Question the Wisdom

"Permissive parents: Curb your brats"

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:44:56 -0400

Properly disciplined children know what’s up when mom or dad shoots them “the look,” that nonverbal cue to behave. The problem, writes this editorial’s author, is that some parents don’t dispense discipline at home, leading to bratty behavior that no look can quash.

I’m still working on my look.

Mammas don't let your babies grow up to be assholes

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:18:37 -0400

Today at the Hall of Science, this thick, one-year-old bruiser pounded his meaty palms on a ledge just below The Boss’s face. Without making a move towards the boy, his mother gushed, “Oh, he can be aggressive sometimes.”

I took my cue from the Dog Whisperer and led The Boss away without saying anything. But all I could think was, “Lady, if your kid hits my kid, then I’m going to hit you. That’s how it’ll play out.”

Teaching a child to behave is about preventing an offensive act, not making excuses for it. Permissive parenting benefits no one, least of all the child.

kaumealani replied to: The Boss finally tore herself away from the… That was Aeva’s favorite...

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:18:00 -0400

kaumealani replied to: The Boss finally tore herself away from the…

That was Aeva’s favorite thing at our museum too, lol. We even got her a ball toy because of it, and she loves it.

My Boss already has more than enough balls. She inherited them from me.

On a related note, I recently learned that the whole “forced air floating a plastic ball” thing demonstrates Bernoulli’s principle of fluid dynamics. (A practical explanation can be viewed here.) Its application not only keeps plastic balls afloat for the amusement of young children. It’s also the basis of airplane flight.

The Boss finally tore herself away from the museum’s...

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:00:05 -0400

The Boss finally tore herself away from the museum’s requisite ballet bar and relished this feature: an elephant’s trunk that blew cool air to keep an orange plastic ball afloat. Levitation was its first lure, but after a few minutes, The Boss was more impressed with the rush of air blowing in her face.

Our mission to visit every children’s museum in America...

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:00:05 -0400

Our mission to visit every children’s museum in America for free continued last weekend with an impromptu drive to Connecticut. The Stepping Stones Museum for Children, in Norwalk, has been the most impressive so far.

Its preschool play area was bright and roomy, with lots of interactive features for The Boss to enjoy. Another exhibit taught kids (and adults) the benefits of good nutrition. And there was an art studio in which to glue and glitter various masterpieces.

But the museum’s big hit was the Energy Lab, which housed three stainless steel, kid-level tanks filled with cold water and colorful plastic balls (above). The lesson in thermodynamics didn’t hold The Boss’s attention, but Ron and I had fun blasting plastic balls towards the ceiling with an air cannon.

"Unlike countries where couples can go broke trying to conceive with the assistance of costly medical..."

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:08:00 -0400

“Unlike countries where couples can go broke trying to conceive with the assistance of costly medical technology, Israel provides free, unlimited IVF procedures for up to two ‘take-home babies’ until a woman is 45. The policy has made Israelis the highest per capita users of the procedure in the world.”

- From “Where Families Are Prized, Help Is Free” (New York Times)

If only Israelis and Palestinians weren’t so preoccupied with mutual annihilation, I might take Benjamin Netanyahu up on this offer. For now, it’s just a lot safer to spring $500 on a newborn at Taco Bell.

My little family is milking its membership to the New York Hall...

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:39:00 -0400

My little family is milking its membership to the New York Hall of Science. The Boss and I hit its air-conditioned preschool play area every Thursday and Friday, and once Ron and I complete our weekend errands, we reward The Boss’s patience with another visit.

If tomorrow’s weather cooperates, I’ll take The Boss to the museum’s outdoor science playground. It’s got a sandbox that she might like.

This week’s unbearable heat and humidity have meant early...

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:31:05 -0400

This week’s unbearable heat and humidity have meant early visits to the playground and confinement to our air-conditioned living room.

Thankfully, The Boss doesn’t mind spending afternoons at home, as long as she can get in a game of tag while wearing pants on her head.

A lesson in developmental biology

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:02:06 -0400

Ron: Is this teething toy dirty?
Me: I don't know. Just clean it with a baby wipe.
Ron: No way! There are all kinds of chemicals in those wipes.
Me: They're safe enough to use on The Boss's ass.
Ron: Ass and mouth are two different things.
Me: No, ass and mouth are exactly the same thing.

"Is the idea of a $400 stroller so outlandish that, on some level, those who have so lost sight of..."

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:13:00 -0400

“Is the idea of a $400 stroller so outlandish that, on some level, those who have so lost sight of their own privilege as to leave one unattended almost deserve to be robbed?”

- From “The Stolen Stroller, An Urban Bourgeois Problem?”

My inner schmuck says yes. My mommy brain—the one that leaves the $240 City Mini parked by a bench while The Boss and I waddle across the playground—says no.

Just as the burnout was kicking in, we brought The Boss to...

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:49:00 -0400

Just as the burnout was kicking in, we brought The Boss to another children’s museum—our third in as many days. It was rainy and warm and sticky in New York, so a day at the Long Island Children’s Museum seemed like a good idea.

It must have been the same idea streaming through the minds of hundreds of other parents, because that place was packed. Strollers were double, triple, even quadruple parked along the walls. Kids were screaming everywhere. Too many adults hovered over the exhibits, making it difficult for children to access them.

I’ve got a fucking headache.

Association of Children's Museums

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:02:00 -0400

Association of Children's Museums:

Here’s the truly awesome part: Membership at one museum can translate to free (or discounted) admission to others across the country. As members of the New York Hall of Science, we got into the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for free. Our membership benefits also extend to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Staten Island Children’s Museum.

Both the New York Hall of Science and the Children’s...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:14:00 -0400

Both the New York Hall of Science and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan had wall-mounted ballet bars for babies on the verge of cruising. The Boss couldn’t get enough of it at the Hall of Science (above).

New York’s children’s museums are awesome, even for kids as...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 22:23:00 -0400

New York’s children’s museums are awesome, even for kids as young as my eight-month-old Boss. We spent Friday at the New York Hall of Science, which had a circus-themed exhibit for grade schoolers (above) and a preschool play area that The Boss absolutely loved. There was also an outdoor science playground that all of us enjoyed.

Then on Saturday, we visited the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Its preschool play area was a hit with The Boss, but the “no strollers” policy meant Ron and I had to juggle The Boss, both diaper and camera bags, a contraband water bottle, teething toys and other necessities that we usually stow in the City Mini’s basket.

jamiepeck: Ever Wanted To Go Topless In Public? We Did....

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:01:06 -0400

jamiepeck:

Ever Wanted To Go Topless In Public? We Did. (NSFW)

The fact that it’s perfectly legal in New York for a woman to expose her breasts in public has empowered me to nurse The Boss whenever and wherever necessary, without the irrational embarrassment associated with breastfeeding. I’m not sure which line in the Constitution supports this act (maybe this one), but I love it.

Happy Fourth of July!

Woman Sprays Breast Milk at Police

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:33:00 -0400

Woman Sprays Breast Milk at Police:

When I first saw this headline, I assumed it meant bottled milk. Um, no. At any rate, kudos to the sister who can squirt with (and under) such pressure.

These days, The Boss insists on sampling everything I eat. The...

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:58:58 -0400

These days, The Boss insists on sampling everything I eat. The problem with that is I eat nothing but cheese sandwiches, baked Ruffles chips and Pepperidge Farms double-chocolate Milano cookies.

To keep The Boss on a healthy track, I’ve altered some of my eating habits to match hers. For lunch today, she and I shared steamed carrots seasoned with dill, steamed white rice, and two poached eggs (she had the yolks; I ate the whites). I call it baby food for adults.

Let’s see how long I can keep this up.

How Do I Handle Other Dogs at the Dog Park?

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:36:00 -0400

How Do I Handle Other Dogs at the Dog Park?:

The Dog Whisperer would disagree with the way I handled the playground brat on Friday. He makes some good points in this response to fan mail, stuff that I’ll apply the next time The Boss and I are confronted with an unruly child.

Parenting lessons from "The Dog Whisperer"

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:12:35 -0400

nomadsoul said:

I never know how to respond when I encounter ill mannered kids at the playground. ESP when their parents say nothing!!

To be fair to these children, their parents (or caregivers) deserve all the blame. Playgrounds are not holding pens for kids to cut loose while Mommy, Daddy or Nanny yap on the cell phone. This lack of supervision deprives a child the opportunity to socialize positively with other children, and robs him or her of the caregiver’s love and attention.

So what to do when someone else’s kid is a brat? I don’t know. In the incident described, I bullied the boy because he bullied my kid, and immediately everything I ever learned from “The Dog Whisperer” about asserting dominance flooded my mind. Besides, his behavior ran longer than a supervising parent or caregiver would tolerate (that’s to say, he wasn’t supervised), and his nudging was escalating to shoving. So I gave him shhht.

If the boy hadn’t touched The Boss, or if his complacent caregiver were nearby, I might have responded differently. Who knows.

At the playground

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:36:00 -0400

Three-year-old boy: (Nudges The Boss away from playground equipment)
I wanna play here.
Me: But she was here first. Would you mind sharing with her?
Boy: But I'm playing here.
Me: Why don't you share it with her.
Boy: I'm playing here.
Me: Oh, I see. You're a male chauvinist.
Boy: (Looks up and sees my sneer, then runs away)