Cross-posted at MotherTalkers.
Good morning fellow moms, dads and caregivers!
I am back with your weekly parenting news update. Here are some topics we recently discussed at MotherTalkers:
Do you eat dinner as a family? Multiple studies have pointed out health advantages eating together rather than grazing in front of the TV solo. But we discussed the challenges of herding the family during mealtimes and offered tips on how to make it easier.
We had yet another discussion on how much influence parents should have over their small children's birthday party invitation lists.
Here is a personal and moving account of what it is like to be adopted and place your own child for adoption. Our "Frog Wife" garnered quite the response.
We had a monstrous discussion on progressive and family-friendly places to live in the United States. I am an east coast transplant who now lives in Berkeley, California. This is what I had to say about it in the thread: "We have been living in Berkeley, CA, for the last 10 years and can't imagine being anywhere else. It is, for the most part, sunny, green with all the amenities of city life plus open space in the hills. It is progressive and family friendly in that there are many things for us to do like go to the zoo, children's museums, preschool-type programs and other activities. However, it is expensive and that is a big downside to it and what made us consider Portland (Oregon). It is also a tad crowded. I am surprised by the number of cars here despite having, for the most part, reliable public transportation." Where do you live? Do you like it?
Here is a hot topic we discussed: Would you buy your teenaged daughter a vibrator? Apparently, Oprah Winfrey and show sex expert Dr. Laura Berman endorsed the idea. I read a re-cap of the show -- and ensuing discussion -- at the AOL blog ParentDish. Discuss away!
I will be out of town next week and will not post this diary a week from today. I will resume "Saturday Morning Parenting Diary" on Saturday, May 9. "See" you then!
What's up with you?