All Family
Top 5 parenting tips for media literacy in preschoolers There are five essentials that will help preschoolers become media literate, says Modern Parenthood guest blogger Rebecca Hains, a children's media culture expert at Salem State University, in Salem, Mass.
Media literacy for preschoolers requires active parent viewingMedia literacy can be developed in preschoolers if parents actively watch media content with them and relate it to real-life experiences – and your family's values.
Media literacy for preschoolers: Parenting a savvy viewerMedia literacy for preschoolers isn't given much emphasis in schools, but parents can advance a child's media literacy at home.
Heidi Klum: no makeup for charity, 'empowerment.' Really?Heidi Klum is ditching her lipstick as part of a BBC Children in Need 'Go BearFaced' campaign, which encourages women to spend Nov. 9 without makeup. But one mom wonders: How do more Heidi Klum photos help girls?
Election 2012: We're all candidates for change, especially middle-schoolersElection 2012 future shock: Issues and information are evolving at exponential rates. That makes the job of citizenship and voting pretty important – because, as this principal, whose 2008 middle-schoolers are voters now, sees it, we're all candidates for change.
One child policy up for reform in China?One child per family is all the Chinese government currently permits its urban citizens – rural families are allowed two children if the firstborn is a girl. The highly unpopular policy should be phased out, according to a new report by a Chinese government think tank.
Bronco Bama Girl: Tired of presidential politics!Four-year-old Abigael Evans went viral as Bronco Bama Girl this week. Her mother captured her on video bursting into tears at one too many National Public Radio stories on the election: "I'm tired of Bronco Bama and Mitt Romney," she sobbed over the endless news coverage of the 2012 presidential election. NPR issued her an apology.
Anti-bullying: Gay agenda, or not, the most vulnerable are losingAnti-bullying movements, accused by conservative Christians of having a gay agenda, do tend to focus on gay victims because studies show they’re bullied most; but anti-bullying hype inflates what bullying really is. Both sides may be missing the point: helping the most vulnerable.
Rescue dog: Albie's leap of faith onto our bed – such a Sleeping BeautyRescue dog Albie has a new favorite spot: catching a little shut-eye next to bedfellows Mr. and Mrs. Zheutlin. Despite the hair, the dirty paws, and possible ticks and fleas, they can't resist his twitchy presence.
Happy Halloween! No loser candy or mean monster hereHappy Halloween at this dad's house means not having loser candy. It means not being a mean monster to the Winnie-the-Pooh who takes too many treats. And it means letting a tiny policeman use the bathroom.
Octomom in rehab after years under intense media spotlightOctomom – mother of the longest-surviving octuplets, plus six other children, all conceived through in vitro fertility treatments – checked into rehab this week. She has been constantly in the media spotlight since her octuplets were born four years ago.
Happy Halloween ... not! Gory, sexual costumes turn Mom offHappy Halloween? Can there be a Happy Halloween with the gory, sexual costumes peddled to kids? Not for this mom, who feels more glad than guilty not to be stuffing her 19-month-old into costumes, just yet.
Anti-bullying program grows despite being accused of gay agendaA national anti-bullying program has organized 3,000 schools to participate in "Mix It Up at Lunch Day." The American Family Association, a conservative Christian group is boycotting the event, labeling it a nationwide promotion of gay lifestyle.
Tamera Mowry: Her baby boy is due, and she talks like a normal momTamera Mowry is expecting her first baby – a boy – any day now. It's great to hear a celebrity mom talk like a normal mom on the street: She says she's very ready to have the pregnancy over, done, finished, and baby home.
Halloween in Beijing: Pumpkins, pirates, and ... a man in a dark suitYes, Virginia, there is Halloween in Beijing. No one dares to toss toilet paper over the gingko trees or egg the local Sichuan restaurant, but a group of American expatriates held a party and trick or treat – and most of the guests were Chinese, including a man in a dark suit.
Halloween costumes: More sexualized stereotyping for girlsHalloween costumes for kids, particularly girls, are increasingly sexualized, reinforcing the same unhealthy cultural messages about girls' bodies.
Hurricane Sandy: How to process the threat with your kidsHurricane Sandy has parents hitting the bottled water aisle at the supermarket and monitoring the growing threat on TV – and their children are listening in the background. Children can feel frightened but safe if parents process the drama of Hurriane Sandy realistically for them.
Autumn Pasquale and Jessica Ridgeway cases: The moms who turned in their sonsAutumn Pasquale and Jessica Ridgeway were both allegedly abducted by underage boys in separate attacks. The alleged killers of Autumn and Jessica were turned in by their own moms – an act of courageous parenting that deserves acknowledgment.
Parenting news roundup: Taylor Swift, Michelle Obama and bulliesThis week's roundup spotlights stories on Taylor Swift's breakup, bully mania sweeping the country, and Michelle Obama on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' chatting about teenagers and being a mom – That's right. The Modern Parenthood weekly news roundup is the new Friday family tradition.
Hurricane Sandy: Stay safe at home with the kids using these tipsHurricane Sandy is heading up the East Coast and could arrive in New York and New Jersey next week. Stay safe with these Red Cross tips on preparing for a hurricane.
