Parenting Sites 411

Welcome to another weekly installment of YNTR.  I hope I have some great sites for you to visit and interesting posts or you to read.  Without further ado, here are this week’s picks:

• “Let’s go down to the ER and have ourselves a scare” from Parental Discretion Advised.  Bree learns what happens when you are busy all day and don’t have enough time to drink all the water you should be having while you’re in your last months of pregnancy.  It’s a lesson we must all learn at one time or another.
• “Insecurious elephantitis” from sweet | salty.  Isn’t it something that now, years and years after we’re out of school, we start learning that everyone went through the same issues that we did?  Kate, in her usual poignant fashion, captures just what it was like to not quite fit in in school.
• “We don’t even have any flavored kinds” from Kerflop.  Jessica details what is a somewhat embarrassing obsession her daughter has with some certain prophylactics.  Well, I’m sure it’s embarrassing for her, but hysterical for the rest of us.
• “Ash and Ye Shall Receive” from Dad Gone Mad.  From his regrettable front row seat, Danny lets us know just what it’s like to be a witness to the L.A. fires.  As always, he gives a new perspective on things and my heart goes out to everyone who has been displaced down there.
• “How do they get the air inside the bubble wrap?” from Rancid Raves.  Cagey revels in the differences between the good days and the bad when parenting two children under two years old.  Some of what she says scares me about what lies ahead for me when my baby is born but most of it is a comfort and I can’t wait.
• “Running Off at the Mouth” from Her Bad Mother.  HBM discusses the fine art of cursing and her propensity to be doing it more and more often (now that the grips of pregnancy hormones have her) in front of her impressionable young daughter.
• “The first of many unwelcomed milestones” from misszoot.  This a fantastic post I read just this morning where Zoot talks about how after she got done bawling out her older son the previous night, her two year old daughter proceeded to mimic her angry outburst.  Zoot has the uncomfortable feeling she was being mocked and knows more of the same is sure to happen in the future.

That is all the reading material you need for the weekend.  When you aren’t glued to the computer, reading fabulous blog posts, why don’t you get out and about with your families and enjoy one of the last beautiful weekends of fall?

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this site before now.  Of course, it just released this week for the first time, but this is big news in the online parenting community.  MightyJunior is a shopping website for parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, godparents, etc and so forth who are looking for a cute find.  This site is a sister site to the already well-known and fabulous MightyGoods website, which showcases awesome buys for everyone.

Categories are broken up by ages as well as by gift-type, starting with pregnancy, on through 15-18 years old.  This is extremely helpful for someone like me, who has nieces and nephews that I don’t get to see all that often and I sometimes need a little help finding an age-appropriate and lovable gift.  If you’re looking specifically for kid’s room decor or birthday party supplies, you can easily find them here as well.

MightyJunior is the brainchild is MightyGoods creator and blogger Maggie Mason and fabulous blogger Melissa Summers.  While the finds on this site might not always be the most inexpensive, they are the most unique and interesting.  If you’re looking for gifts that inspire more the imagination than the Bratz empire, then you might want to browse this site.  I definitely plan to, as Christmas shopping is looming on the horizon and the thought of having to go out and browse the toy stores and malls sends a cold shiver down my spine.  Since you can’t really give a child a gift-card, I think this site is a great place to look for that perfect gift for that little someone in your life.

If you’re at all interested in shopping online, you need to check this site out.  You may be inspired to spend more money than you were hoping, but you’ll definitely find the perfect gift.

I know I’ve mentioned Parent Hacks before, but I think it’s such a clever website.  I have it set up in my RSS reader so I can catch all these good ideas as they happen.  And more often than not, I see an idea that I might not have thought of before.  Even better, I might see a solution to a problem that has plagued me for ages.  That’s what happened when I checked the feed yesterday and saw this little tip.  The tip states that instead of worrying all winter about whether your baby or toddler is keeping their socks on all the time, just put them in tights instead.  There won’t be any gap in between the socks and the pants either and their legs will be kept nice and toasty warm.  At first, I blew it off.  After all, my youngest is a boy and boys don’t wear tights.  The article said boys can wear tights as easily as girls can, especially at that young of an age.   As long as you aren’t putting anything on that has a flowery design or isn’t pink, it could be completely gender appropriate.  Think whites, navy blues and blacks.  And little boys are just as deserving of warm legs as little girls are, aren’t they?

And think back to all those times that you’ve been out in the store with your little one, their shoes long since kicked off.  You’re in the checkout line, just about ready to check out when you look down and notice they’re missing a sock.  You don’t have any chance to go back and look through the store and it’s cold outside.  I’m sure this has happened to virtually every parent out there at one time or another.  I know it has happened to me.

Plus think of how easily all those tiny baby socks get lost in the wash.  It’s almost virtually impossible to keep all those wee socks together as they’re getting washed and dried and you almost always lose at least one.

The only issue is that the bottoms of the tights aren’t skid-proof so if you have hard floors in your home, you may want to put slippers on your child so they don’t slip and fall.  That or you could try putting some tape on the bottom or even some puffed paint, as the article suggests.  Still, I think slippers on a baby are just adorable so I would probably take that opportunity myself.

This week, I’ve got some great reads for you, along with a promised follow-up to the heartbreaking story I posted on Monday. There is plenty for you to enjoy here, as well as some good posts to get you thinking.   Hopefully, my little list will help you discover a new blog or two.  Or reconnect you with an old favorite.  As always, if you have a blog you think I should be checking out, leave me a comment here!

• “No Kid, Huh?” by IzzyMom.   Izzy takes on the controversial topic of breeder vs. non-breeder.  There’s a book out that urges people everywhere to stop having children in order to preserve the planet.  More disturbing are the comments in response to an article about the book from people who wholeheartedly agree with the premise.
• “Brothers” by a little pregnancy.  Julie talks about a sensitive subject to anyone with infertility or secondary infertility.  Having a second child isn’t always so easy when you child seems to want a sibling, it makes it all that much worse.
• “Higher” by Daring Young Mom.  The Daring One shows us exactly why you want to make sure to always keep the scissors out of your children’s reach.  Especially if they aspire to be a hairdresser when they’re older.
• “Hola, Isabel” by hola, isabel.  Isabel (not her real name, as detailed in this fascinating entry) describe exactly where the idea for her blog title came from and invites her readers to do the same.  She has an amazing narrative voice and it is entries like these that I look forward to reading from her.
• “Discipline and the two year old” by Purple is a Fruit.   Linda is at the end of her rope and in need of suggestions on how best to discipline her two year old son when he gets out of line.  Even more interesting are the comments that follow filled with commiseration and suggestions.
• “The Promised Details” by LagLiv.  Here’s my follow-up on this awful story.  The family got their baby back.  It’s not the most ideal circumstances and there’s a lot more to come but in the meantime, they’re enjoying lots of snuggles and loves.  And that is FAR better than any group home or foster care out there.
• “Empty” by dooce.   This was an entry from her I was hoping I would never see.  I never want to see this entry from anyone, actually.  When she posted earlier in the week about some bad stuff going on, I was worried and turns out, rightly so.  I’d be surprised if any of you haven’t seen this entry yet, as just about everyone reads Heather’s blog, but in case you haven’t, go check it out and then send some much-needed good vibes her way.
• “Ten weeks till Christmas” by Running Stitch. I wish I had one iota the talent that Brit has for homemade crafts.  She talks about how sometimes she feels cheap giving her creations as gifts and how we all need to treasure those things made by hand.  She suggests we all indulge in a homemade Christmas, even if just buying from one of the many Etsy shops out there.  She gives us a great list of shops to check out for starters and I’m thinking this is a fabulous idea.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekends. I know I plan to!

I got the idea of this from Mom’s Daily Dose’s writing challenge today.  Yes, it resembles an awful lot a meme and I just posted a meme on Tuesday.  But there’s some truth here and an opportunity to visit some great blogs who are writing on this very topic.  And that topic is:

What are the three things you wish for your kids to experience in their lives?  Is it different for your sons and daughters?

This brought out a lot of deep introspection for me.   And I realized that I was going to have a hard time coming up with just three things.  But then again, it’s not very hard to narrow it down to what is most important.

I’ve said for many years that I hope none of my children have to endure the infertility and loss that we had to suffer through.  When my oldest son was diagnosed with an undescended testicle when he was just 4 years old, it was no question whether or not we wanted the doctor to operate and fix the issue.  By operating, we would reduce his chances for not only testicular cancer later on but possible infertility later in life.  Not that it wasn’t hard to see our baby (yes, they’re still babies at 4 years old) go under the knife, but we knew the benefits far outweighed the negatives.  If there was anything we could do to limit his anguish later on down the line, we would do it happily.

I also wish for my children to enjoy financial stability when they become adults.  Money isn’t everything.  It isn’t even half of everything.  But having a decent job, a decent home to live in, decent cars to drive and a decent amount in your account to cover the important stuff is a big deal.  We made a lot of mistakes with money when we were younger that we’re paying for now.  So I hope that I might be somehow able to prevent my own children from making those mistakes. It makes a difference.

Lastly, I wish for my children to have happiness.  I know that life cannot be happy all the time.  But I want them to have enough happiness and love to fall back on when the times do get rough.  I want them to have wonderful families, each other and a strong sense of self.  I want them to be able to fight for themselves and for what matters to them when it counts.  It might sound trite to wish love and happiness for your children, but love and happiness themselves are definitely not trite.  You don’t miss those things until they’re gone.  So I hope my children never know what it’s like to be without love and happiness.  It’s what makes this life we’re living worthwhile.

So what do you wish?

I saw this meme over on Lizarita’s blog and I couldn’t resist.  Mostly because I need to POST something and when I’m all blocked like this, a meme is just the thing to get me going again.

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now?
Good question.  I’m pretty sure it’s some generic type of shower gel.  Oh, we also have baby wash in there as well.
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?
Yeah, no.  It’s October, remember?
3. What would you change about your living room?
I’m kinda over the green we painted on the walls.  I’d put a gate up blocking off the kitchen.  Put the DVD player/DVR in the entertainment center.  Get rid of this goshforsaken carpeting once and for all.  This is a pretty long list.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?
Clean.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t dirty dishes in the sink. Ahem.
5. What is in your fridge?
Oh geeze.  Three kinds of milk, juice, soda, various and sundry condiments, lunchmeat, hot dogs, refrigerated dough, butter, cream cheese, bagels, cheese, yogurt… do I have to keep going here?
6. White or wheat bread?
Wheat.  Or, in Harry’s case, whole wheat white, from Wonderbread.
7. What is on top of your refrigerator?
A bunch of dead plants.
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain?
It’s a pale pinkish/purple with light purple embroidered vines on it.  Goes with the whole purple motif I’ve got going on in there.

9. How many plants are in your home?
Alive and non-fake? 0.

10. Is your bed made right now?
Ha!  Ha, ha, ha!  That’s a good one.
11. Comet or Soft Scrub?
Like Lizarita, we’re big Lysol fans for cleaning bathrooms and such.

12. Is your closet organized?
Yeah, no.  Not even CLOSE.
13. Can you describe your flashlight?
Flash… light?  Riiiight.  I think there’s got to be one around her somewhere…
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?
Plastic, if I can.  And I try to only use one glass a day to cut down on dishes.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?
Nope.  Kile makes his own iced tea since he’s the only one who drinks it.

16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered?
Is the Pope Catholic?  At least we can park one of our vans in there.

17. Curtains or blinds?
Mostly blinds, but we have curtains in the living room and kitchen.
18. How many pillows do you sleep with?
2 under my head and 2 body pillows to support the body.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night?
Nope. Though we do when we have a newborn in the house, just very dim.
20. How often do you vacuum?
Uhm.  Often enough?
21. Standard toothbrush or electric?
Electric.
22. What color is your toothbrush?
Pink.  Of course!
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch?
Yep, it’s got grapes on it.  Or it did before it became covered with weeds and other debris.

24. What is in your oven right now?
A light?  An oven rack or two?  Other than that, nada.

25. Is there anything under your bed?
Nothing I want to know about, that’s for sure.
26. Chore you hate doing the most?
It’s a toss up.  I hate cleaning bathrooms.  I don’t much care for dishes either.
27. What retro items are in your home?
If we have anything retro in here, I can assure you that it’s not on purpose.
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office?
No.  Well, unless you consider the loft a separate room.  But then, I don’t use that computer anymore so I guess the answer is no.

29. How many mirrors are in your home?
Let’s see… 4.  Not too many, huh?
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home?
If we did, I’m sure we would have spent it by now.
31. What color are your walls?
In which room?  The living room is sage green, the kitchen has one wall that’s a neutral tan (we need to paint the rest sometime), the loft is a pinkish tan which looks a lot better than it sounds, Liam’s room is pale yellow, our room is various shades of purple and Harry’s room is blue with a dark, dark blue ceiling (with glow in the dark stars on it!).  He’s also got a rocket ship painted on his wall.

32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home?
Yeah, not that I can think of.  Even the dogs don’t really count.
33. What does your home smell like right now?
Nothing.  Maybe a little like diapers but I hope not.

34. Favorite candle scent?
Lilac.
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now?
Of course I have pickles!  I’m pregnant!  They’re store brand, which I always prefer when pregnant.
36. What color is your favorite Bible?
It’s pink and black.  My in-laws gave it to me.
37. Ever been on your roof?
Nope and I hope I never am.  This is a two story house, after all.

38. Do you own a stereo?
My cd player broke ages ago.  Our DVD player/home theater system plays cds, does that count?
39. How many TVs do you have?
Operational and non-operational: 4.
40. How many house phones?
2.  And they suck.  I never answer it unless it’s someone I want to talk to.
41. Do you have a housekeeper?
Don’t I wish!
42. What style do you decorate in?
College-chic.  We’re still a little in that post-college garage sale modge podge stage here.  A lot of hand me downs.

43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints?
Solids. Or wood.
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home?
A few.  Hopefully, one or two even work.  (I’ve had to take batteries out because of bleeping alarms in the middle of the night)

45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip?
This is assuming that all the people and animals are safely out of the house?  My laptop (all the photos on the hard drive!), other photo albums, the diaper bag and my purse.

I learned about this blog on Friday and all weekend long I was on the alert for updates on this poor mother’s situation.  This story stayed in my mind every day as I wondered, “What would I do in her shoes?”  The answer is; fall apart most likely.

The story is this: a wife, mother and law student had her three month old son taken away from her by the Department of Child and Family Services late last week because they suspect he has been the victim of abuse.  All because this mother was very concerned about a “popping noise” in her son’s chest (plus the fact that he seemed in agony all the time, and a diagnosis of acid reflux didn’t sit well with her) and insisted on a chest x-ray.  The x-ray revealed broken ribs.  Playing it safe, DCFS took the child and put him in a group home for the weekend where she and her husband have been allowed to visit him for one hour a day under supervised conditions.

I can’t give you the whole story as well as she can, so I highly suggest you visit her blog and read through the recent archives.   It’s simply heartbreaking to see a fellow parent go through this.  She is certain that there has been no abuse and her current theory is that the ribs were broken during what turned out to be a fairly traumatic delivery.  She has some good evidence to back this up, so I’ve got all fingers and toes crossed for her.  There’s a hearing tomorrow in which the judge will decide if the case needs to go to trial (it probably will) and where the child should be placed for the duration.  The family is hoping that her parents will be able to serve as foster parents.  This poor woman can’t bear the thought of her baby being in some strangers house for the next three months (an estimation) where she would have limited visitation rights (once a week).  So definitely, keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.  And drop by and leave them a word of encouragement if you’ve got a moment.

I expect I’ll be updating you all on this family’s progress as the days and weeks go by, so keep your eyes on the “You Need to Read” feature, where I’ll most likely be featuring recent posts.

The list is short this week, but the sites I’ve included are no less awesome. So if you’re thirsting for some good reading material this weekend, look no further than these posts. They’ll keep you busy, entertained and thoughtful. I can guarantee that.

• “Shout Out to Bossy’s Gays” by i am bossy. This is a beautiful post, done “poetry style” and complete with a soundtrack. I’d like to echo her sentiment. I’ve known some awesome people who just also happen to be gay.
• “IZ NAKIES” from I Can Has Cheeseburger? Okay, it’s not a parenting blog, but it’s hysterical nonetheless. If you haven’t become familiar with lolcats before now, this website is sure to keep you entertained and suck all sorts of time from you this weekend. And this particular lolcat made me literally laugh out loud.
• “…to a land where joy shall never end…” by Oh, The Joys. She is almost always just hysterically funny but this time, we see her sensitive and serious side. A literally gut-wrenching post that all too many of us can sympathize with.
• “Longing for a Pocket” by Purple is a Fruit. Some readers had suggested to Linda that if she was curious about observing her own c-section, to watch a video of one first. She found one on YouTube and has since revised her earlier stance on viewing a c-section. Yikes, I can only imagine. I just think there are some things I’d like to see and do in this world and there are some things I can be perfectly happy being in the dark about. This is one of those things.
• “The First Experiment: Chickpea Cookies” by Ordering Disorder. Melissa is trying out that new Jessica Seinfeld book “Deceptively Delicious” out on her notoriously picky children and this was her first go. I was interested to see the outcome, as I saw the segment on Oprah with Mrs. Seinfeld earlier this week and wanted to see how these recipes went over in “real life”. I’m not a big fan of chickpeas though, so I was a little horrified at the notion of putting them into chocolate chip cookies. I probably would have mashed them up before hand instead of putting them in whole. But it sounds like they went over pretty well. I’ll be keeping an eye for her future “experiements”.
• “Instant Karma” by IzzyMom. Just about everyone at some time or another has had an awful neighbor. Reading this story about Izzy’s awful neighbor, I felt invested in the outcome, wanting to see her vindicated. And she was. Richly so. Down with awful neighbors everywhere!

When you have small children, you need to be on extra alert when around swimming pools. If you have a pool of your own or your parents have one at their house, learning water safety becomes a number one priority. My ever-vigilant husband alerted me to this website (and it’s startling accompanying videos) yesterday and I knew right off I had to share it with you all. It’s called the Infant Swimming Resource. This is a nationally recognized program that offers a highly specialized and certified instruction for children as young as 6 months old. You might be wondering: What can you teach a 6 month old about water safety? You’d be surprised. Even though non-verbal, infants can be taught techniques to use if they should ever fall into the water. The most impressive being how to maneuver themselves into their back so they float to the surface. There, they can breathe and cry for help until help does arrive. Just watch the video below yourself to see this in action. I was completely floored by it. The instructors not only teach your children, but teach you as well so that you are equipped with how to keep your children safe.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone who has children and a pool. My parents have a pool in their backyard and I always worry when we go to visit. We never let the children play around the pool if we’re not standing outside with them, but you never know what could happen. When I was a baby, my parents realized the importance of teaching me how to swim early in case I fell in the pool. They hired a swim instructor to come to our house and teach me and several other neighbor kids how to swim. I was a mere 18 months old and it wasn’t long before I was swimming like a fish. Those skills served me well, growing up with a swimming pool. So I know small children and babies can be taught how to survive in the water. I only wish we had a swim instructor with ISR in our area that we could take advantage of.

Here’s a news story that caught my eye: You hear a lot about kids who get caught driving well before they’re of the legal age, but what about a six year old? A young boy, whose name has not been released, decided that he was feeling hungry and wanted to go eat at Applebee’s. So what did he do? He decided he’d drive there himself. It sounds as though he was staying with his grandmother and she had her back turned for whatever reason. So he took the keys, went out to the car, removed his booster seat from from the backseat and put it up in the drivers seat, climbed in, and went. Of course, the little fella didn’t get very far. He only made it about 75 feet before hitting a transformer and communications box, knocking out power and phones to the entire neighborhood. Did I mention he was unable to get the vehicle out of reverse? Of course, I’m impressed that he was able to get it into reverse to begin with. What I’d really like to know, however, is how he managed to reach the gas pedal. Police investigators are also unclear, apparently, on how he accomplished that as well so I’m not the only one.

This had to be pretty scary for the poor little guy. The news story said he got out of the vehicle promptly and went to tell his grandmother what had happened. At least he didn’t try to hide what he’d done, as if that would be possible (but you know kids). I wonder if she ended up taking him to Applebee’s after all. Sounds as if the kid has a real preference for that restaurant. The good news is that there are no charges filed on this incident so save for a dented fender and some time without power for the neighbors, no one is the worse for the wear. Let’s hope the child learned his lesson, however, and doesn’t try driving again until he’s quite a bit older.

Welcome to another installment of YNTR!  As always, if you think I’m totally missing out on a fantastic read, drop me a line or leave a comment and point me in the right direction.  And now?  Onto the links!  I have some great ones for you this week (as usual), I hope you enjoy.  See you Monday, ya’ll!

• “To the guy with the wife with the baby” by sweet | salty.  Once again, Kate has hit the nail on the head.  This is formatted as an open letter to a new father, encouraging him to take part in his growing family and support his wife the way she needs him to.  Should be a must read for every father out there.
• “Now I just need to learn how to use it” by Kerflop. This began a little series by Jessica on deciding to spend some money on herself and making herself look better and how to do it.  Mostly I was just jealous she got to get all that great stuff from Sephora.
• “Under the Table” by Dad Gone Mad.  A great little essay about eating out with children, especially children who love to crawl under the table when they get bored.  And who hasn’t done that at some point in their life?
• “Bruce Willis scares the crap out of his daughters’ boyfriends” by Jonathon Morgan at ParentDish.  Ha!  It’s one of those things that you always suspected might be true but are just now finding out is entirely the case.  Who hasn’t pictured Bruce Willis as one of those dad’s sitting on the porch with a shotgun?
• “Parenting 101: The Art of Annoyance” by Mommy Tracks.  This is one of those “so true you HAVE to share it” type of posts.  All mom’s feel the pressure of needing to impart our wisdom or advice onto our children, whether they want it or not.  Me, I find their annoyance an added bonus.
• “The Smackdown Checklist” by the Advice Smackdown.  Amy’s advice has long been a staple of the blogosphere (and if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t even know foundation brushes existed).  This post is a must read compilation of what you need to have for your face, both makeup and facial care and just what you need to be doing with it.  This is something I’m going to print out and keep in my bathroom, I don’t know about you.
• “My Responsibility” by Daring Young Mom.  This is truly a landmark post.  She discusses how her loyalty to a used bookstore is challenged when she discovers they advertise a belief in families only have two children in order to lessen the “burden” on the planet.  I can’t say it enough, you gotta read this.

I’ve talked about this tender subject before: the desire to have a baby of one sex over the other. Many parents are reluctant to admit they’ve wanted a child to be a specific gender, especially if they have ended up being the opposite. But nearly every expectant parent is at least a little curious about what they have brewing within and I’m no different. Which is why I was tremendously interested in this website that I stumbled across in my internet travels the other day. It’s an article hosted by in-gender.com, a website that professes to give parents the straight truth on gender selection. The article is called “The Odds of Having Another Boy or Girl“.

What I found there was a somewhat scientific study of over 6,000 families and breaks the odds and statistics down in an easy to read and easy to understand format. How many families had a preference? How many families already had children? How many boys did they have? How many girls?

The Old Wives Tales have always said (and believe me, I’ve heard it a lot) that once you have a couple boys and no girls, you’re far more likely to have another boy than you are a girl. But the truth? According to this study, you’re only about 6% more likely to have another boy after already having three (like me). And that’s not a whole lot. It’s true, you are more likely to have a boy, but that goes for anyone, including families with only girls. But that’s because people are slightly more likely to have boys anyhow, since the natural percentage breakdown is 51% boys and 49% girls.

What it comes down to is that it all is really mostly 50/50.  Regardless of what gender of child you’ve had previously, you’re just as likely to have a baby of the opposite gender as you are of the same gender.  It’s something that logic dictates to us anyhow, but sometimes, it’s just nice to hear.

When I saw this news yesterday, I wish I could say I was surprised.  But I sort of knew it was only a matter of time. Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled yesterday that Britney must surrender her children Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, to their father Kevin Federline by Wednesday.  It sounds like a temporary order for now, but I think it could easily become permanent if Brit doesn’t clean up her act.

Earlier in September, the same judge expressed concerns about Brit’s lifestyle and ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week in order to keep her children.  She was also ordered to see a parenting coach who would observe her parenting skills and report back to the court.  She was also to attend parenting classes with Federline but it’s unclear whether those classes had begun yet or not.

There is much speculation that the children were removed from her custody because she failed her drug test.  I have to admit, it certainly is looking to be the case.  In which case I’m not just sorry for her and her inability to get a grip on her life, but her children as well.  They deserve better from their mother.

I can only hope that this will be the wake up call she needs in order to get her life back in order.  I’ve heard that after surrendering her children yesterday (two days ahead of schedule), that she went out on the town to party.  I’m hoping that’s because she was feeling down about the turn of events and not because she felt “free at last”.  It’s just a shame that Brit doesn’t seem to realize being a parent means a lot more than just giving birth.

Happy October, ya’ll!  I hope you survived the weekend with your family intact.  There’s a lot of parenting and family buzz on the 451Press network this morning and I’m going to give you a peek at what’s going on.

Erinn over at “Parenting Our Children” talks about a “Ban on Birthday Fun in School“.  Apparently, some schools are outlawing the distribution of cupcakes or other fatty (but fun) goodies.  At my child’s school, as with most others, you are encouraged to bring cupcakes for the class to enjoy to celebrate your child’s birthday.  I can understand the reasoning, but it seems extreme to outlaw such an innocent joy for children.

Jean over at “Parenting and Religion” discusses the touchy topic “Domestic Violence Effects Kids; How to Have a Non-Violent Home“.   Not an easy subject to address, Jean covers this one well and with caring.  October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and she plans to keep the spotlight on the issue for the next several days.  Definitely tune in and check it out.

Brian at “Sympathy Pain” talks about  “Why I Do This…“, about why he blogs about pregnancy and becoming a father.  He reveals a little of his history with his ex-wife, where she suffered two devastating miscarriages and his desire to remember that, to move forward, to mark the events as they happen.  And you know, that’s very much the same reason I do what I do as well.  My personal blog has been my salvation through some very rough times, reproductively speaking.  My only regret is that I didn’t start blogging sooner.  If you haven’t been reading Brian’s site, you need to start.

That’s all I have time for today, definitely check out some of the other wonderful sites that have updated recently while you’re at it.  There’s an awful lot to talk about in the world of parenting.