Filed under: Just for moms, Education, Gadgets & tech

In this country, sadly, we don't encourage advanced studies anywhere near as much as we should. In fact, it seems almost the opposite -- those who are passionate about hard science are the target of ridicule at best and victims of institutionalized physical abuse at the worst. And yet, while the stars of track and field can go on to become lawyers and own car dealerships, it is the nerds of the world that seem to make the difference -- people like Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak and, yes, Grace Hopper.

But can we afford this culture of anti-science where the brightest students are stuffed into lockers just for being smart? According to scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we cannot. And when it comes to girls, doubly not. "It is deemed uncool," the researchers wrote, "within the social context of USA middle and high schools to do mathematics for fun; doing so can lead to social ostracism. Consequently, gifted girls, even more so than boys, usually camouflage their mathematical talent to fit in well with their peers."

The problem is that "a majority of the top young mathematicians in this country were not born here," says Janet Mertz, the professor who led the study. "We are wasting this valuable resource," Mertz noted. "Girls can excel in math at the very highest level. There are some truly phenomenal women mathematicians out there."

She's right, of course. Since men are no longer banging women on the head and dragging them back to their caves, we need every great scientific mind we can get, regardless of what type of body it might be in.

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Filed under: Fun & activities, In the news, That's entertainment, Shopping & recalls

If you are heading out to a fair or amusement park this weekend, don't be surprised to find the YO-YO ride closed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Chance Rides Manufacturing Inc. have closed down about 85 of the rides in order to inspect and repair them. This action was brought about by two incidents in which children and adults were injured when the sweep arms suspending the circular swinging chairs broke free from the ride's center rod. Yikes!

Chance Rides is offering ride owners and state safety officials inspection and repair kits and has also created new inspection and maintenance guidelines for the rides. CPSC has jurisdiction over amusement rides, but state and local officials are responsible for inspections and oversight.

For more information about which states have amusement ride inspection programs and which agencies carry out those responsibilities, CPSC has published a Directory of State Amusement Ride Safety Officials which can be downloaded in PDF format from the CPSC Website.

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Filed under: Teens & tweens, In the news

What were you thinking? If you're a parent of a teen, you may have found yourself asking this question more than once. According to recent research, if a teen answered the question honestly, they might says, "I wasn't." Experts say that a teen's risky behavior often has little thought behind it at all.

Which makes the fact that teens often have free reign over technology a little scary. Take the new trend of teens taking naked pictures of themselves or others and either sending them to friends or posting them on the Internet. What a lot of these kids may not realize, as their parents do, is that once a picture is on the Internet, it has the potential to exist forever.

One 15-year-old girl is learning that lesson the hard way. She took naked pictures of herself, then sent them off to classmates. If she was looking for attention, she got it. Authorities recently charged her with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented materials, and she could even be named a sex offender. The students who received her photos may face charges as well, since the photos are considered child pornography.

Authorities say that the practice is ballooning and that kids don't realize how much trouble they can get themselves into, not to mention others. A field hockey coach was recently convicted on child pornography charges after one of his athletes sent him a photo of herself in her underwear. If you think that this issue warrants a discussion in your house, visit SafetyClicks for advice on how to keep kids safe online.

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Filed under: Celeb parenting

Not every child is an athlete. But those who do enjoy sports come in every age, shape, and yes, even gender. It might come as no surprise to you and me that girls can actually, oh, enjoy sports and maybe even be good at them. But according to Fox and Friends co-host Steve Doocy, girls don't really like sports at all.

In a recent interview promoting his new book Tales from the Dadside, Doocy responded to the different tone his book took when talking about his son versus his daughters. "I was very conscious of that because with boys they actually want to play and hit the ball. With girls, girls don't really want to play these sports. They just want to hang out. Being a coach for girls is like herding cats...."

Now in all fairness, maybe coaching his own daughters was like herding cats. But I think Doocy does a great disservice to young female athletes with this stereotypical statements. Boys like to play sports, girls are just in it for the social scene and the cute uniforms. Right. As a mom to a five-year-old girl who is already a tiger on the soccer field, as well as a friend to several women who have been playing sports since childhood, I can assure Mr. Doocy that girls DO actually want to play and hit the ball too. It's too bad Doocy couldn't see that in his own children and their teammates.

What do you think of Steve Doocy's view of girls and sports?

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Filed under: Fun & activities, Holidays, Weird but true

They disagree on the economy. They disagree about foreign policy. They even disagree on how to pronounce "Pakistan". But whatever their philosophical, economic, military or social differences, there is one thing the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, can agree upon -- pirates are cool.

In interviews with Nick News, both candidates told the thirteen-year-olds quizzing them that their favorite costume from their own past was that of a pirate. Now, having dressed as a pirate for a friend's son's birthday party, complete with real saber, I can understand that. There's something to be said for the romantic notion of a pirate's life -- sailing the seas, answering to no one, sort of an ocean-going hobo. Only, with plundering and pillaging thrown in.

McCain seems partial to that part; "When I see the way they behave in the United States Senate," he said in the interview, "sometimes I wish I (could) put my costume on and take my sword out or my dagger and get 'em back in line."

Obama, on the other hand, remembers fondly the costume he wore when he was three years old. He says it was "one of the best costumes of all time," adding that it even came complete with a pirate sword and a "little mustache."

I think we've finally found something that truly crosses all party lines and that everyone, republican or democrat, liberal or conservative, boxers or briefs, can agree on. And if we're all into being pirates, surely the rest of these problems can be solved? What say ye? Arrr!

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Filed under: Teens & tweens, Health & safety, In the news, Education

Many cities have alternative schools where kids who might otherwise drop out are given the opportunity to stay in school and graduate. These at-risk kids are often the victims of neglect or poverty and may have already found themselves on the wrong side of the law. But, according to a 2003 Chicago Public School District study, there is another group of at-risk kids who might benefit from an alternative school of their own: gay, lesbian and transgender teenagers.

Studies show that gay high school students are three times more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe. Because the stigma and fear of violence puts these kids at greater risk of dropping out altogether, the Chicago Public School District has proposed a school just for them. The School for Social Justice Pride would have a maximum enrollment of 600 students who would be admitted on a lottery basis. The school would have the same staffing and oversight as other schools, but would include lessons about sexual identity in literature and history as well as offering counseling.

"We want to create great new options for communities that have been traditionally underserved," said schools chief Arne Duncan. "If you look at national studies, you see gay and lesbian students with high dropout rates. . . . I think there is a niche there we need to fill."

While the idea seems to have plenty of support, it is not going over well with some gay rights advocates. They want to see schools focus on fostering acceptance, not segregation.

The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the matter on October 22nd and if passed, Chicago's first gay high school would open in 2009.

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Filed under: Playground bureau

Does the economy have you down? Improve your mood with one of these 10 tips. -- Work It, Mom!

Winter is almost here. If that makes you shudder with fear, check out these homemade games sure to keep your little ones busy on those chilly days. -- ParentHacks

Speaking of winter: Here are some cute, eco-friendly sheepskin boots to keep your toes warm in the snow. -- MomFinds

Get in the mood for Halloween with this cute video about a little boy who refuses to take of his costume the day after Halloween. -- Offsprung

Are you watching Desperate Housewives? One mom thinks you should be. -- Mommy Track'd

Even Elmo's talking about Sarah Palin. Can this election just be over already? -- MomLogic

Brad shoots Angelina breastfeeding for the cover of W magazine. If you're a breastfeeding mom who hasn't showered in two days, you may want to look away. -- lilSugar

No costume yet? Get inspiration with these 10 favorite picks. -- Celebrity Baby Blog

Dying to watch Project Runway in peace? Find out what you're doing wrong at bedtime. -- Babble

Kids at each other all day long? Keep the peace with these tips from a mom of four (almost five). -- AlphaMom

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Filed under: Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Education

As a teacher, here in the U.S., my wife is required to report suspected cases of child abuse or endangerment. If she sees or hears something that indicates there could be a problem, she is obligated to contact child protective services. I'm okay with that -- sometimes, kids need protection even from their own family. In England, however, it seems the government wants to take that a step further -- by having teachers report potential terrorists to the police.

The plan extends the "in loco parentis" responsibilities of teachers to include keeping an eye out for pupils who consider violent extremism an option. Francis Gilbert, a teacher who would have to watch out for these disgruntled teenagers (are there really any other kind?), has written a critique of the idea noting that students, aware that their teachers might turn them in, would be afraid to say anything that might be considered anti-establishment.

The teenage years, especially, are a time when kids rebel against the status quo, looking for ways to solve the problems they see and improve society. From the Beatles to Romeo and Juliet, this is part of growing up, part of becoming the next generation. Setting teacher out to crush that is a very bad idea.

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Filed under: Just for moms, Love & sex, Pregnancy & birth

How does a woman signal to a man that she is fertile and about to ovulate? Researchers have found that women raise the pitch of their voice when talking in social situations; the better the timing for conception, the higher the pitch. This, apparently, makes them more attractive to members of the opposite sex.

The researchers at the University of California recorded female undergraduate students and noted that they spoke in higher tones when they were nearer to an egg being released. The difference, however, only showed up when they said a sentence they would normally say in a social setting, such as "hi, I'm a student at UCLA." The change was not apparent for simple vowel sounds.

A study at the State University of New York recently found that men and women both preferred female voices more when the speaker was more fertile; perhaps now we know why. Perhaps, also, we know why sopranos always get the lead roles.

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Filed under: Weird but true

(Click the photo for more strange and amazing human anomalies)
For women who use it regularly and never miss a day, the pill is an effective form of birth control 98-99% of the time. So while it's possible to get pregnant while using this particular form of birth control, the odds are definitely in a woman's favor.

Imagine Kristy Hale's surprise, then, when she found out that she was pregnant. Kristy told her fiance Toby on a Friday, and the couple found themselves shocked but happy at the thought of a baby. The following Monday brought a much news -- Kristy was expecting identical triplets. Doctors say the odds of conceiving triplets while taking the pill are a shocking one in 200 million. I think Kristy better go buy herself a lottery ticket.

The babies were delivered recently, 13 weeks early but doing well. "We weren't even trying for a family," said dad Toby Wilson. "When Kristy got pregnant, she was on the pill. But we are so excited -- it's an instant family." The young couple are definitely taking this turn of events in stride, but I bet they don't depend too heavily on that particular form of birth control in the future!

Gallery: Bizarre and amazing human anomalies

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Filed under: Health & safety, Shopping & recalls

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 330,000 Nerf N-Strike Recon Blasters due to faulty design. When firing the toy, the plunger on the blaster can pull the user's skin resulting in injury to the face, neck and/or chest. There have been 46 reports of children aged 4 to 12 who received bruises, abrasion, pinch marks, blood blisters and welts.

The recall involves the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Blasters for kids aged 6 and over. The toy is yellow with a black handle and orange plunger, trigger and reload clip. The word "NERF" can be found on both sides of the blaster in black lettering and the word "ARMED" is indented on the orange plunger. RECON CS-6 can be found on the gray cocking mechanism. The toy comes with five interchangeable parts including a shoulder stock, flip-up sight, barrel extension, quick re-load clip and dual-mode light beam. Model number 63552 and UPC codes 653569272021 and 653569311218 can be found on the packaging. Only blasters with an exposed orange plunger are included in this recall.

These were made in China for Hasbro Inc. and sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us, discount stores and toy stores nationwide from November 2007 through August 2008 for about $20 each.

If you have one of the recalled toys, you should immediately take it away from your child and contact Hasbro for a free cylindrical cover to prevent injuries. For more information, contact Hasbro by calling (800) 245-0910 anytime or by visiting their Web site.

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Filed under: Weird but true

The latest nominee for the Bad Dads Hall of Shame comes from Tennessee. A dad downed 15 beers and a few mixed drinks before it suddenly occurred to him that he should have a designated driver. Since his gal pal was high on her own mixture of four different kinds of pills, he turned to the next obvious (to him) choice ... his 10-year-old son.

Unfortunately, the boy was no driving prodigy. He drove the van at speeds up to 90 mph before flipping it over. The police found the van upside down, the passengers -- which included two other children -- sitting in the middle of the road. The woman suffered a broken bone in her neck, one child had a broken hand, and the rest had cuts and bruises.

As if this story could be any more over the top, the man was arrested wearing a t-shirt that said, "Buy This Dad a Beer." What you won't see him wearing anytime soon is a t-shirt that says, "World's Greatest Dad."

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Filed under: Newborns, Babies, Health & safety

When my older daughter was five months old, she started rolling over in her crib at night. Only, instead of rolling over and snuggling in with that cute butt-in-the-air pose that all parents know and love, she'd roll over, then fall back to sleep ... face down in the mattress. I'd lie in my own bed, watching anxiously on the video monitor. My mind would tell me that she was fine, while my heart would fantasize about worst case scenarios until I had enough. I'd go in to gently turn her head to the side. She'd thank me by either waking up, furious, or by being back in the face down position by the time I hit my pillow. At her six month checkup, her doctor told me to leave her alone and let her sleep.

I've never met a new parent who didn't worry about SIDS, who didn't fret about sleep positions. But the same study that found that running a fan in baby's room may reduce the risk of SIDS also found that up to 26% of parents don't heed the advice that babies should sleep on their backs. Babies seem to sleep better on their bellies, so I'm guessing a large chunk of that percentage are parents off poor sleepers. Still, over one quarter of parents don't follow the single most important piece of advice when it comes to preventing SIDS? That's amazing to me

I had one child would only nap during the day if I put her on her side, so I can relate. But I was never brave enough to let them sleep on their bellies until they were old enough to get there themselves. What about you? Did you let your babies sleep on their bellies?

View Poll

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Filed under: Image of the Day

We are such suckers for baby's dimpled knuckles. Thanks to taku for this precious shot.

If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll highlight an image every day. Remember: we're on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on our main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

Have a particularly great Halloween photo to share? We're assembling a reader gallery of Cute Costumed Kids -- share your photos in our Flickr pool and check AOL Living's new Holiday Hub starting October 17 to see the full package!

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Filed under: Babies, Love & sex, In the news, Weird but true

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl find out they are related.

Lifetime Movie Network or just your average Australian romance?

Australian laws are forcing gays and lesbians to seek "unregulated" sperm donors in order to have children, worrying state officials who say a generation of half-siblings could commit "accident incest" if the trend continues.

One man is thought to have impregnated at least 30 lesbians, while another man's sperm may have been used to father 29 babies.

According to FOXNews, sperm donation in South Australia is limited to heterosexual couples experiencing infertility and other reproductive hurdles, forcing same-sex couples to seek "donations" from willing parties online, or from casual sex. The same laws also require sperm donors to reveal their identities, putting off many men from donating at legitimate clinics.

Authorities fear that the children could grow up, meet and form sexual relationships with one another -- they are particularly worried because 29 half-siblings may all reside in Adelaide, one "big county town." Doctors fault the laws, which they say push gays and lesbians outside the system to have children of their own, and called for the South Australian laws to be repealed.

Ambitious entrepreneurs take note -- the DNA analysis business is going to be HUGE down under.

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Filed under: In the news, Weird but true, Toys & games

Elmo Live may be the hot toy of the season this year, but it's a cute little baby doll who is getting all the attention right now. Fisher Price's Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo doll is supposed to utter only one actual word: Mama. The rest of the sounds emanating from the speakers inside the doll are just cooing and giggling sounds. Or are they? Some say they hear the words "Islam is the Light" among the baby babble are demanding the toy be removed from the shelves.

Gary Rofkahr of Owasso, Oklahoma says he bought the doll and was shocked by what he heard. "I have a 1-year-old granddaughter," he said. "It makes me mad that someone is trying to indoctrinate our children with an innocent toy."

Gallery: Toys from "Lucifer's Toy Chest"

But wait, there's more. Others say in addition to promoting Islam, the doll also utters the phrase "Satan is King". Now, that makes absolutely no sense to me as Islam is most definitely not a pro-Satan religion. Is someone trying to indoctrinate our children or just confuse them?

This may sound like a few parents getting up in arms over what is in all likelihood just a misunderstanding, but the Wal-Mart in Owasso is taking it seriously. They've pulled the doll from the shelves. And in response to emails from a local television station, Fisher Price's parent company, Mattell, has issued a statement on the matter. They admit that one of the baby noises may indeed sound like the word "light", but insist that the rest is just gibberish. "We have found that if told to listen for a particular phrase, you may hear something similar due to the power of suggestion," the statement says.

Have a listen for yourself and tell us what you hear.

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Welcome to ParentWish, a monthly feature featuring stuff we want ... and wish we had!

Halloween is right around the corner - time for ghosts, goblins and crazed children high on sugar. If you're still looking for a fun and unique costume for your little one, you're in luck! We've rounded up this year's favorites to assist with your search. (Unfortunately, we can't help you with the impending sugar overdose. Sorry about that.)

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Filed under: Babies, Toddlers, Kids 5-7, Sleep

I receive many emails and letters every week asking for my advice on parenting issues. Well, this week, I'm asking readers to give me advice on my current parenting dilemma -- kids sleeping in our bed!

Here's the lowdown: as many of you know, I have five kids. The youngest, Paloma, is five months old and sleeps in a co-sleeper next to my side of the bed. She still gets up five times a night to nurse and/or use my breast as a pacifier. Upon hearing this, a good friend recommended I buy a pacifier. Though I never used one with my other kids, I bought one and Paloma likes it and uses it. Unfortunately, she often loses it during the night which results in her waking up and my having to wake up to find it or nurse her back to sleep. My two year-old, John-Paul, sleeps most of the night in a crib in his room. However, he wakes up every morning at 4:30 am screaming at the top of his lungs to be taken out of his crib. He's stubborn and loud so we end up getting up and bringing him to our bed because we don't want his screams to wake up the baby. Our four year-old, Lucia, and six year-old, Jack, will also come into our bed, though the days and times vary. There are mornings when we wake up to all three kids in the bed. Recently, we purchased bunk beds and instead of storing the old toddler bed in the basement, we put it in our room in hopes that at least one of them would sleep in it. Occasionally, Lucia will, but inevitably, she ends up in our bed before the night is over.

Having kids in the bed disrupts our sleep and God knows that parents with five kids need their sleep. On the other hand, we know that this stage is limited (our nine year-old no longer comes to our bed at night ) and that we will one day pine for the days when our kids loved to crawl in our bed and cuddle. What should we do?

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Filed under: Celeb parenting

For a minute there, it seemed like another Spears sister would be singing, "Oops, I did it again." Yesterday, the National Enquirer was reporting that Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant again, just four months after the 17-year-old gave birth to daughter Maddie Briann.

Considering the source, it's no surprise that Jamie Lynn's camp quickly came out with a denial. "She is not pregnant," said her publicist. Jamie and fiance Casey Aldridge have also been fighting rumors of a split.

What's interesting about this story, though, is that the original story quoted the "source" as saying that Jamie thought breastfeeding would protect her from pregnancy. Breastfeeding can provide protection if done exclusively, but as my midwife told me after my firstborn was delivered, "Breastfeeding is effective birth control if you live in a country without access to birth control. You don't, so don't get any ideas." But I know a lot of women who have depended on nursing to space out their children, with varying degrees of success.

As a teen mom, hopefully Jamie is being more careful than that. What about you? Did breastfeeding play a role in your birth control plan?

Gallery: 8 Celebs Who Should Never Have Kids

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Filed under: Health & safety, Kid decor & style, Shopping & recalls

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 11,000 pairs of girls' sandals sold by Rack Room Shoes of Charlotte, North Carolina. The ornamental flowers on the sandals can detach and pose a choking hazard to young children.

The sandals are leather with attached leather flowers and were sold under the Kids Feet brand name. They are either all white or white with pink soles. They were sold in girls' sizes 5 through 12 at Rack Room Shoes stores nationwide from February 2008 through June 2008 for about $25 each.

If you have the recalled shoes, you are advised to immediately take them away from your child and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund or store credit. For more information, you can contact Rack Room Shoes by calling (866) 344-1213 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by visiting their Web site.

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