new pool and a new middle school, they haven't changed much. Except in the morning when the road and parking entrance are clogged with parents dropping their kids off. When I was there, being dropped off by your parents was the ultimate wussy-indicator, if you didn't ride the bus something was wrong with you. I know this isn't the case anymore, but I have still always favored the bus.

Now, as I am about to toss my 5er into the reality of Kindergarten, I am freaked out! How can I put my little dough-boy on the bus with a bunch of kids he doesn't know? How will he know where to go? What if he forgets to get off at his stop? I know it will all be fine, that he might have to jump a hurlde to win the race, but still, there's something scary about putting him on a big yellow beast and watching him pull away out of my control.  I'm curious, do you bus or drop off and why did you choose?

Whiskey in my Sippy Cup: Mr. Lady goes all heavy metal on your @ss

DadaMama: The first trip to the dentist? Bring a crowbar

Surrender Dorothy: What sounds good to me

Get thee to Infomania and watch this new video, where the hilarious Sarah Haskins rolls her eyes at the latest batch of chick flicks. How many times must we be presented with the same tired fairy tale? How many times must our ultimate reward turn out to be Colin Firth? Poor Colin Firth. He's not hot enough to be unattainable. It's an insult to always be presented as the man who holds out for the bachelor lifestyle into his 40s but can't quite go the distance with it. "Why can't I play an occasional womanizer?" I imagine Firth whine to his agent. "Why do I have to be the husband all the time? Cheerio, Jeeves, thanks for the tea. Oh my, it's jolly hot, isn't it?"