In some areas of the UK, local governments are offering moms gift vouchers and cash rewards for using cloth diapers instead of disposable “nappies.” In an island nation, open space for landfills is scarce, and tipping fees are pricey. Maybe they should fill a barge and see if any other nation will let it dock. […] Continue reading →

One of my least favorite politicians from Northern Cal, Richard Pombo, billed the government for his family vacation. Taxpayers anted up nearly $5,000 for the rental of Pombo’s RV, in which he and his wife and kids explored the West. “We spent two weeks on vacation, stopping along the way to enjoy the splendor of […] Continue reading →

Apparently I wasn’t alone in questioning the ballyhoo surrounding boys’ underachievement in school. Newsweek received more than 200 letters from parents, educators and young people and published 13 of them. While a few of the letter-writers acknowledged the problem — one even praised the gender-segregated classroom to help out boys — most questioned the fuss, […] Continue reading →

Disgusted by the specter of mounds of plastic toys, Salon writer Emily Bazelon tried to make her son’s birthday parties a little different. For a few years, the “book swap” idea worked fine. Then her son got old enough to feel deprived. So she had to broker a compromise, which seemed to work. My guess […] Continue reading →

I think the most beautiful thing in the world is to give an unwanted child a home.  Or to give a confused, scared woman, options other than abortion for their unborn child.  Ideally, I would LOVE to be like Angelina Jolie and take in as many children as I could.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the […] Continue reading →

Reading a review of the new Curious George movie, I was surprised to learn of the creators’ backstory. Writer and illustrator couple Margret and Hans Rey were German Jews from Hamburg who settled in France in 1935. …Before the first Curious George manuscript could see light, the Reys had to flee Paris on homemade bicycles […] Continue reading →

A six-year-old Massachusetts boy was suspended for “sexually harassing” a girl in his classroom, reported AP. The boy’s mother, understandably indignant, said her son “doesn’t know” what sexual harassment is. He reportedly placed two fingers inside of a girl’s waistband while she sat on the floor in front of him. The girl’s parents did not […] Continue reading →

Like many Americans, I don’t advocate for the environment aside from recycling and purchasing organic food. (Note: Americans are increasingly halting recycling even bottles and cans, according to this USA Today report.) I don’t know any parents who don’t want open and clean space for their children to play, which is why I am surprised […] Continue reading →

Hi Fellow MotherTalkers! We just realized that there was a week-long waiting period to post a diary. That “problem” has been corrected. Our apologies to anyone attempting to write a diary post! To start a diary, create a login and password. Then click on “New Diary Entry.” Basic writing guidelines are included. Thank you for […] Continue reading →

Warning: This column is not for Tom Cruise and his ilk for we already know where the good doctor stands on antidepressants. Joking aside, both the Washington Post and New York Times ran stories on contradictory studies regarding antidepressant use during pregnancy. The New York Times cited a study by the Journal of the American […] Continue reading →